Three Meanings Of Azusa
The word Azusa has three translations, or meanings. Azusa is a Tongva word, Native peoples of Greater Los Angeles.
Azusa is the City of Azusa and Azusa Street in Downtown Los Angeles (Little Tokyo). The word Azusa was a “nickname” given to a Tongva teen-ager named Coma Lee in the 1700’s. It was given to her by her Chief because of her gift of divine healing and Father Juan Crespi of the Portola Expedition told the story of Coma Lee (Azusa). The Portola Expedition led to the establishment of the California Mission System.
The three meanings of Azusa are Blessed Miracle, Healing, and SweetWater.
My project for We Rise is called Azusa/Healing. Here is the one sentence description of We Rise by the County Department of Mental Health — We Rise is an initiative encouraging wellbeing and healing through art, connection, community engagement, and creative expression.
As part of Azusa/Healing I did an interview and symbolic action in Grand Park in Downtown called SweetWater. This was with Jenna Kyle, a young Native American attorney.
That leaves Blessed Miracle.
Azusa Street in Downtown was the site of the Azusa Street Revival of 1906. Time-Life in their book The One Hundred Most Important Events Of The Past One Thousand Years 1000–2000AD named the Azusa Street Revival number 68 on their list. The reason is Azusa Street birthed Pentecostal Christianity worldwide.
Stories told about the Revival include a mysterious cloud showing up at times during the gatherings led by Rev. William Seymour, the son of slaves, and while the cloud was there, that was when the greatest miracles took place like missing limbs — arms and legs — immediately growing back. The cloud was referred to as the “shekinah glory”, a Hebrew concept referring to extraordinary manifestations of the Presence of God. The story of Moses and the Burning Bush is an example of the “shekinah glory”.
After three years, the Azusa Street Revival began to fall apart, mainly due to Racism, and at that point William Seymour gave a prophecy. He said in about 100 years there would be an even greater Outpouring of the Holy Spirit and Shekinah Glory than what was experienced at Azusa.
Could a key to that prophecy coming to pass be an understanding that Azusa is a Tongva word?