Meditative Story Finding unity, through our difference, by Pastor Otis Moss
Jun 24, 2020
Otis Moss III, senior pastor who blends Black theology with jazz, poetry and hip-hop. He recalls his sister Daphne’s influence and the musical, literary “continuum” that shaped him. He explores remixing tradition into new language, the idea of a jazz narrative for national healing, and multiracial solidarity expressed like a communal jam session.
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Sister's Bedtime Readings Spark Lifelong Passion
- Otis Moss III describes childhood nights listening to his sister Daphne read Hurston, Hughes, Baldwin, and her own poems, which lodged language deep in him.
- Her expressive readings and snapping to Al Jarreau became the gateway to his lifelong love of jazz and literature.
Sister's Mental Illness And Brother's Steadfast Care
- Daphne is diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia after violent episodes and repeated hospitalizations, which reshapes family dynamics and Otis's caregiving role.
- Otis stays close, sitting with her in hospitals, playing chess, offering nonjudgmental normalcy while she struggles on meds.
The Continuum That Shapes Language And Preaching
- After Daphne's death, Otis connects the writers and musicians she loved into a 'continuum' that links black cultural expression to spiritual life.
- He realizes those artists (Coltrane, Hurston, Baldwin, Maya Angelou) provided language that shaped his preaching and identity.
