You have either heard me mention, or are probobly strangely familiar with the animosity between protestants and catholics in Latin America. Currently, I am living with a protestant homestay family in a little pueblo where about 98% is catholic. I go with them to church of course, but this has been probobly one of the most difficult things for me being here... why?
First of all, because i have placed myself under the "protestant" unbrella, now a lot of what i do, or say, is labeled as... "but she's an evangelical isn't she?" The thing here is that, honestly, I have not cared much for what people would say of me. But here the reputation of me, my host family, and my own family is at stake with a shake of a hip to the right to the sound of Gloria Estefan's "Conga." I could feel the confused stare of my host family when i start singing aloud the Vicente Fernandez, or Mana, or the latest Regeton song... I have grown to believe that my love and relationship with God is much more bound than my music tastes... but heres the deal.. this is jsut the surface. To church, we have to wear a veil... thats right. We have to also say "Gloria Dios" or "Aleluya" about every three minutes or I will be looked upon as a heathen. If i want to go to the boda or party happening in town, i am seen as someone who wants to be like the "inconversos." Im all about hanging out with everybody in the pueblo... but i am beginning to see that this perhaps is not acceptable because I am "Christian." I am beginnging to see the root of this, but still feel like i cannot be myself at times for fear of being judged... but then i really dont care... and its the family that I dont want to let down...
but then again i cant change the entire way they think.
What got me the most was that when i asked my host mom if she had ever had short hair, she responded with... "i used to. But since i know of the Word of the Lord, i don't do that anymore."
I was soo confused. I was like.. what does having shorter hair have to do with knowing about God? Once again, i could see the root, but i dared to ask the question. I was looked on like i was blowing bubbles or something... and when i commented that i wanted to cut my hair, my host mom had this worried look on her face asking.. "how short? why?!"
Look, im all ok with people choosing to live the life they lead... and they could live christianity and live up to the "boring" stigma it has.. literally. Everybody has been liek "oh, you go to the templo with them? oh..."
But I know my God and the Jesus I know. Christians in Idolos are known to be boring, judgemental, and crazy. Asside from Crazy, i know christians to be otherwise.
Why is it so hard for us to love and accept? Now me, who is all open to hearing the way other people live, is hard for me to accept the way Christians are choosing to live here... and thats because im in the midts of it all.
I will continue to try to be me, and speaking about my love of and with God, regardless of what I like to do... is this possible?
Honestly, seeing this animosity between protestants and catholics is one of the most difficult things ive encountered thus far...
love... such a hard darn thiing to do.
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Judgement is something we've talked a lot about these past few weeks...and among the body of Christ...I totally feel you.
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