Fliers

When we're not busy playing with kids, we're intensely planning things -- here's Nora serving as the "cebadora," the one who serves mate to keep us going as we plan a vision seminar for the Libertador Church.

And here I am, hard at work under the "winter" sun.

Here are Alejandro and Marisa (she's from Baradero, they've both taken the first two steps of our training and are actively involved in the community) along with Nora and Gaby at our latest planning meeting in Baradero.

In my last post I wrote about a conversation I had with one of the kids in a neighborhood we're working in. Several people responded to that and I'll try to include other similar stories. However, I'm still trying to figure out how and what I can respectfully share about other people's lives since the issues they're dealing with are pretty personal.

Fun fact: I don't have a mail box, so everything comes under my door. Lots of fliers come, too, advertising local shops. This week there was a run on spiritual advertising. Slipped under my door two days ago was a newsletter from the local Catholic parish. Inside there was a pamphlet advertising the "Miraculous Medallion." It said, "Do you need a favor/grace? Pray to Maria for it!" It went on to offer a book about it complete with the bronze medallion for only U$S 5, with phrases such as, "This medallion has already helped many people. It can help you, too!" and "The Mother of God said, 'Everyone who wears on his neck this medallion will receive great favors.'" Underlined was written, "The Miraculous Medallion is a powerful shield against the designs and attacks of the demon. Father Gabriel Amorth, the most famous exorcist in Italy, declares that it's 'a good protection against the devil to wear the Miraculous Medallion.'"

Yesterday there was a flier advertising the ancient art of reading coffee grounds (I thought it was supposed to be tea leaves). For a small fee someone will read coffee grounds for me and give me "the answers and the sense of direction you need." In a free paper I got on the train last week there was an article about the big festival to celebrate Saint Cayetano, the patron saint of bread and work. There was a line 12 blocks long to get into the sanctuary where he is celebrated.

One of the latest sermons I've listened to on-line is about Genesis 11 and 12. Richard Dahlstrom notes that in Samaria, where Abraham lived before he heard God and left for an unknown land, the culture was polytheistic and worshiped the “three Ps”: power, provision, and protection. Dahlstrom notes that those three Ps are still idols in the church today, but don’t have anything to do with real Judeo-Christian faith. He discusses a Simpson’s episode of Protestants vs Catholics where Bart converts to Catholicism which leads to a pastor and a priest playing, “My God can kick your God’s butt,” and contrasts this with the inspiring lives of people who left comfort to follow God and love people: Henri Nouwen, Martin Luther King, Paul Brand.

God’s call to Abraham in Genesis 12 “is a movement from many gods to one, and a movement away from self-preservation to service…. Our obedience to revelation will result in us being a blessing.” Which paradigm will we follow? If we really trust God for our provision and protection we can pour out our lives for others.