Kyle Green

essays: praise :

A vein of spirituality runs through the heart of SW Virginia, the start of the Bible belt, touching almost every aspect of daily life. These are pictures from “praise:”; a photo column focusing on the different aspects of spirituality in the lives of the residents of SW Virginia. “praise :” is a moment driven, multi-cultural and multi-religious exploration of the rituals surrounding spiritual celebration and the personal moments that have strengthened bonds between people and their belief systems.

Parking space, Vinton, Virginia.
   
The Rev. Joe Adkins (middle, facing camera) lays hands on "Sister Smith", as she is held from falling by Bobby Lee Biar Jr. (right), and The Rev. Dave Harold (left) during a "Holy Ghost Hoedown" tent revival in Lynchburg, Virginia. "Let the Power of Heaven and God fill her. Fill her. Fill her!" Rev. Adkins shouts. After "Sister Smith" whispers her ailments into Rev. Adkins' ear, he lays hands on her. "Expect the miracle. Believe in the miracle!" he insists. "In Jesus' name you're healed!" he cries. She walks away, swaying, fingers fluttering, speaking in tongues.
   
Jeromy Boyd hoist the 12-foot cross and heads down Memorial Avenue, his sneakers slapping the pavement. He prays quietly along the way. A small wheel stops the miles from grinding way the base of his wooden cross. “For most Christians I’ve seen, it’s all about the talk and no walk,” he says. God told him to stop in Roanoke, after drugs, after homelessness, after three years as a street minister. His 100-pound cross is heavy, especially after trading the dusty flatlands of Texas for the humid hills of Virginia. His hips and back ache. His knees throb. After being challenged about his purpose by a passerby, Jeromy replies, “I’m not Jesus. I’m just trying to spread his message.”
     
  
Wearing their white First Communion dresses, second grade students from the Roanoke Catholic School, Madison Monsour (middle left), and Andrea Secamiglio (middle right), run from the wind and rain after the May Crowning ceremony at St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Roanoke, Virginia. May is the Month of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Catholics have long honored her by placing a crown on her image in a May Crowning Ceremony.
  
"Praying time for everybody" shouts the tattoo of Robert Harvey who had just finished a 40 oz malt liquor at 6:38 in the morning. "It's in memory of my brother who was shot dead by the police. God rest his soul."
   
Sharing a quite moment after the Good Friday service at Virginia Tech University, Houston Yo (left) and David Chinn (right) quietly pray together after Burress Hall had cleared of service attendees. Houston and David were strangers before the service started, but found each other just as the service let out. Each came away from the shared prayer with a smile, as they headed out of the empty auditorium and into the crisp morning air.
     
  
"God sent us Choir Director, Reed Carter, and for that we are truly grateful. He pushes us to sing things we initially think are above our capabilities, but then we do it. I love it. It is thanks to Reed, who seems to know our abilities more than we do”. The members of the Chancel Choir at Salem Presbyterian Church are singing their way to New York City. They didn't think they were professional enough to sing Mozart's "Requiem," but music director Reed Carter did. He tapped every source of energy that choir members could muster for a March 19 presentation of the composition in honor of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. At 29, Carter was the youngest person in the choir room, yet he was getting undivided attention as he bounced around listening and directing.
   
Cub Scout Pack 2 members, (left to right) Alex Wade, Nick Garst, and Ben Coleman, based at Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church, bow their head during the invocation before a City Council Meeting. The Scouts were at City Hall to help learn about civics for their Citizenship badge. Religion and politics mix easily in the south, and each Roanoke City Council meeting starts with a group prayer.
   
Vera Wilson (left) communicates with her son, Eli (right, age 3), as they make pies in their kitchen. Eli, who has profound hearing loss, needs hearing aids and insurance will not cover them. Vera hopes to make and sell 1000 pies to help offset cost of Eli's hearing aids. "I was supposed to have a charmed life. I guess this has caused me more spiritual; trust more. My mother died shortly after Eli was diagnosed. I could hear her looking down and saying 'It's going to be fine'. With the help of my church and the HANDS hearing support group, I know we will make it."
     
  
Michael DuVal (left), Lead Pastor for the Journey Church, lifts Ken Doss from the waters of the Roanoke River during a river baptism at Green Hill Park on Sunday evening. Ken was one of seven people who were baptized in the river on Sunday. A “believer’s baptism” they call it, an immersion into faith. The tea-colored water glides over the seven who’ve chosen tonight, carefully picking their way over the slippery Roanoke River stones. Some are alone; some are families, in a public embrace of Christ. “Because before Christ, I was living week to week”. “Because I used to get impatient when someone took 20 items in the checkout line, and now I’m calm”. “Because a follower of Christ doesn’t need to look like he has a ‘stick up his butt’”. “Because now I know there’s a greater plan for my life”. Wading waist deep, clasping the pastors’ arm, each says words and is held, briefly, then dunked backwards. One man thrusts his fist in the air and yells to anyone who can hear: “I’m wet!”
  
“Happy Holi...Happy Holi”, rang out the cheer on the grounds of Virginia Tech during the Hindu celebration of good versus evil called “Holi”. The yearly ritual based on the Hindu calendar celebrates ‘Parva’, when children, youth, men and women visit each other’s homes and colored powders called ‘aabir’ and ‘gulal’ are thrown into the air and smeared on each other’s faces and bodies...irrespective of caste, color, race, sex, or social status; all these petty differences are temporarily relegated to the background and people give into an unalloyed colorful rebellion.
   
Under a picture of Jesus, LDS Missionary, Elder (David) Rogers (right), straightens his tie in a mirror before he head out (with fellow missionary, Elder Austin Crandall) to witness to possible converts. Crandall and Rogers are on two-year missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Crandall and Rogers are part of the 4th Branch of the LDS Church in Roanoke, which specializes in teaching to interested Latinos. Crandall and Rogers study Spanish and read Scripture every day of their two year mission in Roanoke. Rogers will return to California when his mission is done next week. Crandall will return to Utah when his mission is done, one year and two months from now.
     
  
Laureen Blakemore, GUARDIAN OF THE EAST (middle, with mask), watches as Lisa Evanylo lights a candle and makes a wish at the East Alter during a Winter Solstice Ritual at The Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Blacksburg on Thursday night. The Solstice happens twice a year, when the Sun is at its greatest distance from the celestial equator, and the Winter Solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year.
   
University of Virginia player, Clint Sintim (middle, #94) drops to a knee and prays as the final seconds of the fourth quarter of the last game of the year run off the clock during the game against Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia on Saturday. Virginia lost 0-17 to Virginia Tech.
   
Sam Bond (right) playfully kisses his wife, Doris (left) during their early morning hours together. Sam is in the secondary progressive stage of multiple sclerosis, but he refuses to take disability. Sam, who can walk only with help of a walker for short distances, is cared for round the clock by his wife, Doris, and son, Jacob. Doris's morning routine is to get Sam out of bed, dressed and bathed, then upstairs to his computer room, where he spends most of the rest of his day. Doris spoke of families who are broken apart by M.S., but said "How could I leave him (Sam)...He is my best friend...he is my life". Sam replied, "I ask myself sometimes, why am I so blessed? I thank God everyday for my wife and son”.
     
  
Virginia Senator George Allen (R) (left) talks with Ron Speakman (right), from Moneta, after making a speech during a Va4Marriage rally held at the Hollins Road Baptist Church in Roanoke, Virginia on Thursday. Allen talked to the conservative church crowd about how homosexuality is eroding traditional family values, and how he planned to support a state initiative to ban gay marriage in Virginia. The ban passed 57% to 43%. Allen lost his senate seat to Jim Webb in the November election.
   
Tom Hill, age 86, sews a cross while sitting in a recliner in his living room. Thomas has spent over 2,000 hours sewing 10,269 crosses, which he give away when he is out in the community. The crosses are made out of yarn, a sewing needle, and a plastic frame, and come with a verse called "The Cross in My Pocket", which starts out "I carry a cross in my pocket. A simple reminder to me of the fact that I am a Christian. No Matter where I may be."
   
Hiba Assi looks at her reflection in the mirror of her dorm room at Washington and Lee College in Lexington, Virginia. Hiba has just arrived from war torn Lebanon to attend Washington and Lee University on a full scholarship. Hiba, who is Shi‘ite Muslim, said she would seek out the only other Shi‘ite on campus, a sophomore from Jordan, to practice her religion. "It makes me feel good to have someone who shares my beliefs. I am not so alone".
     
  
The Rev. Quigg Lawrence (right) from the Church of the Holy Spirit in Roanoke County prepares looks in a mirror as he has his head shaved by Sharon Mirtaheri (left from Angels with Scissors) at the Roanoke Rescue Mission on Thursday. Quigg pledged to be shaved as "bald as a cue ball" if $50,000 in donations were raised for the Rescue Center in three weeks.
  
"Today would have been my son's birthday...he would have been 14 years old today", said Deon Hilton (left), as he touches his dead son, Devonte's grave. On April 4, 2003, Kierra Arrington (right) and four members of her family were shot in their home. Kierra alone survived. Kierra was shot once in the head. The bullet entered her brain's frontal lobe, leaving her blind in the left eye. "This battle is between me and Kierra and God", stated Deon. "She is my guardian angel. With all that has happened in my life, I could have just fallen back. She saved me from the darkness". This summer, Kierra will graduate on time from Patrick Henry High School.
   
Diane Elliot (right) leads participants in a Sufis dance of "Yoruba" (celebrating "Yemaya", Goddess of the Ocean) at the Christ Episcopal Church in Roanoke, Virginia. Sufis are simple circle dances, and sacred phrases and movement from the world’s religious traditions were practiced on this night, including movements from Hindu, Buddhist, Native American, Zoro Astrian (religion of three kings), African, Judaism, Christianity, Sufi tradition using Arabic worlds and goddess traditions (great mother).
     
  
The Roanoke County Brambleton Center stage is filled with children and parents participating in the Muslim Eid ul-Fitr celebration. Eid is a celebration of Allah's bounty, family and friends. It is a time of celebration, prayers, gifts to the needy, and the end of the dawn-to-dusk fast for the month of Ramadan.
   
Jesus actor, Tyler Hoos, from the Thrasher United Methodist youth group climbs a cross for the start of his night portraying the last moments of the life of Christ. The crosses were set up as part of Thrasher's "Stations of the Cross", which is a yearly event held on Good Friday, celebrating the life of Christ in eight different scenes, all of which are acted out by the youth group members of the Church. Tyler, who is in his third year playing Jesus, would eventually spend two hours on the cross and stated, "You get a little tired up there, but compared to what Jesus went through...it's nothing like that. He made the ultimate sacrifice"
   
Jesus Saves sign, Roanoke, Virginia
     
  
Roanoke City school bus driver, Bonnie Stephenson makes her way down Peters Creek Blvd. at 6:16 am, on her way to her scheduled for 6:35 pickup for Woodrow Wilson Middle School. "Every day I wake up, I ask God to please just give me one more day driving this bus. I love these kids".
   
Glen Argabright (left, on treadmill), runs as supporters, (left to right), David Argabright, Mike Wade, Lindsey Farris, Brad Argabright, and Brittany Argabright, pray in the background. Noting that "sleep has not come easy since my return from Bangladesh", Glen Argabright is trying to run 150 plus miles on and elliptical machine in his basement to help raise money for children centers in Bangladesh. Glen, his late father, Leon Argabright, and brother, Dave Argabright, and their families devote a lot of time and money to missions, primarily through the Church of the Nazarene. Glen's friends say this is the first time they recall him seeking donations for any of his work.
   
Crosses, Sw Virginia