27 kms, Day 310

Faith and Marketing

Today I'm determined not to spend half my hike stumbling in the dark, so I'm going to get a really early start to my day . I head out before dawn, drop off the car at my end point, ride my bike up to my starting point, and begin my hike before the sun comes up!

It's a pleasant straight stretch from Smithsburg to Hagerstown, up and down gentle hills soaking in the autumn colors. I pass through a little unicorporated village of Cavetown with a quaint little post office... Sticking to the rules... incorporated towns only from now on.

Passing a church, the sign caught my attention: "Movie Night" it said. I figured it must me a religious themed movie chosen for the faithful. No, it's the latest blockbuster "Monster's University". Seems a little odd... why would you go watch that at church instead of a movie theater?

Later, when I see another church advertising "Movie Night" it gets me thinking... There are so many churches in this area competing for a limited pool of churchgoer. Unlike in other parts of the world, where you stay in the same religious strain as your parents and grandparents for endless generation, here there are a lot of "church shoppers"--Christians who might switch from one church or denomination to another for x reason ... they like the music better.... they like the preacher better... or it has better activities for the family.

So if a church doesn't want to end up with empty pews (and therefore empty offering boxes), they need to think up new ways to keep their members and attract new ones. Often they copy each other's ideas--whether its movie night, "bring you pets to be blessed" day, or an optional "contemporary worship" service catering to a younger crowd who prefer to worship with more modern music.

America is the Capital of Capitalism... the world leader of clever marketing in every aspect of life. Including faith.

Arriving in Hagerstown

And then I reach Hagerstown. Here I soon find myself in narrow street lined with houses packed tightly together. More of an early 20th century working class feel to it. Gradually the houses get bigger and bigger until they are huge mansions built a hundred meters or so back from the road, each with its unique style .

All along the way there are historical plaques telling the history of people who once lived in these houses. A lot of these plaques are related to the Civil War--which seems to be the central historical theme in this part of the country.

One thing that becomes quickly clear is how divided this city was at that time. Although technically the state of Maryland was part of the north (see previous entry), many of the people here fought with the south. Families were divided. There are also heartwarming stories of doctors who treated wounded soldiers from both sides of the conflict.

Most of the anecdotes involve Hagerstowners siding with the south, but there is a plaque about a woman who waved a Union flag as the Confederates were passing, despite warnings from the neighbors of the dire consequences she could face.

Like in Chambersburg, the Confederate army threatened to burn the city if they didn't pay a ransom when then passed through here . Unlike Chambersburg, the Hagerstown mayor was willing to pay. But there's an unusual twist to the story: the guy who delivered the message didn't count his zeros correctly and demanded 20,000 dollars when he was supposed to demand 200,000 dollars! And so the city of Hagerstown was spared for a measly 20 grand.

Moral of the story: always write your ransom note very carefully and be sure you count your zeros right!

Various Neighborhoods

North of Hagerstown is a beautiful neighborhood of wide, treelined streets, which was one of the first "walking suburbs", a neighborhood specifically designed to be away from the bustle of the city center--and yet close enough so workers could walk to work. Too bad this concept didn't last.

I hike up a ways, then head back south again, to a not so fancy, cramped neighborhood which was one of the original African American neighborhoods . Here there's a plaque to Othello Wilson, one of the first African Americans enlisted in the regular army. It goes on to tell of how he fought to suppress Indian uprising. If I were African American I'd kind of have mixed feeling about making this fellow my role model though... A man from an oppressed minority fighting a white man's war against another oppressed minority...

Going to church... twice

Back in downtown, I decide to walk up and down all the main streets to fully explore the city center. There aren't too many full size cities on my Applachian Superhike, so I might as well thoroughly enjoy the ones I've got.

Downtown Hagerstown does have some nice architecture, but it's in very short supply of cafes/eateries--anything to make this a pleasant area to come and stroll or chill out. But it does have plenty of churches, so I figure, since it's a Sunday, I could pop into a couple churches just to see what the atmosphere is like . I'd like to find an African American church, as I enjoy their music... just have to see what I can find.

The first church I check out is in a tall building that used to be a theatre, with elaborate sculpture at the top--including a topless woman! Hmmm got to see what this church is about. It turns out to be a mainly white what I call "progressive" churches--the kind that's not locked into a historical denomination, but rather evolves with the times, with new styles and fads to appeal to the new generation. It's got some pretty good music, sort of an acoustic rock style and great vocals--but few people in the crowd seem to be really into it.

After about 10 minutes I lose interest and head out to see what else I can find. It's time for service at the Lutheran church, but I look inside and no one's there...

Then there's a Catholic church. At first think I'll pass it up--as I've visited so many Catholic churches in Europe and Latin America ... but then I think it would be interested in seeing the difference between American Catholicism and European, so I head inside.

This church is packed. Also, mostly white folks. I would think that there'd be more Latin Americans--but no, I don't see hardly any. I do see a couple of West Africans however.

Other than a statue of Mary, this looks much more like your typical American Protestant church rather than the European ancient cathedrals I'm used to seeing. Protestant style pews... plain white walls... And the mass feels quite Americanized as well. A teenage girl in a jean skirt comes forward to do a Bible reading--an effort to get the young generation of Catholics involved.

This makes me think of the concept of "Faith marketing" that I talked about earlier. Unlike in many European and Latin American countries, where you're a Catholic because your parents are Catholic and everybody around you is Catholic, here in America Catholicism is just one of many churches folks can shop around for ... so unless they want to lose their members, they've got to adapt and keep up with the times.

Of course, not everything has changed. Priests still don't marry. The priest here is from Sri Lanka... I guess there's probably a shortage of American willing to commit to a lifetime of celibacy...

Hager's House

After 15 minutes in the Catholic church, I'm ready to walk some more, going up and down the various streets. There is kind of a ghetto feel around downtown--although I do see a good a mix of blacks and whites living together.

Next I head down to a beautiful park built around a little artificial lake. Here you can find the house of Hager, the founder of this town back in the 1700s. This house has an unusual distinction: it has a stream of water running underneath it! Uh... building right on top of a stream, sounds refreshing in the summertime, but isn't that a little risky come flood season? I guess not--since the house is still here .

Also in this park is a Art Museum, which happens to be free. Definitely can't turn down a free museum, so I head inside. Here there are paintings on display, but of present painters and painters of the past, way back to colonial times.

I notice, in contrast with European paintings, how many of these paintings are about the simple, ordinary things, rather than the grand and extravagant... A painting of a run down building... a painting of an ordinary Hagerstown street. It is kind of refreshing to see a more down to earth art display.

And with that... a stroll around the lake... a little which just chilling out in the library... and I think I'm about ready to bid Hagerstown farewell.