(11/15/97 Baltimore AFRO-American Newspaper)
by Congressman Elijah E. Cummings
"They who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
A few weeks ago, I traveled to Manning, South Carolina to visit the small town where my parents were born, had grown up, married, and been sharecroppers on the same land their ancestors tilled as slaves. My mom and dad moved to Baltimore in 1945 in hopes of experiencing a better life for their family. For months I had a driving spiritual desire to visit Mt. Zero Baptist Church, which is located just outside of Manning. Little did I know that my visit would have a profound and everlasting impression on my life.
Mt. Zero is a small church with about 300 members. When I arrived, my Aunt Ida was there standing in the door of the church with a broad smile on her face. She escorted me into the church, and immediately I began to imagine my father as a child sitting in the pews. You see, Mt. Zero was founded in 1866; right after the slaves were freed. My great-grandfather, Isaac Cummings, had been a founding member. Thus, Mt. Zero has been the Cummings’ family home church for more than 130 years.
When the time arrived for visitors to be introduced, my aunt proudly stated, "I’m pleased to introduce my nephew, Elijah Cummings, who is a United States Congressman in Washington." Well, I stood and thanked them for being so supportive of my family over the years. I also congratulated them for doing God’s work for over a century.
After the service, many of the members greeted me. Most of them stated, "You’re Ruth and Roby’s boy" or "You’re Mamie and Isaiah’s grand boy." It seemed not to matter to them that I was a Congressman. What did matter was that they identified me with those who had come before me. They made it clear in their own innocent ways that the most important people to them were my foreparents with whom they had picked cotton, plowed fields, attended prayer meetings, shared in joyous and grieving times, celebrated new lives, and mourned deaths. They reminded me that they knew of the strong ancestors who had paved the way for me through their prayers, hard work, and sacrifice.
As I exited the church, my aunt asked if I wanted to visit my great-grandfather’s grave. She explained to me that it was located on the grounds of the church. As I walked over to his tombstone, I began to feel weak. I had never seen a picture of him, read any document in which he was mentioned, or read anything he wrote. As I began to read his tombstone, I realized that this was the first time I had seen his name in writing. It stated: "Isaac Cummings - Died at 78 years old on August 12, 1911."
I also realized that in the prime of his life he was a slave. The tears began to flow. I knelt on the grave and simply began to thank my great-grandfather for his struggles. I whispered to him that I realized that at the age of three or four, his mother told him that he was owned by a white family in order to protect him. I told him that many people attempted to take culture, religion, dignity, language and name away from him and his foreparents. I thanked him for never giving up hope as a young slave that one day he would be free. I also expressed my appreciation for his believing in a wonderful God who sits high and looks low. Finally, I said, "great-grandfather, I am so proud that your blood runs through my veins. Thank you for paving the way for me to acquire an education, become a lawyer, and sit as a Member of the United States Congress."
When an elderly relative saw me kneeling, she asked if I was okay. I responded that I was simply having a reunion with my past. She then told me that my great-grandfather’s favorite biblical scripture was "They who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint." She also stated that because of his love of these verses from the Book of Isaiah, he named my grandfather Isaiah. This statement was very significant because although my great-grandfather had been born in 1833 and died in 1911, 40 years before my birth, our favorite biblical verses were the same. I felt as if my great-grandfather was telling me that he had heard my words, and was reminding me in his own way that we were indeed connected. It also struck me that although great grandfather’s mother and father were slaves, they gave him a Biblical name. He in turn gave my grand father a name from the Bible. These thoughts reaffirmed for me just how true the words found in Isaiah 40:31 have been, are and shall be.
As I walked away from his grave, I smiled and whispered, "Thank you for being a wonderful link to the past, and a strong bridge to the future."
-The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings represents the 7th Congressional District of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives.