Leopards & Lions in the Masai Community

After a discussion earlier today, in which I shared my interpretation of a leopard to Professor Pfordresher he realized that I had constructed an interesting antithesis. Now I also realize that both creatures are majestic and are almost mirror images of human nature. In the book Rediscovering Christianity, the Masai Tribe of Tanzania believe the Lion is God. People have inherent characteristics that make them good, however is it the desires of a person that determine whether a person will exercise gluttony, lust or restraint. The leopard can kill just for the sake of killing. Same can be said of a person. Sometimes there is not a really explanation or a logical one for why a person acts a certain way or commits certain acts, other than the person takes great pleasure from it. The Leopard that attacked and plagued the Masai Tribe did not have the necessity to feed every night, but the thrill of the hunt and chase of the herds facilitated its desire for the lustful sinning. Same can be said of many human activities. 

A person can be just like the Lion: bold, shows restraint and regal in the way they carry themselves. I believe that every person has a bit of the Lion and the Leopard in them, essentially it all depends on said person to choose which one to encompass. However, I also believe that a person can have a bit of the leopard in them while maintaining a consistent foundation that IS the lion. And of course, vice versa. 

As I write this, I'm not quite sure what my ultimate purpose is in writing this blog, other than the animals in our world remind me our human traits and our essential primitive beings. Something that we often forget we are. We are all animals with certain innate characteristics that cause us to act in certain ways, regardless if we truly desire to do them or not. Of course, every human being can rationalize and determine for himself or herself what to do. What is morally correct and what is not. The fact that human beings have the capacity to rationalize separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom and places us higher in the animal kingdom. 

Rediscovering Christianity

The previous week in my theology course "Catholic Imagination" we read the book Rediscovering Christianity by Father Donovan. In this book, Father Donovan delves into the problematic process of evangelizing and converting a pagan culture to Christianity. In this book, I saw many resemblances to my own cultural background: the indigenous communities of the Americas. By Americas I mean, the countries from the Mexico-US border down south to the Southern Cone. I began to realize the difficulties in absorbing the other culture that one is not familiar with. To begin with it is difficult to understand an unknown culture, even more so if you are the person trying to convince them to leave their "pagan" ways and convert to Christianity. It also made me realize how the Gospel is not just simply a written text to be understood as a written work, but rather as an ever changing, evolving and fluid part of our oral traditions. The fact that the Gospel can be molded to every culture in our world is an amazing feat. God truly did create the Gospels to be for everyone.

I am not saying that missionaries who set off to evangelize peoples of pagan traditions is correct, although I believe its a beneficial mission for the  missionaries themselves. It truly allows for them to understand and "realize" what the Gospel truly means and how it will be disseminated. Evangelization has been a very polemic topic across the ages for many. Especially during the every colonization periods where the conquistadores from Europe forcefully converted the indigenous peoples of the Americas. However, as time has gone by the message of the Gospels has permeated more to the missionaries themselves than the converts themselves. It is also important to remember that evangelization is only effective when it occurs as a community, because the indigenous communities of the world act communally and not individually the way the Western world does. Everyone in the community is individual and unique yet at the same time they all serve a function, a purpose in their community. For example, our laptops work in great sync with its hardware and software. Take away the keyboard and your laptop ceases to function correctly and it becomes harder to use it fully and its extent. 

This is what, Father Donovan learned, well one of the many things he learned through his missionary work with the Masai Tribe in Tanzania. Community is essential to the evangelization process and it works when everyone works together. This is where the missionaries in the late 1700s in the Americas failed. They believed that by evangelizing a single person they were doing great things, however they were failing rather than succeeding. A single person cannot practice the Gospel effectively because a congregation is needed to incorporate all aspects of the Gospel. 

The two key things to the Gospel I believe after reading the book are: importance of community and the adaptability and elasticity that the Gospels have make them ever lasting and truly God's word.

"Taken"

The other day my sister happened to call me and to asked me if I had seen the film Taken. I replied no, then inquired what it was about. A brief synopsis is a pair of girls go to Paris on a trip and are kidnapped, forced in the sex slave trade. My sister then expressed that she was very concerned for my safety while I was abroad in Spain. I spent September 2007 to June 2008 living, studying, working and traveling. I lived in Salamanca, Spain, on school holidays I would often go out of the country and visit the usual: Paris, London, Rome, etc and the not so common: Stockholm, Budapest, Geneve, etc. The only person who really knew my whereabouts as I traveled was my sister. She knew where I was staying, my flight information, what my plan was for the day, etc. I also made sure to call and email every day, especially at night, to let her know I got in okay. 

I mean it came across my mind a few times the danger that a lone woman traveling in Europe could mean. I really did try to be as 'native' as possible, so no one could tell I was a foreigner. I believe it worked pretty well. When I was in Berlin, Budapest and Paris many people thought I was a native and would come up to me asking me information regarding a train or another issue. I would always shake my head and reply, "No, I'm sorry, I don't speak (insert language here)." More than often they would reply back in English, "Oh, you looked like you knew very well what you were doing." SUCCESS! That was my goal while I lived in Europe: to be like a native. 

Now as I reflect on my experiences I realized the amount of danger I had put myself in. I also felt like my mother had prepared enough as I was growing up to know how to identify potentially dangerous situations and how to be discreet in removing myself from harm. For example, when I was in Paris, just outside the Louvre a man approached me and began speaking to me in French. After I said, "Je ne parle pas françis." He began to introduce himself and ask me out to dinner. The first thought in my head was, "Oh no.....I need to get out of this, fast!" So I politely declined and said I had to meet some friends inside, so I walked back into the Louvre. I figured if anything happened I could always scream "HELP!" and I would be helped by someone. After a few minutes, I proceeded to get on the metro and head back to my hostel. 

As I backpacked and traveled in Europe I never really considered that this could be in fact dangerous or that I was a woman traveling by myself. A few weeks ago I had an amazing conversation with Professor Pfordersher, my theology professor, and he said I was "a very strong woman." I had never really thought of myself as being a "strong woman." I always thought I did what I felt was correct and would be best for me. Maybe backpacking solo, despite its flaws, was the best thing I could have done for myself in Europe. It thought me to be truly independent, how to plan, how to strategize, hone on my "street smart" skills and apply the advice my mom had always given me. It also made me realize just how important everything my mother had told was. 

**A bit off topic, but this made me "realize" what we have been learning in my theology course. I just built a "bridge" of true understanding and knowledge to the advice my mother had given me. I never really "understood" its full meaning as it was just being taken in my conscious, but it wasn't until I traveled and was left to my own device that it all made sense.**

Point of blog: I managed to make it back into the US safe and sound with no missing body parts and no traumatic experience. Also, I had an experience of a lifetime!

Catholic Imagination

I imagine Him as being an athletic man, with strong facial features, hair color similar to mine and a powerful body. I imagine Him as physically representing all the wrath that He will bring upon me if  I do not obey the Bible. I imagine Jesus as a Mexican, as a Hispanic, as a Latino. Of course, all of this is predetermined by the social factors that I interact with every day and past experiences.

So then, what is the danger/merit of my imagination regarding Jesus?

Lost myself?

I have always known that the person you go into college is not the same one that will walk out at the end. Yet now as I near the end, I feel myself no where near where I once started. I feel like I lost part of myself by coming out to Georgetown. I wonder where I left behind my punk music and all the things that I used to love doing? I know that I am maturing and changing, but sometimes I wonder if this change is even good change?! Maybe all I want is just to be able to go to a show in Hollywood, go into that pit and not worry about anything else. The last time I even had a blast at a show as in Madrid when I saw Bad Religion. I feel like I have lost myself. The other day I finally bought a pair of Chucks.....I can't remember the last time I bought a pair of Chucks?! Or even wore Vans....I definitely traded my comfy old Vans for sometimes an uncomfy pair of flats or heels. Yes, i do enjoy wearing flats and heels, I just don't know how I got to the point where I no longer thought of punk music. Now I find myself thinking about the current music trends, which by the way aren't that great....yet I still love them. Maybe if I go back home to LA all will go back to the way it was. Or maybe some of it will at least. 

Lately I just haven't been feeling like myself. Its frustrating and making me upset.

Life after college

I think I'm not going to TFA, but instead get my MA in Curriculum and Urban Teaching. After reading Dr. Porterfield's binder filled with personal accounts of past TFA teachers it has really opened my eyes up. So I am applying for CSULA's MA for Fall of 2009. And I gotta take the GREs and the CBEST. So I gotta get cracking on those two exams!

More to come...

Little party, big SURPRISE!

Last night I spoke with my older brother. My nephew was born almost a month ago. My mother has been wanting to have a "Welcome home baby" party. Since I am going home for a few days in March my brother thought it would be a good idea to also do the party then. So he is in charge of somehow convincing my mother to wait until then to have the party. What a surprise my parents and younger siblings will get. Only my older siblings and my besties know that I will be going home for break. :) So my mother will think that she is having a small get together for the family, but in reality she' going to get an even bigger treat. I can't wait to go home. My brother said he is also going to get a few days off that weekend so that we can hang out and stuff. I really can't remember the last time I spent good, quality time with my older brother. This in reality translates to spending ridiculous amounts of time in West Hollywood or WestHo as I have claimed it. :) And I get to buy more records!!! Woot! And eat Cantor's! Babysit Benji! Eat mami's food! and more than likely gain a few pounds. 

:)

I'm going back to Cali, Cali....