Our Sabbatical in San Cristobal: Lo Siento

I apologize for slow postings lately. No excuses other than watching CNN International (election news) and the football playoffs. My Pats are looking strong, despite Brady’s ugly game (3 picks). While I feel bad about Favre and the Packers, I’m always game to beat a NY team.

Here are a few highlights of the past week:

Spanish lessons occupy much of our time. Gretchen is excelling. Nola is improving. Marcie and I are working hard. Poco-y-poco (little by little). Actually, I feel good about the improvement after 2 weeks. I’m focusing on learning and conjugating verbs. Nola is actually going to begin a private, Spanish-speaking Montessori school tomorrow (Monday). This will be a 9am- 2pm rhythm for her. We’ll see how it goes but she is extremely excited about learning with other kids (as opposed to the one-on-one lessons she has been taking). During the lessons a new friend, Pilar, comes and watches/plays with Marcie. This has made a huge difference for us.

We traveled to the indigenous village of Zinacatan yesterday (Saturday) in the local transportation system called “collectivo.” Wonderfully inexpensive—and eclectic-- way to travel around here. Zinacatan is a Tzotzil (Mayan descendants) speaking area about 10 miles north of San Cristobal. While the distance is close, it felt like we traveled to a different world when we literally descended into a beautiful valley. The Zinacantan are especially known for growing flowers which adorn their traditional outfits. We arrived during the festival honoring Saint Sebastian. He is one of the village’s patron saints. We witnessed horse racing; posh (corn-alcohol) drinking; fire-works crackling; Mariachi jamming and plenty of general merry-making. Unlike San Cristobal, there weren’t too many tourist types gawking and clicking pictures. In fact, I didn’t see any other tourist types. Needless to say, Nola and Marcie captured plenty of smiles, stares, and even small pecks on their rosy cheeks. Ever the 2^nd child, Marcie enjoys the latter more than her older sister.

We’ve deepened some relationships with hotel employees (one brought his wife and young daughter over today during the Patriot’s game—we’ll go their apartment this week); folks from the church we attend; and even other students/teachers at the language school. This relational building is balanced with our strong desire to intentionally enjoy our time together as a family. We are thankful.

Current Theological Musings:

1) Credibility and authenticity really do matter. I realize that such values are typical overly popularized buzz words of post-modern apologetics, but the Holy Spirit is deepening the conviction that “how” the church lives its mission is instrumental. As a recent example, I asked one of my somewhat cynical, yet social justice-oriented, Spanish instructors whether any churches in San Cristobal provided “soup kitchens” or community meals especially focused upon the many poverty-dwelling people in and around the city. He slyly smiled and told me that the churches (Catholic, Presbyterian, Pentecostal…) here only feed themselves. I pray that he is wrong for many reasons. Regardless, my instructor has rightful skepticism about the gospel when those of us who claim its allegiance “only feed ourselves.” Credibility and authenticity matter if we are to share the love of Christ within this wider world—maybe more now than ever.

2) Discipleship-making deserves renewed attention and energy. While in Chiapas, I spend exactly 15 hours each week of one-on-one instruction in Spanish. I literally sit in a small room for two 90 minute sessions each day hashing through grammar, vocabulary, conversation and the like. In addition, I have another hour or so of homework each night. This is intense and it works because of the personal attention and heightened accountability. Compare this to the state of discipleship-making in many of our churches back in the US and here in Mexico alike. We are basically assuming that persons can grow into the ways of Christ on their own. This is often true for newer believers, more mature Christians, and everyone in between. Even in the very beginning when Jesus took a bunch of “disciples” and grew in them the teachings of God’s Kingdom, discipleship-making involved relational attention, heightened accountability, and even committed time to learn, grow, ask hard questions, and be loved through the challenging answers. This certainly presupposes that people find it passionately critical to not only grow in their knowledge and discipling love of Jesus Christ, but to also participate in helping others learn, grow, and be loved by God’s great story of reconciliation. Tonight, I am wondering what our churches might learn from language institutes on how to make disciples.

3) People love to be loved. I realize this sounds simplistic, but I am reminded of its truth in watching cleaning ladies (so far, I’ve only seen women) do some of the dirtiest work imaginable. Around San Cristobal, few people clean up after their own dogs and the stray dogs don’t seem to care about their waste either. So, the city employs these women to clean such dog-crap by hand. This is awful work. This is humbling work. Usually these cleaners walk through the streets with their heads bowed low in acknowledgement of such work. I’ve made it a practice to make sure that I greet each of these workers with a pleasant greeting and warm smile. I’m sure others do as well, but to be honest, the poor aren’t treated well anywhere. I love watching the reaction from these women’s faces. Yes, I cared enough to share such greetings and yes, they were important enough for me to share such love and respect. A little surprised at first, I always receive a warm smile in return.