Just Mercy

I'm reading Bryan Stevenson's 2015 book Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption. It's a page turner about the dramatic rise of incarceration in the US, but addresses a much broader question of a society's character and spirit. 

One quote stands out: "The opposite of poverty is not wealth; the opposite of poverty is justice."

You can imagine why that thought resonates after spending nearly two weeks with the desperately poor in Guatemala. They are the victims of 450 years of oppressive and corrupt governments that have intentionally left them hopeless. They are the forgotten, left behind by a ruling class and church system that is more interested in maintaining power than in securing justice for all. There's no doubt that a collective concern for justice in Guatemala would bring scores of people out of extreme poverty, giving kids like these a chance to dream and hope and, well, "take hold of a life that really is life" (1 Timothy 6:19).

Walter at Escuela Integrada

A biblical understanding of justice has nothing to do with jurisprudence or fairness; instead it sees "the other" as our brother.  Justice is impartial and seeks the good in and for all. It flows from the heart of God stretching to every corner of the earth. A society's true character, therefore, is judged not with how we treat our friends, but how we treat the poor and the marginalized ...

... like Walter, a very bright 13 year old boy who leaves Escuela Integrada every day to shine shoes in the park. He does the same thing every Saturday and Sunday, 8-5, stopping on the way home to buy food with the money he's earned, food to make the family's evening meal. He's done the same thing every day since he was 5 years old. 

Walter doesn't need our handouts. Walter needs/deserves a system that cares about justice and mercy for all. We all do. 

Adios, amigos. 

Pastor Rhodes

Hola from Guatemala

Hola from Guatemala! I'm on the first of two weeks in Antigua, Guatemala, alongside high school youth from St. John's. For ten years our church has been yoked with the Escuela Integrada school for children living in extreme poverty. It's been a beautiful partnership ... and what an amazing experience this trip has already been. 

One snapshot from yesterday captures our week beautifully. In the morning our students were yoked with the 7th grade class for an art project and visit to the neighboring nursing home. The language challenges and nerves led to some awkward exchanges ... until a very special moment when they got it: playing Bingo. Up until then our kids had been giving -- painting the school, filling food bags, being the "American mission trippers." In Bingo, each of our students was paired with a Guatemalan student and an elderly resident. Suddenly our students had little to give, relying entirely on their Guatemalan partner to communicate/compete/play the game. After it was over the students began creating their own games, laughing, joking, hugging. It was as though they suddenly realized that, wow, we really are brothers and sisters on this earth. The language barrier no longer mattered. The color of skin and vast cultural differences no longer stood as a barrier. They were family. 

On the mile walk back to the school the students -- Guatemalan and American -- kept laughing and joking and playing. Two even held hands, a friendship secured. 

That's what this trip is all about. We're not building churches or schools or medical clinics. We're building relationships. And that's the best building project of all. 

Thank you for your prayers. Adios, Amigos.

Pastor Rhodes

PS There are several ways to follow us these next two weeks. We'll add a blogpost/story each day to the church blog, accessed via our website. View tons of pictures via our church Facebook page. And read a special interest story about our students each day on the school website, www.wearegraces.org. Click "blog."  Thanks for joining our journey!