La Gracia

As I drove home this afternoon, my mind began to wander off into several rambles which usually lead to specific conclusions on particular topics.  Tonight and ever so surprisingly, I began to process through something quite foundational in my culture: failure.  In my experience, failure is an extremely crippling element- it isn't denied as something that will never happened, but it seems as if it shouldn't happen. Deep in my own thought and far into the process of a previous conversation, I began to think about the crippling weight of failure.  Growing up, failure meant weakness, showed vulnerability, and if there was any hint of success then there was always room for improvement.  Failure kept me from speaking, moving forward, apologizing, interacting, and pursuing.  I would much rather have gone through more punishment than be given a deep understanding of the nature of my failure.

When I first began to build a relationship with Jesus, I could not understand His radical approach to failure.  In fact, what scared me most about Him was not the punishment I presumed I would receive upon the confession of my sin, but the disappointment I would give Him through my failure.  I thought I would be left behind and stuck in a limbo of shame. But, none of that was true.

In Mexican culture, you are shown a deep understanding of failure so that you can see the cost left to you and the family. Jesus, however, allows failure in order to demonstrate our need for Him.  As we draw closer, our relationship with Him grows because it is His grace that covers us, not the construction of our legality or morals.  Failure outside of Jesus bears the ongoing production of rules that's purpose is to reflect weakness.  Failure inside of of Jesus bears the ongoing production of grace that's purpose is to reflect our need of a Savior.

Familia y Amigos, failure isn't weak or unacceptable.  Failure is an affirmation of our need for Jesus Christ.  That's completely different than anything we can experience because with need comes comfort not shame.

"Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort." (2 Corinthians 1:3)

Con Amor,

Oso

La Revolución

"Do not think I have come to bring peace. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword."                                                                                                                        - Jesus (Matthew 10:34)

Che Guevara wrote about the significance of a revolutionary saying that it is the people who support the revolution that make it possible; without the people, there cannot be a revolution.  Ultimately, the mission is to serve the people in a time of need.

In Borderlands/La Frontera, Gloria Anzaldua writes about conforming to the traditions of the Mexican culture saying "to escape rejection, we conform to the culture." Consequently, it is the tradition of the culture that constitutes the standard and the acceptable.  Despite her love for her family, people, and culture she was rejected for being outside the standard.

Che Guevara and Gloria Anzaldua knew what kind of a revolution they were getting into- whether political or social, they understood the possible outcome of their position: death or rejection.

My revolution is not one of political stance or social injustice, but one of spiritual freedom in my pursuit of Jesus Christ.  It is one that can have the same results that Che Guevara and Gloria Anzaldua faced.

Born Mexican and raised with Catholic principles, I was told that work ethic was vital and marrying a woman who's Catholic would be all I need. I kept the ethic and, fortunately upset the rest of the cultural standard and by God's amazing grace and His pursuit, I became a Christian- meaning, Jesus called me out of a life of sin and showed me that being saved meant He was everything I would need, not tradition or custom.

Raised with Catholic principles meant I had candles with Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary underneath my sink to light and stare at when times got rough, it meant that Jesus Christ was a statue- a very expensive statue andnot a person, much less a king, and having a rosary on the rear view mirror of my truck signified my legitimacy.

Principles meant I lived for myself.

Mum y Osito

I upset the established norm of my culture when I decided to make Him first in my life which meant family came second and tradition came third.  In my culture, the family is the religion.  The house is the church.  Family members are the body. And time spent together is simliar to community groups or bible studies. None of this sounds wrong andin fact I love hanging out with my brothers over a fire with a dead animal on the grill and a nice Indio (beer) in my hand.  It's one of my favorite things to do. Ever. I love talking to my mom as she makes real corn tortillas by hand without measurements- Aztec skills.

But once this "religion" takes the place of my God, it becomes idolatry: the displacement of Jesus as my savior.  Once my family becomes my god, then I am no longer salt or an ambassador of Jesus to my family.  Once my family becomes my god, it means I oppose my King Jesus.

Meme y Osito

If all things work to glorify Jesus, then my fear isn't that I have lost my family, but because of God's grace and Jesus' work on the cross, I have been chosen to show my family the work and love of Jesus so that we may worship Him freely as a family because He loved us first!

Oh, pinche Osito con el evangelio! 

Why is this a revolution? Because it disrupts the tradition of culture, discontinues the pseudo-validation of the phrase this is just the way it's always been, and because Jesus said we would be hated and persecuted because He washated first.

A revolution is a time of need.  The need is Jesus.

This revolution began four (4) years ago and it's only picking up momentum, but Jesus has shown me much grace in the process. No revolution is without mistake.  But every revolution stands in hope.  The hope of my revolution is Jesus and it's because of the hope He's given that I can extend the same grace and love to my family as He has to me.  It's because of those that He's put around me that I can continue moving forward in the awkward midst of this revolution and, despite failure or success in the Gospel, look back and say it was all worth it.

¡Viva la revolución!

Hasta,

Oso