Dear Boo and Bubble,
Today is a snowy day in Sugar Mountain and I’ve been
spending some time looking through pictures that Captain took way back in 2007
(before either of you were born) when we, your mom, dad, Aunt Bee and her good
friend Emily spent an entire week in Antigua, Guatemala at Easter time. In
countries of Spanish origin, this is called Semana
Santa (Holy Week) and, for those who witness it, the solemnity of the spectacle
cannot be overstated. (I have written before to you—April 14, 2017 in a post
entitled “Good Friday”—about the service we accidentally stumbled upon in one
of the many cathedrals in Antigua.) Tomorrow will be Shrove Tuesday, the day of
celebration and feasting before Ash Wednesday which, in many Christian
denominations, ushers in the season of lent…a period of individual sacrifice
maintained until Easter Sunday. Perhaps the spiritual cosmos directed me towards
this project at this moment!
Quite unexpectedly, my reaction to seeing all the
incredible images your grandfather captured during that time hasn’t been one of
reminiscence and joy. Instead, I am overcome with a feeling of great frustration
and exasperation because of the present political climate and lump-sum comments
being made regarding the people of Central America. Normally, I don’t hit
political nails directly on the head…understanding that beliefs and perspectives
are informed by personal experiences. In this case, however, I feel compelled
to do so, lest the nail bend and skew to a point of being ineffective.
“They’re bringing drugs and crime…they are rapists.” “They are animals.” “Zombies.”
I have no idea if the person who uttered these paint-all-with-one-brush
descriptors has ever visited Guatemala and walked the streets of its many
villages. My speculation is…obviously not. If so, he might have come to
understand that most Guatemalans are NOT those things. They are hard-working,
family-oriented, deeply-religious people…oh…and not some off-the-wall religion
like…um…Islam or Buddhism…no…they are deeply-religious Christians. The people
that we met during our time in the country are the polar-opposite of the nouns
and adjectives so profusely spouted about them in order to make others be
suspicious for political purposes.
I do acknowledge that there are drug lords in
Guatemala and other countries of Central and North America. But these horrific
people are made so by the demand for drugs from the people in the United States.
They have no need to march on foot towards our border…they are rich beyond
belief because of our insatiable desire for drugs. They don’t need to sneak the
drugs across our border in obscure places…no…they just drive, fly or transport
them by water. The poor people who are making their way to safety in the hopes
of a better life are not the drug lords or their thugs. Let’s get that
understood.
If I could wish one thing, it would be that everyone
who harbors the feelings of distrust and suspicion towards our Central American
neighbors should be required to attend Semana
Santa in Antigua for themselves. And while there, ask: “Have I
ever personally helped to lift a 10,000-pound alfombra carrying my Lord and savior
Jesus Christ as it made its way through the streets of a city…covered in
carpets, both elaborate and simple…that people made out of love and devotion?”
“Have
I ever lifted the cross of the crucified Christ as the bells tolled Noon on
Good Friday…as devoted worshipers brought their children and grandchildren to
see it?”
“Do I celebrate family and pass along traditions so that generations
living long after I’m gone will know what matters most to me?”
I’m going to stop talking now and let some of Captain’s pictures take over explaining my feelings further for me. After all, "a picture is worth a thousand words." I hope that anyone looking at them will ask themselves: “Do I
see rapists, thugs, animals and zombies here?” If they are honest, I believe the overwhelming answer will be “No!”
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