Pilgrims' Home

I began chapter 3 in The Other Side of the River. The chapter opens depicting the quaint and even romantic town of St. Joseph. I found myself walking the streets as Kolowitz describes them, and I was remarkably comfortable when I was figuratively walking those streets.             The nature of the book, race relations, however unsettled my comfort on those streets. I wondered if everyone found great comfort and even a teenage romanticism while walking the streets. Is this an inclusive community that welcomes all races, classes, and ages? Or is these streets, and those like them around the country, exclusive for middle-aged, middle-class, dominant race folks? I do not have an answer to my question, but the book is making me ask questions about what makes me comfortable and not necessarily others the same.             The topic of the chapter is Kolowitz’s initial conv...

I have a practice when I travel overseas. I try to find a local book store in order to find a book with a local setting. In Paris, I went to Berkeley Books and purchased The Moveable Feast by Hemmingway and Orwell’s, Down and Out in Paris and London. The Moveable Feast took place on the same street as our hotel. I have repeated the practice in Germany, Amsterdam, and Moscow. It was harder to do with Thailand and Kenya. The engagement of a local tale is intriguing, yet when you discover a local tale in your hometown, the engagement can be daunting. I was telling a good friend about the story, and she said, “I’m in that book.” I knew Eric – we were the same age. This story might be a little too local, and I am somewhat anxious about how the story will raise new questions – as a resident, a disciple of Jesus, but also as a pastor of a church in this community. This tale is a bit more located than Hemmingway, Orwell, or Zamyatin (Russian writer of We ). The opening chapter sets the tone...

This morning I started rereading a book , The Other Side of the River , by Alex Kolowitz . He also wrote There are No Children Here (1991). The Other Side of the River is a tale of two cities, Benton Harbor and St Joseph, Michigan. Kolowitz follows the tragic story of Eric McGinnis, a young African-American boy who was discovered dead in the St. Joseph River. The other way to describe it: Alex narrates the murder of an African-American teenager who was found in the St. Joseph River. Depending on which side of the river you live dictates how you explain the story – found or murdered. St. Joseph is 95% affluent and white and Benton Harbor is 92% poor and black. The story is particularly about race relations in these two cities, but, as Kolowitz states, the story is the tale of Americana. Over the next few weeks, I will be writing my reflections on the story. Most often, I read an entire book and then write my thoughts, yet because of the nature of the story, the intensity of the writ...