Reflection :: May 16
Associate Rector, The Rev. Jeff Bower shares the following reflection:
It was Sir Isaac Newton who said, “We build too many walls and not enough bridges.” It is a quote that resonates with me as I consider the climate of our American landscape, socially, politically, geographically and practically. Erecting walls is what we do as a people. Walls define spaces. Walls are used as barriers to protect, to hold on to, to keep in place and to secure. They keep in the things that are important to us and they keep out the things that we find objectionable. In and of themselves, they are not bad, but depending on their use, they can ostracize, discriminate, objectify and nullify others. We need only look to our southern border to see the travesty of walls that get in the way of our humanity and who God has created and called us to be, people of the resurrection, people of love and people of relationships that are life-giving and sustained over time.
Puentes is a Spanish word that means bridges. Just as I resonate with Sir Isaac Newton’s statement above, I am deeply drawn to the notion of bridges as an alternative to the finality of walls and as a way forward in considering what God might be asking of us, as we continue building bridges with our Latino neighbors in the days ahead. I will even go so far as to suggest that Puentes be a name that we begin to associate with our Latino ministry initiatives, both internally and externally.
Why Puentes?
God calls us into relationships that are open, inclusive, generous, and welcoming, rooted in love for the purpose of transforming our world. We can’t do this work if we are held-up and walled-in, simply engaging in ways that are transactional and not relational. Puentes fosters an environment where bridges can be established and maintained, honoring the cultures, traditions and language of the Latino community, while exchanging our own cultural nuances. Building Puentes rooted in Christ’s love requires us to work with others, not simply to do for them.
In late fall of 2022, when I mentioned to Bishop Jennifer an interest in moving forward with a Latino ministry initiative, she cautioned me to take time and to make sure that we were doing thoughtful work internally, availing our own members opportunities to learn and be immersed in the Latino culture. This past program year has been about that, having provided several community forums and offerings of Spanish classes for nearly 40 people. We will continue these and expand to offer more opportunities in the new year.
In addition, the Puentes Youth Leadership Pilot Program was birthed in January, with 32 bilingual high school youth from eight high schools participating, learning leadership skills specific to the Latino community as they seek to advocate for the preservation of the Spanish language, culture and traditions of the Latino community. We will celebrate the conclusion of the pilot program this Sunday, May 19. A year-long program is being designed to begin in the fall of 2024. Forthcoming, there will be many opportunities for members of our congregation to be involved both as participants and as volunteers as we explore what God might be requiring of us, as we dismantle walls that separate and divide us, and reach within and without to explore the myriad of possibilities for providing new puentes in our future relationships with our Latino neighbors.
May we never forget the prophetic words of Rumi who said, “Love is the bridge between you and everything.” Bridges rooted in love…Christ’s love…are bridges that will sustain the test of time…a legacy worth leaving.
Bendiciones y paz, Jeff+
