Blog Post #1 -- AY

One of the most meaningful experiences that I’ve had since arriving in Lusaka nearly two weeks ago was when I went to Sunday mass with Auntie Sharon. The Wamalume family is relatively religious, which allows for so much cultural exchange and interesting discussion. A few days before mass, I asked Auntie Sharon a few questions about what it was like. When I told her that I was Jewish and that I had never been to mass before, she was definitely caught of guard. However, she was excited to introduce me to her religion and church, and we casually discussed it every day, leading up to Sunday.

On Sunday morning, Cuong, Manav, Amrit, and I woke up at 6:30 am, and got ready for services. The Church that the Wamalumes attend holds many services through the day, but the only English service begins at 7:30. When we arrived at the Church, I immediately knew that it was very different from the preconceived notions of Sunday mass that I had in my head. There were hundreds of people standing outside and inside, wearing all different types of clothing. Some wore more typical “church clothes” – button down shirts, dresses, etc. Other were much more casual, wearing t-shirts and jeans. When I asked Auntie Sharon about this later, she told me that everyone is welcome at her Church. Some may not have fancier clothing to wear, but that should not be a barrier to attending services. As she put it, “everyone should be able to pray.” I really appreciated this perspective. Often times we associate religion with more “socially elite” classes of people, which is not necessarily accurate. Religion should be accessible to everyone.

The service was a lot of fun and very interesting. There was a lot of sitting, standing, kneeling, singing, and dancing. The English songs were entertaining, but I really enjoyed the occasional songs in Nyanja. During these songs, there was so much enthusiasm and excitement in the room. It made the service so much more lively.

At the end of the service, the pastor asked that all of the visitors come to the front and introduce themselves to the 400+ person congregation. Cuong, Amrit, Manav, and I were the only visitors, and we awkwardly said hello to everyone. It was a little intimidating at first, but everyone was incredibly warm and nice. Many of the church-goers were excited to meet us, and we were very excited to meet them!

I really enjoyed Sunday Mass because one of my most important goals before coming to Zambia was to learn as much as I could about a culture that is different from mine. By observing and participating in ceremonials in Zambian culture, this cultural exchange is more vibrant than ever. From this service, I learned how important religion is to Zambians. I had heard in the past that Zambia is a “Christian country,” but by actually attending services, I feel that I have a much better understanding of the relationship between Christianity and the Zambian people. Further, religion is an important part of my life, but I have very little exposure to religions other than Judaism. I really enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about Christianity.