For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
Ephesians 2:14-16, NIV
As I write tonight, I have two images to think about. The first image is that of the place we worshipped this morning. It was a lively service, and we felt genuinely greeted, but that is not what struck me. What impacted me was that this place of worship was not more than 500 feet south of the US Mexican border. The church is on Brasil Street. One street north of that is Argentina Street, then Colon, and then Anza Street, Calexico, California. Except that between Colon and Anza Street, there is this fence. This fence of vertical iron panels that must stretch 12 or more feet in the air, extending for miles in either direction, is the physical boundary separating the U.S. from Mexico. Though we were less than 500 feet from the border, in many respects we could have been 500 miles from it. It simply strikes me as very odd the difference this fence makes.
As I was crossing the border one evening, sitting in line (in this case for more than an hour) on Calle Colon, I saw two teenagers come up to that fence. As quickly as acrobats, one of the boys was on the other's shoulders, and shimmied up the rest of the fence, went up and over, scooted down the other side, and into the darkness of a California night. I know crossing the border is dangerous business. I hope for the day that economic justice in Mexico is such that there is sufficient opportunity for a good life in Mexico. But in my heart, I hope that boy finds his dreams in the United States.
The other image I think of is the Winter Olympic Games closing ceremony. Whether one cares for the music or the black light paint on the ice, it is undeniable the celebration that took place. There is just something good and wholesome about people coming together and learning about one another. The sense of freedom that happens as barriers come down is striking.
Can you see the clash of images I am wrestling with? Part of me doesn't know what to make of this. Part of me wrestles with my national identity as a United States Citizen, both at being disturbed by the wall, and also celebrating the wonderful interchange that is the Olympics. And part of me wrestles with this in light of the Kingdom of God that we pray would come every time we pray the Lord's Prayer. As I see the Kingdom, I think of a great multitude of people coming together in celebration of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I see people who are in many ways very different from one another, but affirming that they are one people in Christ. I see a willing interchange of ideas, where people don't surrender their identity, but in love for Christ desire to love one another in a way that overcomes barriers.
Part of my questioning is dealing with the now and the not yet. How can we, can I, as a Christian from the U.S. share with my brothers and sisters in Christ in Mexico. What should be the thrust of our striving? What barriers there are I am only beginning to find out, though thanks to the very warm welcome we have received, I can say that there is much we have in common. Your prayers are coveted as we seek to be relevant to our situation, and follow what God has for us.
On a less theological note, we are getting well adjusted to life here. We arrived in early January, Mercy and Aida and Josh by plane, and Rich and I, along with some very helpful family and friends, made the journey from South Berwick, Maine to El Centro, CA in a very underpowered Ryder truck. Aida and Richie are doing very well in school. Mercy and I are teaching a course apiece at the seminary in Mexicali. (I think it's a hoot that I am teaching at a seminary at all, much more so because, por supuesto, all of the instruction is in Spanish.) We are attending worship at a different church each Sunday, though for the sake of the kids, we also worship occasionally in English at the First Baptist Church of Brawley, CA. Mercy and I and the convention feel it very necessary to get to know the people with whom we work before beginning the teambuilding for new church starts. I am also on the road quite a bit meeting with various leaders of the convention.
I heard that the wind chill is below zero in places today, so I won't mention too much that we actually had to turn on the Central Air today (we hit about 85 degrees). In Costa Rica, we learned that there are many, many shades of green. Here in the desert, we are learning that there are an equal number of shades of brown! It is fascinating, though, because there is much agriculture here, due to canals and irrigation. It is very easy to see where the reach of the canals ends, as there is instantly an end of the green of a farm field and the beginning of desert brown. For recreation for Josh and myself we bike to the Naval Air Facility El Centro is the winter home of the US Navy Blue Angels, it is about 13 miles round trip, a good bike ride.
Well, there is so much to say, but I simply hope to share with you regularly, to keep you up to date, and to let you know areas for prayer concern, and areas of celebration.
Thank you for your care, so we may serve our Lord.In Christ's Love
Rick, Mercy, Aida, Richie, and Joshua.