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“In the name of…”

March 4, 2009 | posted by Jon under lent, mexico, updates

As a quick orientation to time and space, Lars and I now find ourselves in Mexico City, MX, where we have been staying since this past Saturday.  We are being hosted by two Mennonite Church communities nestled in the sprawling complex of buildings and traffic that calls itself Mexico City.  Our first stay was coordinated by Ofelia Garcia, a pastor and coordinator of all things Mennonite here in Mexico City.  We stayed with families associated with Pueblo en Transformacion, a Mennonite church she pastored until recently, when her son and another young man took over the pastoral roles. 

We were fortunate enough to be able to worship with this community of 40 on Sunday; attending a bible study, worship service, and then a potluck complete with a birthday cake for Lars.  On Monday we left for another church community, and were met by the pastor of Iglesia Christiana de Paz (an interesting group of church communities affiliated with the Mennonite Church both in the US and in Mexico), Mario Lopez, and his family, whom we have been staying with since Monday evening.  

Since arriving on Saturday afternoon, our time in Mexico has given us much to think about.  First, the city itself.  Mexico City is huge, a whirlwind of people, cultures, traditions, traffic, smog, and buildings, all constantly mixing in what seems like a large vat rimmed by mountain ridges.  Built on top of what was Tenotichtlan, an Aztec metropolis, one could say that the terrain Mexico City was built on ground that has almost always been populated, and unfortunately, contested. 

No one tells the story of this transition from indiginous prosperity to Spanish dominance better than Diego Rivera in his murals on the walls of Palacio Nacional in downtown Mexico City.  Rivera depicts the Spanish Conquistadors as deformed, almost demon-like suppressors of Aztec prominence, and it is hard not to agree with him when viewing his murals.  Most poignant was Rivera’s usage of the cross in his murals…especially in scenes of conquistadors branding and baptizing Aztecs under said symbol.

These images caused me to stop and think about Christianity today (NOT the magazine).  Sure the times, cultures, and religions are different today, but are the worldwide perceptions of Christianity really that much better?  Aren’t there still things being done currently in the name of Christianity in the broadest sense that we are ashamed of (think Iraq war…)?  How can we, as Christians, work to change such perceptions? 

I don’t mean to be critical or the writer of Doomsday Daily, but I do think it is important to think about how the larger world views the way we do things, especially when it is “in the name of something.”  I think we need to be careful when charging forward “in the name of”…be it Christianity, Progress, or even the Common Good. 

The small Spanish outpost that once stood atop a smoldering Tenotichtlan has grown into one of the largest cities in the world, with little room to expand, originally in the name of God, Gold, and Glory.  What is the future of Mexico City?  Is growth and expansion always best?  Is it the way we are taught or meant to live?  What would Christ have to say to the Aztecs? The Spanish Conquistadors?  To us today?  All questions to ponder…”in the name of” careful, prayerful discernment.