San Juan Chamula

I'd heard the tales but never seen for myself...until last week. San Juan Chamula is reportedly home to Mexico's only Catholic church without a priest. Why? Because they ran him off years ago! The town is totally autonomous with its own law enforcement and courts. No outside police or military are allowed. This is no small town either. It is estimated that 50,000 people live there. The "church" at San Juan Chamula is one of the most graphic examples of the christo-maya-pagan religious practices in Chiapas. Let me be more specific...

• There has been no priest here since 1968 & there is no mass. The sanctuary has no pews, but people sit randomly throughout - chanting, lighting candles and making sacrifices.
  
• John the Baptist is recognized as their savior, not Jesus Christ.
• Sacrifices of candles, liquor, soft drinks, and live chickens are made in the sanctuary each day.
  
• Thousands of candles are burning at any given time, each one supposedly representing the "cure" for some kind of ailment, personal problem, "evil eye" or curse afflicting the individuals. Shaman medical men advise what color, number and length of candles to buy and light to get relief.
  
• Large dolls representing the saints were encased along the walls - with their hands cut off and a mirror on the chest of each one. The locals say that the saints hands were cut off as punishment for not protecting the previous cathedral from burning. Depending on who you ask, the mirrors are in place either to chase away evil spirits or to help the immobile saints use each other's mirrors to scan the cathedral to prevent a future fire.
  
• Inside and outside, "parishioners" drink alcohol. Some use liquor as part of their "worship," offering liquor sacrifices, blowing sprays into flames, or just getting drunk. There are drunk people passed out in the sanctuary, drunk people dancing outside the sanctuary, and others simply staggering around. The grain alcohol known as "pox" (pronounced "poash") is sold by the church.
  

Our recent visit coincided with the saint day for San Juan de Bautista (John the Baptist), who is revered above Jesus or the Virgin Mary. The streets were filled with the local police force in their traditional garb of long furry tunics and billy clubs, and the area around the church was the source of sensory overload. Homemade fireworks went off with great sound and smoke. Competing bands echoed across the open courtyard. Streamers of pendants overhead fluttered loudly in the high winds, and a dark cloud seemed to hover menacingly over the cathedral. As we approached the opening to the cathedral, a drunken dancer came across and grabbed a female member of our group. Though John aggressively shooed him away, we all recognized that there were dozens more just like him. The sanctuary area was so full of people, candles and large sprays of fresh flowers, it was hard to walk. The floor was strewn with boughs of fresh pine needles. The irony of the history of a great fire was not lost on us as we walked along amongst the thousands of candles just inches away from the straw. The saints watched on.

Some members of our group were visibly distressed by the experience. Others felt intrigued by the bizarre nature of it all. Another felt honored to be able to witness first-hand the religious traditions of the ancient Maya. Regardless, we all knew one thing for sure. This was not your neighbor/friend/colleague's Roman Catholic Church. This was not Christianity as we know it.

So now I've seen it for myself. I didn't see the live chicken sacrifice first hand, but I could tell that it happens there. I experienced what I needed to in order to better understand my brothers and sisters in Christ here who evangelize to catholics. Now I know. I don't need to go back. I hope I never do.

What's this about Jesus having a tattoo?!

So with the Hot Metal Bridge folks on board for the second year and Hot Metal Volunteer for 4 weeks, all kinds of interesting subjects came up. Last year, the wife of the bible school director was literally scared for her safety because all the tattooed folks showing up to stay on campus! All that she'd ever heard about anyone with tattoos was that they were all in criminal gangs, and people like that scared her. But by explaining the Christian significance of some of their tattoos, the Hot Metal folks were able to calm her fears a bit last year. The rest of us came to see their tattoos as "marks of faith" and to recognize how the tattoos create missional or evangelical opportunities to share their faith.

This year, the Hot Metal folks went to Matzam for most of their trip, so they did not have an encounter with the new director. Oh, but Derek did! I noticed one night between groups that Derek was "holding court" as my grandmother would say. He had all the bible school students, the new director and his wife gathered around a table in the school's dining room. I must confess, my thoughts were "uh oh."

Soon afterwards, Derek emerged to explain that he'd been trying to convince them that "when Jesus comes again, he'll have a tattoo!" I heard later from some students that the director certainly didn't buy Derek's argument but it did make me look.

What do I mean when I say that it "made me look?" Well, Derek is quick to cite scripture, especially when it's related to more outlandish ideas like Jesus having a tattoo. So...he made me look in my bible to find the scripture, and sure enough....

From Revelations 19:11-16 in my NRSV bible....
Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! It's rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed that no one knows but himself. He is clothes in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, "King of kings and Lord of lords."

Now, most would agree that Revelations is a literary work filled with metaphor, and I've never been much of a literalist. But, that part about Jesus having the name inscribed on his thigh does sound like a tattoo to me! See here's the thing. The bible is so rich that we cannot possibly know every scripture and every reference. But when someone can cite the scripture to back their argument, I hope it'll "make you look." You may not agree with them after you look it up, but I hope you will keep your mind open long enough to read the scripture, consider the argument and then decide whether or not you agree. For quite often, as we are drawn back to our bibles, we find something new, something challenging, or something profound that we'd never noticed before.

So, who knows? Jesus may have a tattoo after all!

Hot Metal Bridge

May 11th - 17th
Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community - Pittsburgh, PA
It was the 2nd year for these "funk, punky, tattooed and pierced" believers from the southside of Pittsburgh. Many participated in the intellectually and spiritually challenging Apprenticeship program intended to help them discern together how God may be calling each of them to serve in the Kingdom. They also brought along a couple of graduates from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary who had traveled here a couple of years ago. It was our friend, Keith Kaufold, who introduced us to the book that has helped us better understand religion and politics in Chiapas.

Anyway, although I have never heard them refer to themselves as "Red Letter Christians," this group embodied the overused acronym "WWJD." They strive to show the love and spirit of Jesus Christ in word and deed. This group worked in Matzam, a very conservative Highland community in Chiapas, to help prepare the footings for an expanded sanctuary. Although they intended to visit with Manuel, a missionary to the Lacandon People that their church supports, their itinerary was changed radically when a member of their group suffered a fall that resulted in multiple injuries. The group rallied around one of its own, put their collective needs on hold to insure her comfort and access to medical care, and demonstrated the power of prayer and Christian fellowship. Emma is reportedly on the mend but still needs your prayers. And as for Hot Metal, we hope that they will return to Chiapas with another group and continue to share their special brand of worship and ministry.
(Photo coming, be patient)

Perhaps my favorite aspect of this group is their authenticity. When they're irritated with each other, they say so. When they need to confess to each other, they confess. When they need to hold each other accountable, they do so with love and firmness. And yet they demonstrate acceptance, grace and forgiveness all along the way. They sing both praise songs, hymns and traditional music of worship. They use drama in worship. They seek to "do mission every day." They worship in an old taco restaurant and serve a meal every Sunday to all who come. This group blesses our family...period.

We hope that this group was blessed by the experience of missions in Chiapas. They were certainly challenged to honor conservative culture even though they are the very definition of alternative Christians. They gave of themselves freely and worked very hard on the project, but they also worked hard on seeing God moving in their midst. Despite her injuries, we have no doubt that God protected Emma. All her injuries will heal, and she experienced love, compassion and healing here in Chiapas. As a group, they saw their pastor deal with his own pain in a way that modeled the balance of selflessness and self-care, something many Christians struggle to practice. Funny how we sometimes have to get out of our everyday world to recognize the extraordinary opportunities for learning and growth.

In addition to the group, Hot Metal shared one of their own leaders with us for 4 weeks. Derek Zanetti, of Christian punk rock fame, worked as a volunteer through the Hot Metal group and the two weeks of Medical Missions to Yaxoquintela. Derek's wit, faithfulness, wisdom, sarcasm and colorful self kept us on our toes and challenged us all to keep grace, forgiveness and acceptance of others at the forefront of our ministry --- following the example of Jesus. He humbled himself when called upon, rose to the occasion to preach a GREAT sermon, honored the conservative Tzeltal culture even when it was KILLING him, served incredible spaghetti and meatballs, and engaged us all in profound debate nearly every day. We are grateful to Derek for his spirit, grateful for his servanthood, and curious to see how God will use him in this ever-changing world. IPOY, Derek.
(more photos to follow)

A trip to Pittsburgh is DEFINITELY in our future!!!

Guest Author Post: From Amy Newell, Summer Volunteer

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to share a little bit about my first two and a half weeks here in Mexico. Please feel free to pass this along to anyone who might be interested. I've spent the past two weeks in a little village called Yax (pronounced Yosh). Yax sits in the valley between two mountains which are the homes to two completely different groups of people. On one side are the Zapatista sympathizers and on the other are the people who agree with the Federal Government. Needless to say these two groups of people don't exactly see eye to eye but we served them both without discrimination and we never had any problems. Yax is also the former home of the Wycliff Bible Translation Jungle Camp. It i s a quiet organized village with grass streets, finished wood houses, and a beautiful river running along side it. It is also the home of the majority of the Feliciano Family.

Over the span of 2 weeks over 60 volunteers came together from all across the US and Mexico: Washington State, Chicago, Pittsburg, North Carolina, Virginia, Mexico City, Tuxtla, and Ocosingo to organize and run the Medical Caravana. We set up 12 consultorios in which doctors, nurses, dentists, and Mexican paramedics along with various other translators and assistants saw over 4,350 patients in 10 days. We also dispensed over 15000 dollars of medicine to these same people through our fully functioning pharmacy that was in the same room that was our kitchen, dining room, and Church.

The time in Yax was great to reconnect with old friends from former years in Mexico and to also make new ones with the other volunteers and the local community. The first week I got to translate for my dad in one of the consultorios and also worked some in the kitchen washing over 60 sets of dishes by hand over and over and over. We also had vacation Bible School for the local 30 or so kids. We sang and played games, told stories, and made some crafts. On the last day all the kids were given yo-yo’s and oreos and then tooth brushes. Tzeltal (which is the native language in Yax) Bi bles were given out to the men and women of the congregation in a special ceremony at the end of the week.

The second week was spent translating again, but then I became the Oculista which means I was in charge of fitting reading glasses to the people who needed them. It was amazing watching the expressions on the women’s faces as they were able to thread a needle for the first time in many years, and the expressions on the faces of the men who now were able to read their Bible’s again.

Throughout the two weeks working in the consultorios was a blessing knowing that these people were finally going to get the medicine that they needed to get well. But at the same time that it was great to see all of the successes often times there was nothing that we could do. It was heartbreaking to have to send people away empty handed because we didn’t have the right medicine or the right technology to help them. It was equally heartbreaking to see the young girl with severe burns all over her body which were extremely infected and to know that the only thing that could help her would be the surgery that her family could not afford. Or to tell the family of 8 that they all had worms, amoebas, and scabies and only if they change their lifestyle and take the medicine that they wil l get better. By the end of the second week I was feeling really depressed and the stench from all of the sick and sweaty people made me want to vomit. I remember lying in my hammock and crying thinking about the overwhelming sense of helplessness that was surrounding me. But then I realized that it is for all of these people that we are building the clinic in Ocosingo. It is for them that we come back every year and get covered in cement to finish another little piece of the huge project that one day will be Las Manos de Cristo. This clinic will be able to serve so many people in this area whose only medical treatment prior has been our Caravanas. They will be able to receive care without discrimination or fear of the government. Whenever I get depressed about the situation here I try to remember that things can and will get better.

Many times it’s hard not to get caught up in the beauty of the surroundings, or the sickness of the people, and many times we forget the reason we are here. But I have been constantly reminded these past two weeks that I am here to love the people of Chiapas Mexico and I am here to serve them with all of my heart.

I have another month here working mainly with construction groups on the Clinic but the entire time I will be thinking about the seven year old boy who got hit the eye with a machete and who needs surgery who remove his eye so it will stop getting infected and won’t infect the other one which would cause blindness. I will be thinking about all the people that were given worm and gastritis medicine. But I will also be thinking about ways in which this Clinic will really help the people here in Chiapas.

It has been an amazing two weeks and I can’t wait to see what’s coming up next. God has truly blessed all of my time here and I know that he has so many more things for me to learn. Please keep all of the hurting sick people in your thoughts and prayers and the next time you go to the doctor for a checkup think about how you would feel if it was the first doctor you had ever seen in your entire life and be thankful that we live in a country where health care is at least accessible.

Love and Peace to you all,

~Amy~

Whew!

As I logged on to the blog, I was astounded to realize that I haven't posted in a month, but a quick reflection on the past few weeks makes it abundantly clear why!

• Hot Metal Bridge group was here during our week of standardized testing with homeschool. Between bubble sheets, we traveled a bit with this "funky, punky, tattooed and pierced" group of amazing young believers. Their week was marred by the terrifying but survivable injury of a group member who was clotheslined and pulled out of a cattle truck while riding into Santo Domingo. I'll post more about this group, their adventures, and their response to their friend's injury in another post.
• We've been trying to wrap up homeschooling for the year, which means standardized testing, final exams, grading & recording....the whole nine yards. The homeschool adventure has been just that - an adventure. It was both better and harder than we expected, but all in all, it's been a success.
  
• 2 weeks of medical mission caravan in the jungle setting of Yaxoquintela (the former Wycliffe Missionary Jungle Training Camp) was both wildly successful and wildly exhausting. 2 weeks, 5 doctors, 7 nurses, 2 nursing students, 45 other volunteers, days and days of rain and inches deep mud and 4051 patients. Yes, 4051 in 10 clinic days. One day we saw as few as 270 patients, but one day we saw 720! More details to follow!
• And now we rest...between pounds and pounds of muddy laundry, 3 summer volunteers, lingering final exams, bills to pay and emails to answer.
  

Thanks be to God for amazing people with a passion for Mexico, a soft bed, Mexicans who pitch in to help make miracles happen, a chance to sleep later than 5:45, the stamina we've needed to keep going, and 5 days off.