February 17, 2006

A bus ride to God

Riding the bus in Guatemala City can be an adventure: rude drivers, billows of black smoke, and frequent crime do not make for a relaxing ride. We often see bus drivers racing each other in dense traffic, fists raised and curses flying, in search of their next passengers.

Mari and Benji were surprised yesterday when a young man, perhaps 30, stood up in the bus they were riding and started preaching: “The Lord has laid it on my heart to pray for you today. Does anyone here need special prayer?”

After a long pause, one man, also young, raised his hand.

The preacher began to pray. One passenger removed his hat in a sign of respect. The preacher prayed for the unspoken needs of the man who raised his hand. He prayed for peace and for an end to violence. He invited all those who had not raised their hands silently to bring their own needs before God. To close, the preacher gave a blessing and sat down.

As the preacher prayed, Mari and Benji heard that someone was singing a hymn, but in the noisy bus they couldn’t place where the sound was coming from. As they neared their stop, they moved toward the front door, only to discover that the singer was the bus driver! “Thank you,” they said. “You’re welcome!” responded the driver, “May you go well!”

Such is life in Guatemala City: Who would have thought that this dirty, noisy, violent place could become a portal to the Sacred? But it can, it does, every day.

People in Guatemala are deeply and explicitly religious: many still begin their day with a prayer for safety; many still cross themselves every time they go past a Catholic church. Anytime you go out to breakfast you will find sections of the restaurant filled with earnest and energetic believers at prayer.

The front doors of the megachurches (one offers theatre seating for 14,000) are filled with people seeking blessing, pardon, and hope, while the traditional churches, both Catholic and Protestant, are losing members by the thousands. Yet the back doors of the megachurches are also crowded, filled with broken people who have been used and abused by high-energy charlatans. Many of them abandon religious institutions, but they do not cease their search for the Divine Presence.

At the Central American Evangelical Center for Pastoral Studies (Cedepca) we provide church leaders, women and men, with a safe space for serious reflection so they can discern where and how God is present among us: preachers on the bus, high-energy religious spectacles, the broken and the broken-hearted. Where and how is God calling us to be faithful today?

Itineration time this fall

We’ll be in the United States this fall to visit churches. Our schedule is filling up quickly, but we’ve love to visit you too! Please let us know if you’d like to schedule a visit: daspascom [at] netzero.com.

Under the Mercy,

Dennis and Maribel Smith

The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 64