Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Week Six

Reading Reflections:
Hispanic/Latino Theology pp. 195-239
            In chapter 11, “In the World but Not of It,” Fernando F. Segovia discusses the role of exile in U.S. Hispanic American theology and shares his personal experience of exile and diaspora, reflecting on its theological significance (198). He explains that most U.S. Hispanic Americans end up in the U.S. either by birth, acquisition, or immigration, and these paths “ultimately account…for different experiences with and within the country itself” (201). I appreciated these categories for thinking about how U.S. Hispanic Americans end up in the U.S. to begin with, especially since these different paths to the U.S. impact their experiences and ultimately their theology of exile (201). Segovia’s personal experience was that of immigration, specifically with his family as political refugees from Cuba (202). His theology has been shaped by this experience of exile and living in diaspora, although originally he expected his stay in the U.S. to be short term (211). For Segovia, like many others, “the journey [proved] to be too long and exile [settled] into a permanent condition” (203). He explains that living in diaspora causes the lines to be blurred between the sense of feeling like the “other” and the sense of belonging (203). This shapes Segovia’s theology, which seems quite paradoxical much like his experience; just as living in diaspora means living in the reality of otherness and belonging (203), for Segovia living with God means living in a world “beyond reformation and crying for reformation…a world of profound ambiguity” (214). I appreciated Segovia’s reflection on the ambiguity of his theology, intertwined with his experience of exile and diaspora. While I was uncomfortable with some of his reflections on God, such as his statement that God is “in charge of creation but forgetful of it” (215), I very much respect the context from which these statements emerge. After all, Segovia himself admits that “the God that emerges out of my diaspora [is] a profoundly ambiguous God” (215).
            Chapter 12, “Theologizing from a Puerto Rican Context” by Yamina Apolinaris and Sandra Mangual-Rodriguez, discusses the cultural contexts of Latin America, the Carribbean, and Puerto Rico, and explores the unique theology of Puerto Rico (219). I appreciated these brief overviews of history and culture, specifically their focus on the involvement of the United States in all of these contexts. I was unaware of the militaristic presence of the U.S. in Puerto Rico (232), so that was alarming new information. I have been almost exclusively interested in and focused on Mexico, so I appreciate that this text is expanding my horizons and painting a larger picture of the history and culture of Latin America.  As for the theology of Puerto Rico, I found it fascinating that prominent Puerto Rican theologians have identified Puerto Rican identity as the “primary subject” of Puerto Rican theology, with Puerto Rico as “the optimal locus” for this theology to take place (234). It seems logical to me that this would be the case, but this type of highly contextualized theology stands in stark contrast to much academic theology. This semester I have had the opportunity to read this text alongside great theologians such as Augustine, Origen, and Barth, and the difference between systematic theology and contextualized, culture-affirming theology such as this Hispanic theology is striking. I must admit that for me, there is something incredibly life-giving about this theology, rooted in the heart and experience of a people rather than in the minds of scholars. But ultimately, I do not see this as a choice between heart and mind, church and academy— these scholars in Puerto Rico seem to be firmly rooted in both, and the results are refreshing.

Journal Article Reflections:
            This week, my “journal article” readings were a bit less academic and a bit more focused on the stories and experiences of people, both in the United Methodist Church and in Mexico. The first article, “The Sweetest Sound” in El Interprete, was a reflection on call to ministry by Christina Saenz, a young woman now serving as a youth pastor in Texas. She reflected on being called, being distracted by the noise in her life, and God ultimately reminding her of the call on her life. As a young woman pursuing and discerning a call to ministry in the UMC, I appreciated her thoughts and very much related to the difficulty of remembering and following God’s call in the midst of life’s noise. The second article, “Remember Jesus,” also from El Interprete by Rev. Lorenza Andrade, is a prophetic call to “remember Jesus” in the face of all people, specifically “the poor, the stranger, the undocumented immigrant.” I was especially interested in this article, as Rev. Andrade was the Texas pastor arrested for DREAM Act nonviolent action in November. I followed her story and analyzed it as my final project for Social Justice & Social Change; I am inspired by her prophetic work within the UMC on issues of immigration, and find her story fascinating especially as she is currently in the candidacy process for ordination.
            The final “article” I read was really a video on BBC World called “The Many Faces of Mexico,” which I stumbled upon while looking for an article. However, it turned out to be an excellent glimpse into Mexican culture and it even connected with some readings and discussions from this class! For example, it discussed the women and their role in carrying on the traditions within the communities, which reminded me of chapter five of Hispanic/Latino Theology, “The Oral Tradition of a People.” And the most striking thing about the video, besides the images themselves, was the reciprocal relationship between the photographer and the people of the villages. I thought it was great that he not only wanted to capture the beauty of the culture and people, but also visit the communities again with prints of the photos. This reminded me of our conversation in class about ministry being about giving and receiving genuinely and equally; it seems that this photographer and his work can serve as an example for our churches, giving and receiving, celebrating and affirming culture, and ultimately understanding that these (and all) relationships are gifts from God.

Vocational Discernment:
            This week, I visited the UMC website and reacquainted myself with the order of deacon, to which I am called and pursuing ordination. This actually began because I was beginning to question whether I really need to, or should, pursue ordination. In thinking about my vocation, most of what I am exploring could be done perfectly well without being ordained, such as pursuing further study in Biblical Studies. I had always been particularly drawn to deacon’s orders as ordination to service, but as I read the description on the UMC website this week, I was struck by the first part of the description of the call of deacons, the part I always used to skim over— ordination to Word. Specifically, deacons are called to teach the Bible both inside and outside the church, transcending the boundaries of church and world, church and academy. It seems that even as life changes, God’s call remains the same. Word and service? Sometimes for a moment, everything makes sense.

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