Salvador Market
Obedient to the strict dictates of tourism, my sister today took me on a tour of the city center in Salvador. I saw and experienced many wonderful things; for example, the Cathedral which was built by the Jesuits (with every stone imported from Portugal!) and the rococo exuberance of the Franciscan church. Th
e thing that struck me most, however, was the 17th Century Market. It is now a tourist trap and filled with chintzy boutiques.
Holding pen for slaves
Down a flight of unmarked stairs tucked away in a corner, however, you find yourself in the basement where the African slaves were kept half-submerged in water until they were brought upstairs to be sold. I would bet that 95% of the other tourists around me today knew nothing of the basement or of the building’s history. The local people know all about it, but they draw no attention to it whatsoever.
It got me to wondering about what things in my life I keep hidden “underground” in the hope that no one will notice…
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Maura 02.10.09 at 4:36 pm
Brings to mind not only the things we keep submerged personally but as a church. Today I was discussing the papacy with 6th graders. It is a tough balancing act when speaking to them. How to we celebrate the beautiful mystery of apostolic succesion and not acknowledge the uglier sides of some of those who have held the office of vicar of Christ? How do you answer questions like “Mrs. S. do you have to like the pope could? Would you be fired if you didn’t like the pope?”
Paul 02.10.09 at 5:35 pm
Maura,
Ah, yes. I appreciate the situation where you (and many others) find yourself. Trying to be faithful to the Church and to its leadership is not for the faint-hearted. (I am reminded of the great line by John Cardinal Newman, the Anglican who converted to Roman Catholicism in the 19th Century: “Those who would sail serenely in the barque of Peter should stay as far away from the engine room as possible.”)
One thing that helps me is remembering how petty, stupid and sinful I am on a daily, and sometimes hourly, basis. Why should I expect more from the hierarchy than from myself?
Paul
Maura 02.11.09 at 8:51 am
Love the quote form Cardinal Newman ( a personal fav anyway) I agree with him that you have to be willing to get your hands dirty to help things move forward.
Part of my answer to the kids was” isn’t it wonderful that the Holy Spirit can bring about goodness in spite of our sometimes ugly human nature” We were also discussing how the church is Holy and I remind them that even if everything we do is not always “holy” God is always with us and calls us along the path to follow him. Isn’t His mercy beautiful!