Philadelphia City Hall. Photo by Wade T. Jones
This
past summer Wade decided he would like to see Philadelphia, so we just returned
from a five-day visit to one of my favorite cities. We each used our airline mileage
and his hotel points, so it was not a costly trip. We walked virtually
everywhere, despite the cold, visiting historic sites (which of course are
plentiful there) as well as two art museums.
My
fondness for this walkable city began when I served as a campus ministry intern
at the Christian Association, at the time a progressive enclave in a handsome
old brick building (still there, but serving a different purpose) at the heart
of the University of Pennsylvania campus, a four level structure that housed the
offices of multiple chaplains and three interns, a feminist bookstore, an
auditorium in which we showed thought-provoking films on weekends, and an
eatery run by a commune that provided low cost meals. We also hosted two craft
fairs featuring local artisans every year. At the time, it was the only campus facility
that welcomed Gays at Penn, and it became home to a Gay & Lesbian Peer
Counseling Program that I initiated, a first of its kind in the area.
I rented a room here.
No historical marker yet!
I
rented a room in a narrow row house across the Schuylkill River on South
Street, and walked daily across a bridge to the campus. The first night I was there, late in August of
1975, I met someone who would become a lifelong friend, one who graciously
hosted Wade and me for dinner this past Saturday at the White Dog Café near the
campus.
I
was in Philadelphia during the U.S. bicentennial, and on that Sunday, July 4,
1976, a couple of friends and I ate breakfast at a Mexican restaurant, worshiped
at Tabernacle, a federated Presbyterian/UCC congregation, attended the
bicentennial symbolic ringing of the Liberty Bell, and ate dinner at a Szechuan
restaurant in Chinatown—all of which seemed the American thing to do!
For
the celebration, the city had painted many intersections red, white and blue,
save for an intersection in Chinatown, which it painted (as I recall) green,
red, and gold, to the dismay of the residents, who declared themselves “as
American as any citizen,” demanding red, white and blue like everyone else!
Wade with the Liberty Bell.
What
brought all these things to mind was holding back tears as I saw people of many
nations and ethnicities as well as Americans of many national and ethnic
origins visiting the Liberty Bell last Thursday, often proudly posing for
photos beside it.
At
a time in the American psyche when we may not feel so proud of our attitudes
and behaviors regarding racial and religious diversity and the welcoming of
immigrants, it is good, even holy, to be reminded of our highest ideals as a
nation “with liberty and justice for all”—not just for those who look like us
and think and believe as we do, and, I would say, not just for Americans.
The
recent flap about athletes “taking the knee” during the national anthem in
protest of racial injustice has been called disrespectful of our armed
services. I realize the anthem’s imagery is of a battle, but our national
anthem is about ALL Americans who
have contributed to our nation’s character, from the seamstress who made the
first stars and stripes to the seamstress who refused to give up her seat on a
bus. The “land of the free and the home
of the brave” values protest and the courage of activists. We actually have benefited from both. Important battles
have been fought with picket signs, resistance, demonstrations, civil
disobedience, and votes.
In
these challenging times, I am grateful to be reminded of my country’s better
self.
A demonstration we happened onto at the base of
the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
My favorite Philadelphia Story:
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Philadelphia City Hall photo Copyright ©
2017 by Wade T. Jones.
Text and other photos Copyright © 2017 by
Chris R. Glaser. Permission granted for non-profit use with attribution of
author, photographer, and blogsite. Other rights reserved.
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