A Voice in Silence: Gritos del Margen

These are the generations of...

2008-09-25T00:25:00.006-04:00

Right now, in writing this web log, I am navigating through uncharted and unfamiliar seas. The fact is that I am a self-proclaimed techno hostile. I do not like modern technology of any kind! In my youth, our technology consisted of the rotary dial phone, electric typewriter and battery powered record player with a turntable. Imagine that! This was major for me. And in many ways I miss the technology of the past and wish it were still around. This is really more than nostalgia for me. Like Miniver Cheevy, maybe I also was “born too late.” Anyhow, what I am saying is that writing my first web log has not been easy. Quite frankly, it may be my first and last, because the tides within yet rage!

Some may ask, “If this is the case, then why are you writing now?” My reluctance to write has not succumbed to external pressures, political aspirations, self-promotion or even curiosity. The driving force behind this dramatic, atypical change in behavior on my part can be narrowed down to one word, “relationship.” The thought of collaborating with my son on this project was an opportunity I could not easily pass by and dismiss. Still, the deliberation has been long; hence the lengthy summation.

Perhaps a personal commentary on the picture of "Isaac Blessing Jacob" by Gustave Dore will shed more light on my slow coming, techno metamorphosis. Historically, exegetically and theologically the blessing is given to various interpretations and conclusions. But my reflection on the account is inspired by its general context. The blessing is part of the Pentateuch, the Law of Moses, the Torah or the first five books of the Old Testament.

A unifying term and theme in this body of literature is “generations” (Heb. toledot). Throughout these books the author mentions the phrase “these are the generations of” to introduce a shift in the story as well as God’s activity in the life of the people. Used in this manner generations referred to ancestors, those still alive and/or the not yet born, since the future of the nation on many occasions rested on the unborn. In so writing the author is claiming that life is about relationships and their continuity. For the sake of communicating and maintaining genuine relationships with others, one may bless the undeserving, forgive the guilty or attempt to do what is difficult and foreign, like write a web log.

We are living in a time where the nucleus of society, the family, is systematically under attack. It is a war that countless families are not only losing, but in many cases are not even fighting. As a nation, it is apparent that family relationships have gone from healthy cohesion to dysfunctional alienation in a very short period of time. This erosion continues with measurable speed and intensity. It is a relational declension that has moved us from village community, to extended family, to nuclear family, to single parent family and now, to alternative family without full regard for its negative impact on character, morality and the nature of relationships. During each shift society has tried to redefine the family based on some social science rationale consistent with and supportive of the dominant ethos.

As I see it, the toledot, together with this picture, are reminders that I am in constant relationship with my family and thus I should constantly bless my children and home. The language and practice described in the Pentateuch and throughout the Bible is one of community, which is incompatible with the radical individualism that informs and influences our families and relationships today. Therefore, I enter into this aspect of technology. And although I enter with many reservations, nonetheless I enter and write this web log in and for relationship with my son (and wife and daughter too).

Our prayer is that as you read our simple entries and sense our love for each other, you too may experience the urgency to bless your family and respond in like manner. In the words of the toledot, “these are the generations of padreandson.”

Bendiciones, lac-padre

Transformed by Traveling

2008-08-15T01:15:00.018-04:00

El Monumento al Jibaro Puertorriqueno pays homage to the Puerto Rican Jibaro- a humble, hardworking and wise man who lived in poverty with little or no formal education. Boriquas, Puerto Ricans, PortaRocks, PuertoRiquenos and NuyoRicans are deeply indebted to the perseverance, resourcefulness and passion of our people from the hills.

While driving South on Route 52, Lorena and I came across nuestros abuelos/our grandparents and knew we had to stop and pay our respects. We had just enjoyed a tasty meal at "Mojitos," a lechonera in Guavate, just prior to arriving at the monument. Our senses were heightened - the sights, sounds, scents and tastes of Puerto Rico were alive to us. They revealed that the moment we shared with El Jibaro and his family were timeless. In that instant we were our grandparents and their parents and all those who struggled to make sure that we could live the lives we lead today. While reflecting on el jibaro's family we began to discuss our forefathers/mothers and the many mountains they traversed as they eked out a living. Could they ever have imagined what would become of their lineage? Did they know that their blood, sweat and tears were not in vain? Whether they knew it or not, their humble beginnings gave birth to a rich inheritance. Today sons and daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren are still moving forward and enjoying the rich inheritance they have been given.

La herencia/the inheritance is something more than money and property. In our culture, in our reality, it is the pride and joy of knowing that all those who follow us will lead better lives than we did. The inheritance is knowing that we worked hard and stood tall so others can stand on our shoulders and begin their journey from higher heights. Nuestros abuelos lucharon y ganaron!! Lord help us to do the same...

LAC - Son

In the beginning...

2008-08-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

For quite some time I have wrestled with the idea of creating a blog. Honestly, creating the blog has been the least of my concerns; figuring out how to make the time required to maintain yet another space in this world has been the more difficult part.

Ultimately, this image pushed me over the top. So many nameless, faceless cries go unheard. Men, women, children -many who are found not only in the two-thirds world, but also in our communities- are crying out for PEACE, JUSTICE and LOVE. I don't know what to do or how to respond. So myspace in cyberspace will attempt to humbly listen a los gritos del margen/to the cries from the margin that resound in my silent reflection. The goal is to recognize and understand more clearly that the cries of our marginalized and oppressed brothers and sisters, both locally and abroad, are synonymous with my deepest longing for the Kingdom of God/Rule of God/Reign of God to break forth in my generation.

Along the way, this blog will also highlight areas in the world and in my relationships where God's PEACE, JUSTICE and LOVE are breaking forth - where his Kingdom is being made manifest.

This endeavor is not a solo mission...

For years Dad and I have discussed the significance of the generations, toledot, in the Old Testament. We have realized that the generations need each other desperately. To this end, Padre and Son will attempt to reflect on life together.

How this will happen is still to be determined, but we are off and running. Stay tuned and lend your voice to the discussion as the generations meet to consider los gritos del margen/the cries from the margin.

LAC-SON