Love and foundations

"En el amor no hay posturas ridículas ni cursis ni obscenas. 

En el no amor todo es ridículo y cursi y obsceno." 

(In love no position is ridiculous or tacky or obscene. 

In un-love everything is ridiculous and tacky and obscene.)

-Mario Benedetti (1920-2009)

Uruguay has been strongly present in my mind today, since I heard about the death of poet-novelist-social commentator Mario Benedetti. To the extent that his work reflects (and in turn has shaped) Uruguayan sentiment (which was such an important introduction for me into the life of Latin America), and with his poetry and honesty, Benedetti has made a mark on life. I am grateful for his contributions to a world where art and freedom and community might all be valued in daily living.

Prayerful Protest

An unexpected blessing awaited us yesterday evening when we decided to cross the street to see the artisan fair in the Plaza de la Paz.

A youth network from the southern part of town had organized a theatrical protest. When we arrived, the majority of them were standing as a backdrop in silent rows, wearing white t-shirts that read "Nunca más (Never again)" and "Que ser falso no sea positivo (May being false never be positive)." In the foreground were several youth, some in civilian dress who were enacting their deaths and others in black representing the armed soldiers who had murdered them. Loved ones emerged, carrying flowers and weeping over the motionless bodies. They drew chalk outlines around the dead, and there was a heavy silence as we all kept watch. Finally a shout of horror broke the silence, and the rows of young people cried out with emotional voices: "NUNCA MAS!"

They were crying out against the newest outrage here in Colombia: "false positives," or murdered civilians passed off as eliminated guerrilla targets. Incentives offered to soldiers for killing guerrillas have evidently stimulated this appalling practice. Public outrage is not limited to the human rights community, but also evident in the main news outlets, and was made quite palpable by these committed youth in the Peace Plaza last night.

Their flier announced that they were acting in support of life, that most precious right, creating a "monument for dignity and memory" as a symbolic action to say "Never again!" to assassinations, disappearances, and impunity.

At the end of this "ephemeral theatre" they set out white cinderblock tombstones, with pens available to write the names of people who had been unjustly killed in this way. They lay down flowers and lit candles, and embraced one another and the supporters who had gathered. It was a rich blessing to find ourselves there at precisely the moment to share in this profoundly prayerful act of protest. May God guide us in seeking justice, give us courage along the way to face our fears with love, and help us always to see others as precious beings.

Passion for Justice

This morning we met with a young lawyer who volunteers a significant amount of his time to provide legal advice and services to the displaced. He understands his profession in terms of helping the most vulnerable of society, and does important work to protect the rights of the displaced and other victims of the violence here. I was touched by his testimony and dedication, especially the following quiet affirmation:

"Many of the displaced leaders I first worked with are no longer here--some because they were forced out by threats, others because they were assassinated in their homes. This has awakened in me a strong passion to work for justice, not a feeling of rancor."

I think I find those words so moving because they remind me that the way to avoid futile anger is to focus on the vision of how things ought to be and finding a way to contribute in some meaningful way toward that vision. Paulo Freire described this basic idea as "the utopia that moves me." Without vision, the people perish. Saying no is important, but we must also have things in our lives to which we can offer an enthusiastic yes! if we are to thrive as the loving, creative beings-in-community God created us to be.

Giving Our Hands

At church on Sunday, we sang one of my favorite songs (which seems to also be a favorite at many of these churches, since it is sung frequently and with gusto!). It's called "Fe y Esperanza Viva" and it affirms Christ's call to a life of celebration, service, and prophetic struggle.

Tonight as I've reflected again on the words, I was caught up in this phrase from the second verse: A aquel que nos necesita vamos a darle la mano (To the one who needs us we shall give a hand).

These words stand out to me tonight in their relationship to the task of accompaniment, which is fundamentally about relationship and our interconnectedness as children of God. I think the song intends the figurative expression of lending a hand, i.e. helping someone out. At least that's how I've always understood it. But tonight I'm thinking about what it means to literally reach out and offer someone our hand, to make physical contact, whether for the purpose of helping or just for the sake of connection. It seems to me that there's something powerful here to reflect upon.

Fe y Esperanza Viva
Y andaremos por el mundo con fe y esperanza viva,
Celebrando, cantando, sonriendo, luchando por la vida.

1. Y vamos a celebrar a nuestro Dios de la vida.
La mesa de la unidad para todos está servida.

2. Y vamos a sonreir junto al niño y al hermano.
A aquel que nos necesita vamos a darle la mano.

3. Ahora vamos a cantar con toda nuestra garganta
Porque le estamos cantando al Dios de la alabanza.

4. Nos vamos a organizar con fuerza y sabiduría
y seguiremos cantando y luchando por la vida.


Faith and Living Hope
We will walk through the world with faith and living hope,
Celebrating, singing, smiling, struggling for life.

1. And we are going to celebrate our God of life.
The table of unity is served for all.

2. And we are going to smile with the child and our brother.
We’ll give our hand to whoever needs it.

3. Now we’re going to sing with all we’ve got
Because we are singing to the God of praise.

4. We’re going to organize with strength and wisdom
and we will continue singing and struggling for life.

Water

It's raining now, for the first time since I've been here--and for the first time this year, they tell me.

I pay so much more attention to water here, in this place where I know farmers whose livelihood depends on the rain coming in good measure at the right time... In a city without storm drains where the lower streets become gushing rivers in the heavy rain, capable of carrying away and cars, buses, and any people caught in the destructive current... Where many of the displaced and impoverished live in makeshift communities without running water, paying dearly for a few gallons of less-than-pure water each day...

Affordable access to clean drinking water is a basic right and necessity, and yet here in Colombia as in so many other places, this essential service has been partially privatized. A popular movement has built here, where two million people signed on in support of the "Water Referendum," a document affirming water as a basic human right and a resource of the common good. So far the referendum has not faired well with the government, since a congressional committee approved a highly altered version of the text which subverts the primary goals and intentions of the 2 million citizens who had signed. The movement continues, insisting that the government respect the original document. You can follow their progress on their (Spanish language) website: ecofondo.org.