Conversaciones con un alumbre de la Universidad de Santa Maria

Yesterday morning I went up to CFCA to speak with Bob Hentzen, the president of CFCA. As it turns out, his alma mater is Saint Mary´s University and he was a Christian Brother for nearly twenty years. I guess Spring of 2005 he received an honorary doctorate on Founder´s Day but I was in Italy then. Our conversation we very enjoyable and I learned quite a bit.

Many of the concerns I shared about CFCA earlier on the blog I also presented to him. He did a great job of helping me sort them out. As it turns out, the philosophy of CFCA is something that I find very attractive. It is founded in the mutual respect and dignity of persons from different cultures. It is not a cash station and all the programs it offers are funded by the sponsors. It assists people in the forms of technical training, educational scholarship, farm and ag grants, sustainable income projects, etc. It is very focused on working with people and what they ask for/need as opposed to handing out a blank check.

CFCA finds it motivation in the tradition and core values of the Gospel call for the poor. Matthew 25 (Whatever you did for the least of these you did for me, etc.) has been popping up quite a bit lately for me (Farmer´s biography, CFCA, La Parroquia...) Bob is quite an amazing fella and he really put at ease many of the apprehensions I had about CFCA. I still don´t think it is perfect, but then again, what is? There still is a sticky situation in preparing people in cross-cultural experiences and learning how to be open, respectful, etc. I think it is something you learn best by doing, but only when you are in a different culture alone. It is hard to really be taken into a culture, to walk and talk with a people when you are with a structured group, tourist experience, and whatnot. Anthropological concerns aside though, Bob told me that about 85% of its money, which this year was close to $70-80 million dollars, goes directly into its programs with the people they work with. There are sponsors from 62 countries sponsor 310,000 children and elderly in 20 something countries all over the world (Much of Central/South America, parts of Africa, India, Phillipines). I would really like to recreate the conversation we shared but my brain is a bit fried today. It is quite warm and sunny in San Lucas and I didn´t sleep too well last night. Madre Junia (Sister June) said I probably had too much on my mind, but hey, when don´t I?

In terms of what is means to be sensitive to cross-cultural experiences, I think there are only two elements that are necessary, but quite difficult. Patience and Listening.

Padre Greg told a story the other day of one of his first experiences in the country. He had recently arrived and was standing outside the church when a fella known as Old Mox (sp?) asked him what he was doing in San Lucas. Greg replied that he was here to serve the people. Old Mox turned and walked away without a word. A few days later, the same episode occurred again. By the third time this had happened, Greg was beginning to wonder whey Old Mox, one of the cofradia - the respected and wise elders of the community, kept asking this. When Greg replied he thought he was here to serve the people, Old Mox replied that he believed him. He then told Greg that there are two things you need to know: "You must learn to be patient with yourself and learn to be patient with my people."

Sometime later, Old Mox sent one of his grandsons to fetch Greg. When Greg showed up, Old Mox was sitting on a stool chipping kernels of corn into a bucket. For a long time there was such a silence that Greg thought he was intruding. Just as he was about to leave, Old Mox spoke up:

"You´re my friend right," asked Old Mox.
"Of course I am."
"Then can I have $50?"
"$50?...well what for?"
"I am going to die soon and it is custom, that when one dies, the family offers some coffee and food and maybe some drink for the community. My family cannot afford it and I cannot borrow it, so can I have it?"
Greg began to begin a long tirade of medical care, a clinic, medicines. Old Mox just sat there quitely until Greg was finished as asked him again:
"You´re my friend right?"
"Sure I am"
"Then can I have $50?"

A bit later on, Old Mox´s grandson came for Greg, asking him to bring the sacrament of the sick for Old Mox. Greg obliged and when he entered, he saw Old Mox lying in bed with covers up to his neck.
He sat down and Old Mox asked him to give him the blessing for the dying. Greg again protested citing advanced healthcare, medicines, etc. When he had finished, Old Mox simply asked him again for the sacrament of the dying. Greg administerd it faithfully and when he was finished, Old Mox asked him if he could give him a blessing. Slowly, Old Mox raised his arm, put it on Greg´s head and said: "Father, help my friend to learn to be patient with himself and patient with my people." He lowered his arm and went back to rest. As Greg was walking home, Old Mox´s grandson caught up to him and said, "Padre, your friend Old Mox just died." Greg broke down into tears in the middle of the street.

I´m not sure if I shared this earlier or not, but I overheard maybe last week something wonderful: "We are here to learn and die." I think the story of Old Mox is a wonderful vignette of such an attitude. For it is through patience and learning, from both sides of different cultures, that we can become people of dignity and solidarity. Solidarity is an interesting word. It is tossed around quite a bit and its meaning, its true meaning is hard to pin down, let alone see it in action. I was recently made aware of an Asian liberation theologist, Aloysius Piciris, of whom I´ve not yet read. But what I´ve been told, is that his premise is that in solidarity, God is not demanding the rich to give up everything they have to walk with the poor. What solidarity demands is the rich to look at the poor with dignity and respect, as a people who are no less human only because of their living situations in poverty, a disease of society. It also demands the poor, in their exploited state, to not target the rich as someone to be taken advantage of and swindled, for when that happens, both individuals´ humanity are undermined.

This is, no doubt, a very difficult thing to achieve and something that must be kept in the forefront of one´s mind. CFCA is constantly struggling with how to be an organization of solidarity and respect and not just charity. Pope Benedict XVI´s first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, deals specifically with the responsibility one has to both Justice and Charity and where those two Gospel values meet. It is a very exicitng and passionate read as well as a good insight in the mind of the Pope. I recommend it although the beginning part can be a bit tiresome. Also, the Houston Catholic Worker, Casa Juan Diego, featured much on it in their latest newsletter, so try and get your hands on that if you can.

www.cfcausa.org