Pondering Paschal Patterns

It is once again that time when the church recalls the crucifixion of Jesus and then celebrates his resurrection.  The pattern of death and resurrection is everywhere.  I see it in the tree that I really thought may have died just a couple of weeks ago, that is now beginning to flower again.  And I see it in the Shaving Brush tree that had those beautiful blooming magenta flowers last week and now stands naked, except if you look closely you will see that small new leaves are beginning to appear. Nature so beautifully proclaims the paschal pattern. 

There are many different dimensions to this pattern; both death and resurrection come in many very varied forms.     

Some deaths and resurrections seem natural like the cycle of seasons or the peaceful surrendering to the eternal after a long life. 

Some deaths are crucifixions. The crucifixion of Jesus was violent and unjust.  I don't really believe that God wills such deaths instead when they happen God turns them into resurrections.  Torturing and violently killing a person can't be in the plan of any God that I believe in.  Jesus came to teach us to love one another.  He turned previous assumptions upon their head; he challenged the status quo.  He befriended the outcasts of his time and put love before the law. God probably knew that such a death was a possible or even probable because Jesus' message would challenge people and frighten those in power who had much to lose if the first would really become the last and the last first.  His death was lawful and sanctioned by the government of this time.  If God had directly intervened to stop it our free will would have been compromised. I believe that God allowed the crucifixion of Jesus (did not will it) but God did not allow death to have the final word. 

There is so much violence in the world.  This is not God's will but God will try to use whatever happens to bring about good.  When I read of young people marching for peace and stricter gun laws in the wake of school shootings, I see this pattern of change for the good occurring, as a result of unjust, violent loss of lives (God did not will the shooters to kill or want those young people to die at this time, but God will use tragedy to transform and empower people to change.)     

Sometimes what might seem like a natural death may be more of quiet crucifixion.  I think this happens often in Haiti. A death may be from an illness, but it may be an illness that would easily have been treated or perhaps completely prevented in other places.  People may die because of a storm but it is poverty caused by systemic injustices that denied them the possibility of obtaining adequate shelter that would have easily protected them from that storm. 

The paschal pattern in our own lives takes many forms.  We let go of habits that are harmful to ourselves, hurtful to those we love, selfish, or damage the earth.  We recognize the error of our ways, make amends for our wrongdoings, become aware that our behavior may be negatively affecting society or the earth itself and we choose to change.  These are the small dyings we are called to and so we become new people, resurrected in a sense in our ordinary daily lives over and over again.  We all have had times of loss and grief or have been victims of something whether accidentally or due to an injustice of one kind or another.  When we go through the grieving process or suffer from pain and then after time, as a result, we find that we have become more compassionate, less judgemental or start to live out of a deeper perspective about what is truly important in life then too, we have experienced our own dyings and risings.

What is true for individuals is also true for structures, and societies.  Much of the unnecessary pain and suffering in the world is caused or allowed to happen as a result of systemic injustice, which values some lives more than others. It is a few people who have most of the power, prestige, possessions, and privilege who benefit from the current societal structures.  They are the ones who would be most threatened by the real message of Jesus and probably find a way to silence or kill him today, (or perhaps dramatically distort his message to justify global structural injustices that benefit them.)  It is these systems that need to be radically transformed.   The current structures that were created to benefit the few, must be  allowed to die and then be resurrected built with love, equality, peace, mercy, and justice for all people and in a fashion that is sustainable for the earth. 

 Thank you for taking the time to read my ponderings; writing them out helps me to try to make sense of my recent thoughts and reflections.
           
Since schools were closed this week, I was able to spend more time at the orphanage allowing the children to come to the play therapy room not so much for formal therapy but simply to play.  I offered a creative activity for the oldest children too.  It was enjoyable.  It amazes me when I realize how the children have grown so much since I first met them. It is a privilege to recognize the Paschal patterns in their lives and celebrate their own risings from the pains of previous sufferings they have experienced. 

May you experience many blessings and celebrate resurrection during these holy days! 

The end of the second trimester

The academic calendar here is organized into trimesters.  The second trimester started in early January and finished this week.  It seemed to have gone by so very quickly and seemed to be shorter than the first trimester.  Now, I am working on finishing my grades for the 213 high school students enrolled in the conversational English classes that I am teaching at the sisters' school in the city.  While I would like to write a more creative and interesting update this week, grades need to be my priority at the moment.  I am aware that this is a boring blog entry.    It is more like a little note to let my regular readers who are accustomed to my writing weekly know that all is well; I've just been a bit busier than usual, but all is well.  

Have a good week.  Many blessings! Take care.    

  

Signs of Hope!

Last Thursday for International Women's Day there was a program for the students at the all-girls high school where I teach English classes.  The girls all gathered in the auditorium for an educational program. I talked with some of the girls afterward; they seemed to have found it to be empowering and informative.  The sign outside the auditorium says, in Creole, "Violence Against Women, We must talk."   As difficult as the images in the middle of the sign are to look at, it is a sign of hope.  It gives me hope that at least at this school young women are being educated about this reality and encouraged to talk about it.  Of course, I sincerely hope that someone is also educating the young men about such issues as well.

This afternoon, when I went for a quick walk, I saw the older of the two boys I had met two weeks ago, (the ones living on the street.)  He smiled as I walked along the sidewalk towards him.  He told me that he is in the program I had referred him to.  The younger boy was not with him, but he reported that the younger child is in the program too, and had stayed there this afternoon.  He told me that they give them food and they can sleep there.  I was relieved to see him, to chat with him and to learn that they are safe.   His smile was for me another sign of hope.


Thank you for taking the time to read this weekly update.  Many blessings!

Timoun nan lari a; Children on the street

 The other morning when I had a break in between English conversation classes that I teach at the sisters' school in the city, I went for a short walk along the boulevard where the sea is on one side of the road and restaurants are on the other.  While I was walking two school-aged children (who do not actually attend school), approached me.  They asked me for Pesos, the currency in the Dominican Republic.  I explained that I did not have any pesos and we continued to chat.  They told me they were living on the street.  I asked where they had slept and they both pointed to the same street corner.  I believed them and felt heartbroken that children so young would be homeless and not even with a caring adult.  It occurred to me that even though I spent many years working with people experiencing homelessness in the United States, and even though I have been living in Cap-Haitian for three and a half years now, I had no idea where to refer them for services.  Although I am normally reluctant to give money to people, I gave them the very small amount of goudes I had in my pocket, enough to buy one boiled egg or a banana.  I felt helpless having no idea what to do for them. 

I continued on my walk feeling empathy for them and disappointed in myself for not knowing how to help them.  Most of my professional experience has been with people experiencing homelessness of one kind or another.  When I initially came to Haiti the first time, in the aftermath of the Earthquake, it was with a sense of call that I personally and we as religious were called to go wherever the needs are the greatest.  Here I am, in a country where there is a lot of and sometimes extreme poverty, and on that morning, I was teaching conversational English to some of the most privileged teenage girls in Cap-Haitian and I was completely clueless about resources for people experiencing homelessness.  How had this happened?   

There are many orphanages in Haiti, but that does not mean that they will take children off of the street.  The orphanage where I work for example only takes children whose mothers have died but who have some extended family who can care for them during Christmas and summer vacations and only accepts new children who are younger than these boys are.  Governmental child protective services that are supposed to ensure that minors are adequately cared for in the US, don't really exist here in the same way. 
               
When I was walking back toward the school where I teach, they came to me again.  The conversation continued.   I learned that they had come from a town a bit of distance away and that they were 8 and 11 years old.  Much too young to be on their own!  They followed me until I got to the gate of the school where I teach English classes.  The whole time I was wondering what I could do to offer at least a little more assistance.  I told them to wait and that I would try to find out where they could go for help.  I went into the convent and called the sister who is in charge of the orphanage where I work and asked if she knew of a program for children who are living on the street.  She told me of a community that has such a program and in which section of the city it is located.  I looked on the internet for the phone number and tried calling a couple of times but got no answer.

They boys had waited for me.  I told them what neighborhood and the name of the congregation who supposedly has a program for children living on the streets. I explained that I had tried to call but had not gotten an answer and that I hoped this would be helpful.   I gave them a small amount of money in case they wanted they could take a tap-tap there and I encouraged them to head towards that neighborhood and to ask people where the program is located.   They told me that they would come back to see me tomorrow, I told them that I would not be there tomorrow, but would be back next week. 

I don't know if I will ever see them again, if they were able to find the program or even if they tried, and if they did if the program was able to help them or if they would be willing to stay.  In retrospect, I doubt that I handled the situation as well as I ideally could have.  I do know that my encounter with them took my mind off of myself, raised many questions for me and  is challenging me to consider how I can better (as is stated in the Marianite Mission Statment) "stand with those who are excluded." 


Have a good week.  Many blessings!