Lost in translation?

Speaking of translation (see below), I knew it would be difficult for me not to be able to speak Spanish, even though several people in past groups had gotten along just fine without knowing the language and most of the people in our current group knew little Spanish. I tried this Summer and Fall to learn as much as as I could through a "Speed Spanish" online class, and I did manage to fake my way through one-on-one conversations pretty well, but I was right: As a communicator by personality and profession, I had a very hard time not being able to fully communicate with the people I met, or forcing them to communicate in English (those who could) even though I was the visitor in their country (to be fair, many of them were grateful to practice their English skills...).

In some ways, I think this was good for me. Both written and oral communication are such bedrocks of my identity that it may have been God's design to strip those away from me. I became dependent on other people and on other forms of communication — mostly smiles and hugs, both of which also come naturally to me, thankfully. :) I was grateful for the Cuban tradition of kissing one cheek (just one, not two or three — it's different in every culture!) because it allowed me to make contact with each person without speech — although I was grateful to have gotten accustomed to using "Mucho gusto!" with my Costa Rican brother-in-law's parents. When I meet someone, I generally like to ask a lot of questions — to learn about their life and family and perspectives. I simply couldn't do this, so our simple conversations focused on how happy we were to meet one another and how we wished the Lord's blessings upon the other. Not a bad foundation to a relationship!

I definitely hope to return to Cuba, but I will work even harder to learn Spanish ahead of time. Love is a universal language, especially within the family of God, but it doesn't help you find your way around the streets of Havana! :)

Other means of communication:

Picture-taking: There are several little girls in Cuba who have literally dozens of pictures of me — they just kept wanting to take them! :) I'm grateful for their sweet welcome and the bonds we formed, even though we could hardly understand a word that the other spoke!

Lots of hand-gestures! (Yesdel, left, and Richard, center)

Gifts! (Beautiful handmade banner and stole presented to us on our last evening. We also brought several suitcases worth of gifts and supplies — everything from toothbrushes to yarn to medication to clothing — for them.)

Music! (More on this later.)

And finally, dancing! (More on this later.)

Jesus is enough

When Luke had the privilege of preaching in our sister church during our time in Cuba (translated by Carmen, above), he encouraged all of us that "Jesus is enough":

... The faithful example of Bartimaeus is not just in the fact that he cried out to Jesus and came to him, but it is also in his response to Jesus once he was healed.  He came to Jesus as a blind man wanting Jesus to heal him and make him see again.  Once Jesus gave him what he wanted he could have gone his own way, turned his back on Jesus and said, “Thanks, see you later!”  But Mark tells us that as soon as Bartimaeus regained his sight… he “followed Jesus on the way.” The life of faith has two parts that cannot be separated.  We come to Jesus because we need Jesus to heal us, because we need Jesus to save us… but then we also must respond to the healing touch of Jesus by following Jesus along his way.  That means for us to be available to those who might interrupt us on the way, those in need of help and healing.  Those in our communities whom others might pass by, but Jesus would be sure to notice.  It means taking the time to respond to those who are crying out around us.  It means following Jesus in the way of the cross, the ultimate expression of God’s love for the world—a way of self-giving and self-offering for the sake of others.

And what do we need in order to follow Jesus in this way?  Nothing more than Christ himself.  Jesus is enough.  Jesus is enough not only for our salvation, but the mercy of Jesus is enough to give us the strength to rise and respond to his calling.  The grace of Jesus is enough to open our eyes so that we can see the world and see our brothers and sisters the way Jesus sees them.  And the love of Jesus is enough to empower us to follow him and share his love with the world.  We have no reason to wait and no reason to fear—Jesus is always available, and Jesus is enough.

Yesterday, Luke preached here in Libertyville at our Thanksgiving Service, illuminating Matthew 6:25-34, Joel 2:21-27, and Psalm 126. While "today's trouble is enough for today," he exhorted us not to let fear prevent us from living the lives to which God has called us. Here are just a few of his Spirit-inspired words:

We are to respond with gratitude to the great things God has done for us, and turn our attentions and energies toward doing great things for God’s kingdom in this world.  This is why we are told “not to worry”, this is why we need to jettison fear.  Max Lucado continues in his book, saying, “When fear shapes our lives, safety becomes our god. When safety becomes our god, we worship the risk-free life. Can the safety-lover do anything great? Can the risk-averse accomplish noble deeds? For God? For others? No. The fear-filled cannot love deeply. Love is risky. They cannot give to the poor. Benevolence has no guarantee of a return.” (Lucado 10).  ...

Surrounded by all sorts of troubles, bad news, losses and the attacking forces of fear, may you remember today some glimpse of God’s goodness to you, may your eyes be opened to see beyond hovering troubles to the many ways God has provided “enough for today,” may you feel today God’s Spirit well up from within you and overflow with gratitude, may you experience the freedom from fear that comes from a faith-response to God’s amazing grace, and may you reach outward in that faith and freedom with simple, risky acts of righteous defiance of fear and courageous expressions of kingdom love, for “perfect love drives out fear.” In the name of Jesus,  Amen.

I'm grateful that God prompted us to take the risk of going to Cuba. I was a bit concerned and fearful, but God provided all we needed to "reach outward in ... faith and freedom." And even more than being providers, we were the beneficiaries of "courageous expressions of kingdom love."

Discovering the Bible in community...

I shared earlier the words of the pastor of our sister church, who said that "discovering the Bible in community is a gift."

The first half of our trip was spent in Havana at a conference celebrating the 10th anniversary of the partnership between the Presbyteries of Chicago and Havana, and the 20th anniversary of the partnership between the Presbyteries of Long Island and Havana. There were speeches and dancing and excellent food and much more, but one of my favorite events was an in-depth Bible Study led by Pastor Daniel Izquierda of Hosea 12:6: "But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always." This will be the theme verse for La Presbyteriana de Habana next year. Daniel exegeted each word (translated by Alberto), and then the Cubans and North Americans separated into groups to discuss a few questions. All our other activities mixed Cubans and North Americans together, but we separated this time to facilitate communication (translation takes a lot of time); when we came back together and shared our insights, it was remarkable how many similarities arose in answers to questions such as, "What keeps us from trusting God in the Hebrew sense?" (being tied together by a strong bond). It was also good to learn from the few differences between the perspectives of the groups.

I appreciated Daniel's emphasis on justice as restorative action and on love as the internal condition behind such action. He said, "To live in relationship with God means actions should be based in a logic of love" — for example, our partnership! Discussing this verse in Cuba while learning from and alongside our Cuban brothers and sisters invested it with so much more meaning than simply reading it here in my comfortable home or even in my home church.

About a third of the group that met in the Luyano Presbyterian Church for the conference. Pastor Daniel Izquierdo is standing in the red shirt. Everyone is listening to Pastor Ismael Maruda, always a character! (He reminded me of my dad. :) )

Two degrees of separation...

Alberto was our amazing translator during the conference in Havana (first half of the trip). During dinner one night, I learned that three times in the last three months he has been called to Fidel Castro's house to personally translate for him during important meetings. One of those meetings was with the American director Oliver Stone; you'd recognize the other names, too, but I can't remember them now. Alberto said the 83-year-old Castro is still sharp mentally and is finally following doctor's orders to maintain his physical health. (Of course, his brother Raul is in power now.)

So I figure Luke and I are just two degrees from Fidel Castro, through Alberto. Hmmm ... maybe I shouldn't post this on the internet! :) Don't worry, U.S. Government, we did not meet him nor do we have any desire to meet him!

Hermanamientos

In the last post, I shared the reflections of our amigos Cubanos that "our friendship has broken barriers." This is not just metaphoric. It is literal in the sense that very few Norte Américanos are able to travel to Cuba, and vice versa, because of the embargo and travel bans. So much political rhetoric surrounds the relationships between these two countries — which sit just 90 miles apart — and few of us are granted the opportunity to hear beyond the rhetoric, travel beyond the barriers, and see beyond the stereotypes to the people who are ... people. We were able to travel to Cuba on a religious visa, meaning we weren't supposed to be tourists, do any physical labor (such as building houses), evangelize beyond the church walls, nor bring anything back with us except for "information materials" (which, thankfully, include artwork). Most of these restrictions come from the U.S. and some come from Cuba.

While in Cuba, we learned what a crucial role partnerships between sister churches (hermanamientos) play in the relationships between Cubans and North Americans, and even between the countries themselves. These partnerships have opened up lines of communication and understanding, physical meetings, financial assistance, and mutual cultural and spiritual exchange that never would have been possible otherwise.

And in case you're wondering, yes — the Protestant Church is alive and well in Cuba! (When he asked what we had been doing in Cuba, the customs agent replied, "There are Presbyterian churches in Cuba?!" This has not been an uncommon reaction. Thankfully, he believed us. :) ) God has carried them through many difficult years, but they are thriving and growing and ministering to their communities in ways that teach us about the calling and great potential of the local church. Our sister church hosts such events as a movie night for teenagers from the community (and the church), where they watch films (not easily available in Cuba) and discuss the spiritual themes; a "Theological Café," where they serve coffee in their garden and bring in musicians, artists, and speakers (the space is always packed); fun Saturday morning activities for children that are specifically designed to teach certain values; much-appreciated English classes open to anyone and taught by highly-qualified church members; and much, much more.

(Picture above shows a rainbow over our sister church, La Iglesia Presbyteriana-Reformada de San Nicolas de Bari)

"Our friendship has broken barriers"

Two of my new friends beautifully summarized my experience in Cuba: On our first evening in San Nicholás de Bari, we were discussing the story of Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well, and Pastor Alison Infante (above left) reflected, "Discovering the Bible in community is a gift." Then, responding to an observation from one of our group about the story, Elder Mildred (above right) said, "Our friendship has broken barriers." I am grateful that my sense of Christian community has been extended beyond any potential barriers to include my brothers and sisters in Cuba, and I am grateful to them for welcoming me into their homes and hearts.