SAN SALVADOR TOUR

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

We are gathered in a classroom at a school that is one outreach ministry of a Protestant church in San Salvador. After a presentation from the students, which to my surprise was mostly comprised of quotes from Pope John Paul II on justice themes, I have a discussion with the Principal of the school. He informs me that the section of San Salvador where the school is located is the most violent in the country. Boys and young men of 15 to 17 years are killing one another. All the young people are influenced by the gangs. The school has begun a program -- Culture of Peace -- a prevention effort integrated with the work of the sponsoring church.

The visit to the Chapel where Archbishop Mons. Romero was killed in 1980 is an emotional experience. This is Protestant Pastor's sacred space. He says that there are people who wish to be known as "Romeros." He cautions us with a smile not to tell anyone that he wants to be a Romero. The fact is that the Pastor's relationship with Mons. Romero started many years ago. He was part of an ecumenical group in which the Archbishop participated. The Pastor tells us that Romero was quite open to these relationships.

The Pastor repeats a number of times that the bullet that hit Romero exploded his heart. I wonder about the assassin choosing the moment of the elevation of the cup to fire the bullet. Judas chooses his moment. Is this a religious sensibility at work or simply the moment of opportunity when those present have their eyes bowed? The assassination came after the Archbishop had preached his most frank and forceful sermon. He told the soldiers carrying out orders to intimidate and kill the poor that they did not have to follow the orders of their superior officers. A group of the elite of the country organized to pay for his assassination. The Pastor tells us that there were bishops of the Catholic church who joined parties celebrating the death of the Archbishop. "Judas" he says.

 At the little house where Romero lived there are photos. Romero's photos show him wearing clerical garb, often surrounded by smiling family groups. At the entrance to the courtyard there is a table with books of Romero's sermons. A nun of the Carmelite sisters is in charge of the sale of the books. We talk about Romero. I ask about where he is in the canonization process. She tells me that he is a "servio de Dios." She says that the Vatican is reviewing his writings and his life. Her comment that is that the process could move along much faster as it normally does for "martyrs." The social and political issues are slowing the process.

I put forward the opinion that the current Pope is unlikely to allow his canonization. As Ratzinger in charge of the Doctrine of the Faith he was frequently in conflict with theologians of liberation. I say that perhaps the next Pope will allow it to pass forward. The sister tells me that bishops who have spoken to the Pope believe that he may act to promote the canonization himself. She then refers to what Casadiglia, the poet bishop of Brazil, has said -- that the influence of Romero on those who work for social justice is what is most important, not any formal canonization.

WIKI SERMON

Jesus calls fishers/ fishermen to follow him and the phrase we remember -- to become “fishers of people.”  Jesus calls us today too and I suggest that he draws on the skills we have.  We are not fishers -- we have many other kinds of skills, including today many of us are “silver surfers” using another kind of "net." We are among that large group of people in the later decades of life who have taken up the internet.  One expert says that women over the age of 55 are the fastest growing group of those on Facebook.  I think it’s how you keep track of the grandchildren.

Have you heard the word "wiki"?  On the internet we have "wikipedia," a free encyclopedia that is 10 times as big as the Encyclopedia Britannica and, according to some researchers, of equivalent quality.  Wikipedia was created by volunteers and you can go onto the internet, go to Wikipedia, look up a subject you have some knowledge about, sign in and update and strengthen the article.  Wiki’s are platforms for "mass collaboration," and they reveal the potential and the power of following.  The articles that many people develop together are all anonymous.  Many people collaborate without thought of personal benefit in order to create together something that could not be created by one individual.

We are currently in the age of the "wiki."  Perhaps a previous age was about the hero, the individual innovator, entrepreneur, researcher working alone.  The challenges and creations of today make this the age of the follower.  People today do not follow in order to imitate mindlessly; they follow to carry forward significant tasks collaboratively.  

Linux is another example.  This is the Operating System (OS), the open software that thousands of software developers and and companies have worked on to power all sorts of devices -- computers, GPS, mobile phones and so on.  No-one owns Linux.  Many -- 3,200 developers in two years 07-09 -- have contributed to it.  One man posted some code, another saw it and improved on it and then more and more followed suite.  Linux is the creation that could not have been created by just one company.

Jesus and the Christian movement understood this process long ago.  The first action of Jesus after his baptism and time of strengthening in the desert was to call followers.  From what we can gather Simon and Andrew answered the call of Jesus immediately.  James and John modeled their response on Simon and Andrew.  They did not hesitate but left their nets to become fishers of people.  Today people follow Jesus because they witness good people following Jesus.  People meet Jesus through the mediation of the Church, the followers of Jesus.  Our role as follower of Jesus is very important.  We model a possibility for others.  We show how one can work collaboratively to carry through great projects.  Let us remember that the Western systems of education and health-care, the universities and hospitals were church community initiatives.  We have to ask ourselves what initiatives are needed today?  Will the churches collaborate with other faith traditions and secular movements to contribute to the sustainability of the human presence on earth?  What will we contribute to the vulnerable eco-systems of the suffering earth?

The Wiki of today is not/ and should not be a "mob."  The Wiki is and should be geared to a good purpose, and it self-regulates, is open to constant correction.  In the same way the movement in response to Jesus is not to be a mob.  A Church is to be self-critical and self-regulating.  The Christian movement remembers that the first disciple -- Simon Peter -- was disciplined by Jesus.  Simon wanted Jesus and the early community to evade the cross.  The Messiah, in Simon Peter's view, was not to suffer.  Jesus says to Peter -- Get behind me, Satan.  In other words, Simon Peter, get in line with my acceptance of the cross for if you refuse to follow me to the cross you are straying onto the path of Satan. 

The Christian church communities of today can learn from the Wiki collaborations that are a feature of the present age.  We can learn to take on important tasks, using our best talents and current skills in a fashion that will not seek individual rewards and solely personal advantage.  We can embrace the technology of our time to collaborate more effectively than we have done in past.  The early Christian movement understood that the body of Christ can do great things.

The Wiki movements of today can learn from the Christian movement as it has again and again over 2000 years taken up the challenge of reform of our mass collaboration.  Collaboration -- that is, church community -- should serve the poor and, as we understand better today the good of the whole earth.  This collaboration should be done in freedom and without coercion.  This collaboration must look beyond advantage to be gained in our own lifetime.  We follow in order to contribute to the good of the whole.  And we collaborate with the knowledge that the more firmly we keep Jesus' words and actions in mind, the more we remain open to the influence of the Holy Spirit, the more complete and effective will be our contribution.

To mention one follower of Jesus who has passed on: On Friday we went to the memorial service at Christ Church for our friend Canon Tim Grew.  The church was full and the many conversations were about the influence that Tim had in the lives of the people who knew him.  Tim worked with many social justice causes, he was always on the side of the poor.  And he was a man who loved to enter into a conversation.  Tim had been a follower of Jesus his whole life.  He had strengthened by both encouragement and criticism many other followers of Jesus.  I hope that each one of us can be a follower of Jesus for others.  I hope that each one of us can reach out to many others in a network of love and service especially for those most in need.

EPIPHANY - I AM THE BELOVED

Reflections at Joyceville C.I. on the Epiphany/Baptism of Jesus. You are my son, the Beloved.

Like it or not, we are social beings. What others think of us shapes us. The epiphany or revelation for us that comes from our knowledge of Jesus is that our social relations need not, do not determine how we decide and how we think about ourselves.

Our perception of what others think can push us to conform or to rebel. This is an issue that Jesus had to face and that each one of us has to face. If others think badly of me, will their views influence me to think badly about myself? Will their views push me into behaving other than the way that I know I should?

Let us consider Jesus who comes to the Jordan to be baptized by his cousin John. Jesus was a carpenter from Galilee, a young man when he came on the public scene. For the power elite living in the capital city of Israel, that is, Jerusalem, people from Galilee were considered untrustworthy. Galilean Jews mixed too much with non-Jews; Galileans didn't have the opportunity to live the strict practices of the community; didn't attend the Temple regularly; Galileans had a history of raising movements of protest against the occupying forces of the Romans. As a Galilean, Jesus was suspect. He was on the outside, on the periphery, not from the centre. Even for the leaders of his own people he was a potential threat to the established order. The Roman military would have seen him as someone to be carefully watched.

Later in his ministry Jesus is accused of being a drunkard and a glutton. After all, he had a big thing about sharing meals -- even with public sinners like the tax collector.

It appears that Jesus did not allow negative perceptions of him throw him off course. Why is that? We have a clue in the baptism of Jesus. The communal memory represented in the New Testament accounts says that Jesus knew he was beloved by God. When Jesus came up out of the waters of the Jordan he had an experience of being loved by the "Father." Jesus knew in a definitive way that he was the son of the Father, that he was the Beloved. He lived this relationship each day. The evidence is that he prayed to God as "Abba," that is, in very intimate terms as "Daddy."

What others thought of him did not determine the course of his decisions. He already knew that he was the Beloved of God. So neither the authorities of Israel, nor the Roman military, nor his closest friends and disciples, nor even his own mother or family members could lead him to think less of himself or turn from the way he thought he should go.

What freedom! And each one of us who completely accepts God's word of love for us -- we too can live with that freedom. We can know that we too are beloved and we can live from now on as our deepest and most real self. God created me good and I am good. My value comes only from Abba, Yahweh, God. Nobody else gives me my value. I am free.

LIFT UP THE LOWLY - A SERMON

"He has pulled the mighty down from their thrones. Lifted up the lowly...."

The song of Mary proclaims that the mighty are pulled down and the lowly are lifted up. It does not proclaim that one "mighty" group is replaced by another "mighty" group.

Jesus loved to go away and pray by himself. He even had an extended desert experience. Canadians seek a cottage setting, an isolated lake and a canoe. There is time for withdrawal, time for a hidden life. But for Jesus and for his disciples and for each of us withdrawal is for return. Jesus was impelled by the Spirit to engage the issues of his time. In a brief year or three he made an impact that continues to change the course of human history and as we Christians believe the history and destiny of the universe.

Oftentimes, when there is a person who does great things there is a parent behind them. Christians speak of the only Son of the Father but also speak of the son of Mary. Jesus is the son of Mary. The scripture tells us that Mary is the mother of Jesus (Acts 1:14). It is evident that the early community viewed her as more than simply a "birth mother."

 In the passage from Luke 1:47–55 -- she is the one who sings of God active in history, merciful and effecting change. In the language of today, the Spirit moves people to critique and rise against those who exploit their fellow human beings. Wherever there are protests I suspect that if you don't see mothers and grandmothers on the front lines, they are behind the scenes encouraging and giving support and inspiration. To say that Mary was the mother of Jesus says that he was nurtured in a family that lived a radical spiritual honesty. If Jesus is like he is then the early Church and we too can believe that Mary too is like that - honest and courageous; notwithstanding the scriptural evidence that Jesus at times distanced himself from his family as he chose not to be guided by concern for his own safety but to be guided by the will of the Father.

The people of Jesus' time and place were family people. The family was understood to be a major influence on the character and behaviour of a person. If Jesus spoke out against the exploitation of his people and the abuse of power his mother approved and so the Gospel has her singing the magnificat -- a song of praise that rejoices in "regime change."

We are in a time of regime change. Across the countries of the middle East there are protests and voices calling for honesty, just sharing of resources and more democratic political behaviour. In North American and European cities an "Occupy Wall Street" movement has drawn continuing attention to the huge disparities of income that characterize our economic situation. The .01 percent entitled to millions, the middle class squeezed, the poor dropping out of the system. The analysis is that the politicians -- most evidently in the United States -- have not done their job. The duty of oversight, the duty of care for the good of the whole people, has been sadly neglected. The huge housing and mortgage crisis is one result of a corruption in the political sphere making it possible for the few to benefit from the misery of the many.

Jesus challenged this state of affairs in his own time. He encouraged the poor, the dispossessed, the oppressed to recognize their value before God. We are disciples of Jesus, formed in his Holy Spirit. The implication is that we too will critique and and stand against a state of affairs that supports a corrupt political and economic order. There is much work to be done.

This Christmas period is a time to ponder the birth of Jesus. As we approach this moment we recognize that the birth of the Saviour has given us much room for joy. This authentic joy is authentic because it does not shy away from knowing the worst and believes that the worst has been overcome by the very best.

MARLENE BRANT-CASTELLANO AT ALL SAINTS HALL, TYENDINAGA MOHAWK FIRST NATION

This evening our KAIROS Quinte group and friends were graced with the wisdom of Marlene Brant-Castellano of Tyendinaga Mohawk First Nation. She is Professor Emeritus of the Native Studies Department at Trent University (1973-1996) and was Co-Director of Research and a writer for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) from 1992 to 1996. She is a prolific author who bridges the gap between academia and the world of her Mohawk people. In addition to LLDs from Queen's University, St. Thomas University and Carleton University, she has been inducted into the Order of Ontario, has received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award and recently has been named an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Promising a short presentation Marlene works with powerpoint slides and speaks in an engaging and informative manner for a good hour or more. She begins with the Blackfoot story of Coyote who as a result of his bad behaviour loses his eyes and must borrow an eye from Mouse. That eye sees only the ground right in front of him. Coyote borrows and eye from Buffalo but that eye only sees to the far distance. Coyote learns that to make his way he must work with Mouse eye and Buffalo eye. Marlene opens up the larger issues that engage the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and she guides us into local concerns of Tyendinga Mohawk First Nation.

She jokes about the reputation that her Mohawk people have for extended oratory. We are a group of 16 people out on a night that promised freezing rain. It is worth the risk.

At the beginning of her life she was puzzled by the lack of respect for "Indian" people. She goes to the heart of the matter: "It's about the LAND!" In order to dispossess the land, the newcomer settlers had to push the First Nations to the periphery and justify their actions by claiming "They are out there because they deserve it." A person who takes the soft approach herself, she understands the anger of the younger people and their insistence on being heard. She sees the stopping of the CNR train over impatience over slow land claim resolution as a statement that "I will be heard."

As I listen to Marlene I think of my Mexican host in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas. He too has taken a soft approach.  Andres, a Tzotzil indigenous person, who had made the transition from the village to the city, understood that it was about the LAND. Not a Zapatista himself, he noted that since the uprising an indigenous person no longer lowers their head and steps off the sidewalk to allow a mestizo to walk by. There is resistance to exploitation by the big companies.

Marlene explains that the treaty with the Crown promised that the Mohawks would not be conscripted and that they would not be taxed. She explains that this provision of no taxation was about preserving the LAND. The land could not be lost for non-payment of taxes. It was the last preserve of a people who had been dispossessed. I think of the land base of the indigenous peoples of Mexico, the ejidos of Mexico established in revolution and attacked by politicians promoting free trade.

There is so much more to say. Let me leave it at that for this blog. 2011 has been a year of learning. My passing over to Chiapas, Mexico for a brief month and a half has brought me back to Canada with a growing awareness of some of the major issues that trouble our country and our people.

REMEMBER: WAKE UP AND GET READY

We who live in Canada should be able to understand this parable of the five wise and five foolish handmaids. It can be a disaster on a Winter night when there is not sufficient fuel in the tank.  Most Canadians have spent each year of their lives getting ready for Winter. We are all about being ready for it when it comes.

Frost on the roof-tops, drop in temperature as each day is colder than the day before, gardens harvested, eating supper after the sun has gone down, leaves falling and lying brown and withered -- something is happening and are we ready for what is coming? Foolish handmaids, wise handmaids -- oil in the lamp, heating oil in the tank. And what about the car? -- change to the winter tires. And the cottage? -- clear the water from the pipes.

I've been reviewing tips for closing down the cottage for the winter. Yes, we have to pull the dock up before the river freezes.  However, the big item is the plumbing. We have to close the pump, drain the pipes, make sure that the water heater tank is properly shut off and emptied, empty the toilet and tank and then pour in some non-toxic chemical to seal off the sewer gases. Food items need to be brought home. Liquids that might freeze should be brought home. I still have a bit of painting to do -- but that paint should come south to be stored in a warm place for the winter. Anything of value that might be a temptation for thieves should be removed.

Most people close their cottages at Thanksgiving. We are trying to extend the season and will hopefully be like the five wise handmaids and we will move quickly to close before freezing temperatures can do their damage. The parable is speaking to me.

I must admit, however, that as I have heard this parable over the years I have wondered why the five wise handmaids did not share their oil with the five foolish handmaids. Isn't sharing a good thing? Of course, it may not have been considered a good thing if the light from the lamps needed to be extended over time to allow the bridegroom the time to settle in.

It strikes me that the parable might have been a challenge that Jesus put to the people of his time.  In contrast to our highly individualist culture the people of Israel felt their salvation to be a matter of the group, the people.  Salvation comes to the nation.  But Jesus has something contrary to say with the parable.  Being ready is not solely about the people's readiness as a whole; it is also very much about our individual readiness.  Or perhaps I might say that the People comes to God one person at a time. 

The five wise cannot share with the five foolish because when it comes to welcoming the Bridegroom (the Messiah Jesus) there is a sense in which each one has to do that for themselves. It does not work to drift into a relationship with Jesus -- hoping that we will be carried along by the crowd.  No, each one of us is invited to stand up for ourselves, to live at the edge, challenged to respond, called out of passivity and inaction.  Salvation is about the people as a whole, but it is also about the individual choices that we make.  It is wisdom to be prepared to have oil in your own lamp.  Work to be prepared without expectation that others will do the necessary for you.  We do it together but no-one can do it for us.  

Do you remember the 1961 film, The Guns of Navarone?  I watched a clip on YouTube: Gregory Peck to David Niven: "You think that you have been getting away with it all this time, standing by, well son your by-standing days are over ...."

For some reason as a teenager that film made me want to work for peace -- to commit myself.  Our celebration of Remembrance Day should be done in the spirit of those who recognize that passivity, inaction, leaving it to others, failure to ask questions, lack of engagement in the politics of our time, are at the source of war.  We are not ready for the coming of the Bridegroom if we are not ready to engage the troubles and issues of our time.  No matter our age or station in life, we are all capable of asking questions, of struggling to understand, of reaching mature judgements and acting responsibly.  We are all gifted with the ability to grow, to develop, to contribute and to be peace makers.  Let our lamps be lit and let us live with the vital energy that expects the coming of the Bridgroom.  In Jesus name we pray.

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AT TYENDINAGA MOHAWK FIRST NATION

Today Cathy and I were welcomed to an event the Mohawk Community Centre on Tyendinaga Mohawk First Nation. We attended the 5th Annual Restorative Justice Symposium - "An Indigenous Look at Social Justice" -- presented by FNTI funded by The Ministry of Children & Youth Services with Tontakaierine Tyendinaga Justice Circle.

The Syposium started with the presentation of a film -- "Third World Canada" -- by filmaker Andree Cazabon. The film enters the life of a family from K.I. Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwugon First Nation, Big Trout Lake. The parents of the children in the film had issues and, as the policeman for the reserve commented, suicide was the solution that occurred to them.

The film portrays the response of the children. The title "Third World Canada" speaks to the conditions on the reserve. In the film, the chief of the reserve complains of underfunding. With the money K.I. receives they are only able to build four houses each year. They are not allowed to cut timber from Crown Land. The isolation of the community makes materials extremely expensive. The miserable condition of some of the housing is graphically portrayed. Andree asks us to imagine one winter living in a small, enclosed space with a large family attempting to feed the children on $500 a month.

In the discussion after the film, I commented that the film appeared to facilitate healing for the children. They were invited to speak about their experience, their feelings and the changes in their lives since the suicide of their parents. The audience was moved to tears when young Kyle talked about being shifted from family to family and feeling that people didn't like him. Andree informed us that the older children have travelled with the film as it went on tour. Andree talks of her commitment to a continuing relationship with the children.

In the afternoon, we heard from Jonathan Rudin of Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto (ALST). He spoke on "Trying to Achieve Social Justice." Rudin was an engaging speaker leading us through a significant learning experience. In the range of two hundred potential Aboriginal cases are diverted each year through Aboriginal Legal Services Toronto.

One of the earliest of the restorative justice initiatives, ALST has managed to convince the Crown prosecuters to dismiss charges against these clients at the point they are diverted to the process. With no threat of punishment the Aboriginal client can accept full responsibility for crimes and enter a serious process of restorative justice. This is key to the ongoing success of ALST's dealing with clients. In 20 years of operation ALST's programs and staff have earned the respect of the Crown.

When asked how a Crown prosecuter or judge can ensure that the diversion to restorative justice is responsibly carried out, Rudin notes that judges and prosecuters in smaller towns want to retain control. The process needs the courts to relinquish control. The Crown has to let go of the worry that things can go seriously wrong and prosecuters and judges should let go of concern for their careers. The lowered rates of repeated offense are proof of the value of this approach.

We learned about "over-representation" of Aboriginals in the prisons -- 1 in 4 men, 1 in 3 women. Ontario's population is only 2% Aboriginal but Aboriginals comprise 10% of the prison population. Rudin is of the view that the omnibus crime bill currently going through Parliament will affect diversion programs negatively and that the "over-representation" phenomenon will be intensified. He holds that constitutionality of mandatory minimum sentences should be challenged. The current government likes police and prosecuters and is shifting power away from judges to this group. The problem is that Crown prosecuters, unlike judges, do not have to give written reasons for their decisions. It is very difficult to appeal prosecuters decisions. Rudin's view is that there are difficult times ahead.

Cathy commented as we left that this was the most informative workshop that she has ever attended.