History and religion lift boys in downtown Detroit heritage tour
Fred Goodwin, CMA
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060521/NEWS01/605210727
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Scouts explore beauty, diversity and freedom
BY DAVID CRUMM
FREE PRESS RELIGION WRITER
May 21, 2006
Detroit often draws visitors for sports, casinos and music, but on
Saturday 200 people headed downtown for a rare opportunity to glimpse
some of the crown jewels of Detroit's religious heritage.
"It's great to be involved in any first, and today is our first-ever
Boy Scouts of America Walk with God in Detroit," Ron Pelley, a Scout
leader from Allen Park who coordinated the event, told the crowd of
scouts and adult helpers.
In seven hours, the group hiked to the location of Detroit's first
Jewish congregation, then to six historic Christian churches. The tour
wrapped up with a lecture on Islam on the lawn of Blue Cross-Blue
Shield of Michigan, a cosponsor of the event.
Despite the long hours, stereotypes about kids getting bored in
churches vanished. Heads rotated in church after church as the boys
scrambled to explore the sights in every direction.
Sam Delisi, 8, of Harrison Township loved Old St. Mary's Catholic
Church in Greektown. "It's so beautiful. I like how they decorated all
the statues here and the big marble pillars."
Joshua Daniels, 10, of Southfield said he was amazed by Second Baptist
Church, also in Greektown. "I just liked being in a church where Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. spoke," he said.
The Rev. Kevin Turman, Second Baptist's pastor, was among several
clergy who wowed the kids with cool details about church history.
At Second Baptist, the scouts were eager to know about the below-ground
room in the church where runaway slaves were hidden more than 150 years
ago as part of the Underground Railroad.
"Well, it was like hiding in what amounted to an oversized closet,"
Turman said.
The boys' enthusiasm for such history lessons impressed many parents,
including John Daniels of Southfield, Joshua's father. "Today, I was
pleased to see how interested they were in connecting what they were
seeing with what they've learned in school," he said.
At the Episcopal Christ Church near the Renaissance Center, the Rev.
Phillip Jackson drew oohs and aahs by pointing out "the most valuable
piece of art in our entire church -- a priceless Tiffany stained-glass
window."
At the moment Jackson pointed to the window and 200 heads turned in
that direction, sunlight streaming through the rainbow-hued glass made
it a startling sight.
Christine Woods of Troy brought her son, Caleb, 8, on the hike and was
impressed with the event's diversity. "In my son's den, we have
Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic and Hindu scouts. It's very important for
children to learn from an early age how people from different religions
can get along."
At the site of Detroit's first Jewish congregation, where a Michigan
historical marker now stands on East Congress, Ray Clement, a Jewish
scout leader from Trenton, led a prayer in Hebrew and stressed the
importance of defending religious diversity.
"What should freedom mean?" Clement asked the boys. "It should mean
freedom to live where we want, to get an education and to worship where
we want."
In the final talk on Islam, Abdulredha Jasem of Dearborn told the
crowd, "God made us unique so that, together, we can make this world a
beautiful place."
Contact DAVID CRUMM at 313-223-4526