Healthy Development?

Greetings and peace to all of you: family, friends, supporters and other interested persons!! 

From a somewhat foggy, rainy day at Machu Picchu,
pictured with Grace Iverson, Jannaya and Graham Jensen.

Remains of a building being destroyed
in the name of development, Ollantaytambo

A recent trip to the Cusco, the Sacred Valley, and Machu Picchu recently inspired some thought around globalization and whether all development is healthy development. Take, for example, this home next to the river in Ollantaytambo. It is being demolished to make room for an expanding tourist hostel. The growth of the tourist industry in this part of the world has allowed for expansion of highways, the development of restaurants, hostels, and hotels throughout the Sacred Valley. Employment is stable in transportation and service industries as well as the local artesan markets in many of the small pueblos in the area. 

My curiosity around all of this development caused me to talk with several of our drivers, guides, waiters and tour operators during our various travels. As we sat drinking our coffee one day, our waiter told us that around 80 tourist buses visit their location, Inca ruins in Ollantaytambo, every day, driving on the old cobblestone roads. In Pisac, the number of tourists has even converted the Plaza Principal (the main centrer of town) into a market of artisan goods. We can all agree that steady employment is a good thing, however are farmers and musicians,  tradespeople and laborers people becoming slaves to the tourist industry? Is this the type of work they would like to do, what does all of this traffic and all of these tourists mean to the infrastructures of water, highways, sewage and waste, not to mention the overpopulation of heritage sites?

                                                                                                                                                                            

The Plaza Principal in Pisac, now an
artisan market

How do we as Christians respond even as we are tourists in another culture? What kind of development is healthy development, for the local people, for the economy, for the environment, etc...?

Good questions, and I hope and pray we can be faithful in our awareness of those around us, of their lives and realities, of the effects our presence has on the environment, of livelihoods, of development. I hope and pray we can continue to be aware of the "sacred" in our midst, even as we are tourist to another country and culture. Because no matter where we are, I believe God calls us to care for our environment and our planet so that we can all live with dignity, with clean water and air, with sufficient food and enough work and resources on which to live. Our God calls us to awareness, to speak for justice and equality, to protect and speak on behalf of the voiceless whose livelihood depends on land and water systems that are healthy, to speak against those empires and corrupted powers who value money over people, trade over land, economy over justice. Whether in our own communities and cities, or whether as tourists, let us be aware.

The Sacred Valley is, indeed, a sacred place yet it continues to grow and develop, catering to the growing tourist trade. May God continue to empower us to protect the sacred places such as these that exist in our countries and in our communities, as well as those whose leaders seem to pay little attention to environmental impact, be it mining development or tourist development.

Left: the Colca Valley, beautiful during its rainy season....










Prayer:

O God of Abundant life, give us the strength, courage and wisdom to speak out against development that is harmful to the environment and those who inhabit it.The challenges are great but we know that you, O Lord, are faithful. Inspire and move us to greater awareness, to increased advocacy, and to a deeper commitment for justice. May your Holy Spirit so inspire us so that all may live in the abundance and grace that you provide to all your people. Amen. 

With Epiphany grace, enlightenment, and peace,
Pastora Fran.

Temblors for Navidad?

First written December 19th....

Greetings, peace, and joy to each of you; family, friends, supporters and followers!!

For the last two weeks, preparations for Christmas have been well underway. The streets are congested with people, old and young, and traffic has been crazier than normal as Peruvians spend their double salary for Navidad celebrations. Yes, Peruvians receive a double salary twice a year to help pay for added expenses during Independence Days (July 28 &29) as well as Christmas. This means all the shopping is done in the same month, generally speaking. Peruvians are busy shopping and stocking their shelves for family meals of pavo (turkey), paneton (Christmas fruit bread) and chocolate caliente (hot chocolate) among the other myriad of wonderful foods!! In addition to family gift-giving, gifts are purchased for those who provide services throughout the year, housekeepers, hairdressers, mechanics, gardeners. These are the canastas, gift baskets, filled with everything needed to have a traditional Peruvian family Christmas. For members of the churches we serve, both congregations are busy purchasing items to provide a mini-fiesta and we are packing gifts for the children provided by Caristas, an NGO (non-governmental organization) of LWR (Lutheran World Relief, USA). It is a busy time for everyone, filled with anticipation for what will be shared and for days off of work when families can be together.

In the midst of this anticipation and busy-ness, was a 4.8 tremor last night...

Suddenly, abruptly interrupted, perhaps we were awakened to the reality of our planet, suffering its anxieties and labor pains of contamination, exploitation, and climate change. The temblor (tremor) was strong, lasting a minute long. No damages were reported, Thanks be to God!, but it did wake me up to reconsider what is important in this life and what ought to be our focus during this Advent and Christmas: the coming Christ-child who will bring peace and justice. Maybe this temblor during Navidad can remind us that Christmas is not about the gifts, perhaps its not even about being with loved ones. In a very counter-cultural perspective, perhaps during Advent and Christmas we could focus less on our celebrations and more on Christ. If we can focus less on ourselves and more on God and God's love coming into the world, in human form, the incarnation of Jesus, then perhaps this sacred time of the year can really be about Christ.

This is the temblor the world needs! This is the temblor that God's word ought to invoke within us. This is the temblor, the shock, the jolt that Christ's birth brings into the world, waking us from the routine of our lives, from the acceptance and complacence of the injustices and inequalities that happen every day in order that we can wake up to the realities and begin to change our ways, our perspectives, our lives.

Let it be a temblor this year that shakes us to the core and wakens us to action in Christ's name!

With peace and joy to you this Christmas Season!

Pastora Fran