by Leah Henderson
The Unconscious Power of Faith
Faith and spirituality have always been an important part of my upbringing. Church every Sunday and Wednesday night, Sunday School, Bible study (with a graphic novel Bible), choir, prayers over meals, church picnics, mom singing gospel while she worked, and listening to it over the radio during car rides was just how it was growing up. I never really took note of how faith, spirituality, and belief influenced how I went about my daily life—it just did. Prayers for strength and guidance, aren’t new to me either, and I often look up to the sky asking how come a hurdle or road block is put on my path or simply just to ask why. That connection to my faith is strong. So, when I finished my first novel I shouldn’t have been surprised to realize just how much faith and spirituality informed my character’s journey as well.
When I started writing One Shadow on the Wall, which takes place in Senegal, West Africa, I didn’t intend for religion, superstition, and spirituality to make their way into the storyline, but just like in my life, they appeared in big and small ways. My main character’s source of belief, will, and protection came from his parent’s strong connection to their Muslim faith, as well as from a deep cultural belief system many Senegalese adhere to, which is often intertwined with superstition. My character wore gris-gris, small leather pouches filled with Koranic scriptures around his upper arm and waist to ward off evil and he prayed each morning just as his father taught him. Over and over I found him or others asking Allah to bless their journeys and hopes.
Without realizing it, certain markers of faith were being woven into my character’s world. Yet it wasn’t until I began to take a closer look at how superstition and faith linked that I truly took note of the fascinating spiritual culture being highlighted in my book. Senegal, the “land of teranga,” a place of community, connection, and hospitality is known for its understanding, respect, and tolerance of different religions. And I was seeing that unfold during a number of scenes, especially the most pivotal ones.
At first, I shied away from exploring what role superstition played within the culture, because what did I know? Nothing. But even though I do not have the same belief system as my characters, I understand what faith looks like and how it can work within daily life. I was apprehensive but as I kept reading, asking questions, and learning, I came to see that just like within my life, my character’s beliefs couldn’t be separated from him or the characters around him. I soon realized that if I wanted to create an accurate and authentic story, I needed to have faith in faith’s role in my work.
So, I wonder, in what ways are religion, faith, and spirituality linked in your life and your stories in both conscious and unconscious ways?
Leah Henderson is the author of the middle grade novel One Shadow on the Wall, a Children’s Africana Book Award notable, and a Bank Street Best Book. Her forthcoming picture books include Together We March, Day For Rememberin’, and Mamie on the Mound. She also has a new middle grade novel The Magic in Changing Your Stars on the horizon.
Find out more about Leah Henderson at: http://www.leahhendersonbooks.com
