¡Presente!
I first learned this word in seminary. I had the good fortune to be
taught about South American Base Camp communities that practiced a new
theology, Liberation theology. These base camps would recognize their own
self-worth and dignity as God’s beloved and join together to resist the forces
that oppressed them and kept them under-served and under- privileged – I also
call these groups the Left-out and left-down.
This movement got recognition in the sixties and seventies when it
became clear that the powers of oppression were being challenged. What also
happened was the leaders of these groups were starting to disappear.
Governments, international trade magnates, drug cartels, war lords; there are
gads of powers that would want leaders like this to disappear. But the movement
refused to be defeated. When leaders would gather, they would call the names of
those present and the response was a loud and proud, “¡Presente!”.
As you can imagine, it would be heartbreaking to know that your friend,
colleague, and partner in struggling for liberation – in essence a sibling in
spirit – would be not answering the call this time because the powers of
oppression are causing leaders to disappear. So, a tradition was born – the
names of those not present were also called and someone who knew and loved this
leader would shout even louder “¡Presente!” Aren’t there leaders among us, both
disappeared and embodied? Are any among us “¡Presente!”?
Greg Rienzo has forgotten more about
this movement than I will ever know. Mr. Rienzo is a former Mercedian and was
present at the birth of the liberation movement. He worked alongside small
groups that show amazing power; in fact, the power to change the world. I get
goose bumps just thinking of the names that must have been called in Mr. Rienzo’s
times of world changing struggle. Who did he work with in Peru? Who did he work
with in Nicaragua? Who did God use to make a difference, a strong difference, a
difference that caused the powers of oppression to quake with fear and
retaliate?
It turns out that one of the names
Greg Rienzo would shout is a name from our own church, Betty Stewart. I wonder
if we are all aware of the power that Betty showed us – it was the power of
small groups of thoughtful concerned people – it was the power to change the
world. In the late eighties a small group of people gathered; Greg Rienzo,
Betty Stewart, Dave Hetland and I’m sure a few others. They thought that the
Sister City movement would be a good way to enrich the lives of people both in
the community of Merced and a Community in South America. I wonder if they
really knew the power of which they spoke. How could they? This power is
changing lives, changing the world, and changing the knowable face of God among
us.
It was 1988 when the sister cities
became yoked together for the first time. Somoto, Nicaragua is a rural,
agricultural city with a little over 40,000 people enjoying rich culture,
sharing profound spirituality, and struggling to make its way in a harsh world.
The great thing is that we could use those same words to describe Merced in
1988. Over the last twenty-five years, we have been blessed to experience the
jewels of Somoto; the local art, the traditional dances, the faith in a
liberating God. Merced has brought the art of puppeteering, scholarships to
college students, supported a senior center, and demonstrated the love of a
sibling or more powerfully the love of a “sibling-by-choice”.
In October of 2007, Betty Stewart
died – such a loss, we all felt it. The United Methodist Church of Merced lost
an inspirational lay leader. The community of Merced lost a powerful voice in
the city council meetings. The Sister City Organization lost a passionate board
member. El Ciudad de Somoto lost Une Hermana. Was this a leader disappearing?
It wasn’t a malicious presence that took this leader from us, but what is it
that causes the next leader to duck in the echoing presence of a call?
On Saturday, October 12th
Mr. Greg Rienzo, at 84 years old, will take flight again. It is the 25th
anniversary of the sister city union that our communities have joined. A small
contingent will be in tow, Betty’s daughter, Judy, Elwin and Genie Floyd, and a
few others. You may already have made some contributions to the extra luggage
that the Floyds are bringing as gifts to those in Somoto. When they are in Somoto,
they are bound to meet the Vice Mayor Mauricio Cujina, who was college educated
as a result of sister city scholarships. They are likely to meet thousands of
children that owned their first pencil through a channel of love that spanned
hemispheres. They will problem never tire of hearing people tell them about the
puppet show that made them laugh and cry as a child. I’ll bet they will even
have time to visit the senior center and the permanent monument to Betty
Stewart in the city park. They may even have a chance to visit the clinic that
was built by Dr. Dennis Cesar and the organization “Hearts Afire” that sprouted
in Merced after a previous sister city trip. In short, I think Elwin and Genie
will see a new face of God on this trip. It is the world changing, relational
God that calls us to put it all on the line and work side by side for
liberation. It is the God of purpose and power that enriches lives on opposite
sides of the world by binding them together with love.
Maybe someone will call out the name
Senora Betty Stewart. Maybe someone will shout the word “¡Presente!”
I hope so! Because “¡Presente!”,does
not just honor the life of the leader that disappeared. “¡Presente!” does not
just let the ache of our longing hearts have voice when we remember how much we
miss this leader. “¡Presente!” acknowledges the power that created that leader
in the first place and “¡Presente!” declares proudly the leadership that has
disappeared has not in fact died. Instead someone else stands ¡Presente! In the
name of the saints that have gone before us.
Who will shout? God
is still at work…
These are
the words of anthropologist, Margaret Mead “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has"
pg
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