I'm thankful for the generations of faith that have come before us in the Brown Church, as expressed through timeless coritos such as Más Allá Del Sol and Un Día A La Vez ( Más Allá Del Sol & Moon Knight). These songs give voice to the deepest struggles, suffering, and HOPE of our parents, abuelas, abuelos and family members across the decades. They hold an important historical lesson for those of us today who are engaged in the disorienting and often painful process of spiritual deconstruction and reconstruction.
When the Liberation Theology movement in Latin America was in its early years, it articulated powerful theologies which reminded the Church of God's unique love and concern for the poor. After a number of years, however, Gutierrez, Boff, and others came to a disarming realization: they had left the poor themselves out of the process of theological reflection on poverty and the social injustices that they themselves were experiencing.
Base Christian Communities which Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra talks about in her new book, Buried Seeds, played an important role in correcting this oversight. BCC's centered the spiritual lives and theological reflections of El Pueblo itself, and through them a second generation of liberation theology writings such as The God Life and We Drink From Our Own Wells were birthed. The poor went from the objects of theological reflection, to the privileged interpreters of their own experience. In my opinion, this turning inward gave the movement deeper roots and second wings.
In the current historical moment, I'm afraid that many of us are, however well intentioned, repeating the error of the Liberation Theology movement in its early days. We are pursuing important theoretical and theological responses to the pressing issues of our day, but leaving out El Pueblo itself. Sociological and political models have a role, as does the study of academic theology; but the pursuit of theological reflection about justice and race apart from deep, beautiful and messy communion with the communities for which we claim to represent is a grave error.
No doubt, many of us in the second generation carry deep wounds from our experiences in the immigrant church and have needed time and space to heal. Much work lay ahead to heal the trauma and conflict between generations. I am not naive to the complicated nature of such an endeavor. And yet. And yet.
I, least of all, know the answers to these complicated concerns.
I do know, however, that the task at hand requires a return to our radical roots lest the entire tree be uprooted.
Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Guide us, oh Holy Spirit.