Tlazocamatli: Thank you, "Gracias"

Recently my daughter was a key player in the organization of a march that would be held in Tucson, Arizona about immigration laws and how they are affecting a wide range of people who are part of the Tucson community.  In the early morning before the march began Allison (her pastor) came over to reassure and pray for her.  She asked our good Lord to bless, protect and guide her throughout the day.

Modern day Nahua

Yet not only did she receive the most needed spiritual intervention from one that shared her own faith, but also received it from an unexpected  member of the community. The local Nahua spiritual leader!  He came over to the premises of the Southside  Presbyterian Church,   where everyone was gathered,  to ask his deities to guide and protect those who would be participating in the march.  She told me how they had called upon the Universe and showered her with incense that would help her win the war.  They painted her face as if she was one of their own warrior women and for one brief second she felt part of these amazing people, even when she is far away from being so.  Even though she is Hispanic, she was basically born in a pop culture society, she is an American citizen by birth right, she is  Christian and so many other things separate her from the Nahua.  But they do have something in common,  they struggle together to fight against a system that hurts and condemns immigrants to living conditions that should bring shame to a country that was born from immigrants.  Bottom line, Tlaoamatli (which means thank you) for wanting to protect the well-being of one of my own.  I have no words that can express how grateful I am for your gesture.  If only,  I could also extend my own hand to be able to protect your people from injustice I would do so.  Yet, the only thing I can do is pray for you and write about your struggles and suffering, which I am more than willing to do.

The Nahua taught us a lesson with their openness and candor that we as Christians are not willing to reciprocate.  Why isn't it possible for all people to come together crossing the bridges that separate us and moving forward in creating a better world. Our country is full of churches, temples, synagogues, and so many other buildings where people gather to worship their own deities, but we are so far away from spirituality and good.

Maybe we do need to call the power of nature from the four corners of our Earth and ask our dear Lord to help us get over ourselves and then and only then will we  be able to appreciate our diversity and rejoice as we build a better today, so tomorrow the Nahua , Christian, Islamic or Jew children (just to mention a few)  enjoy a better place to live.  By doing this we are all contributing in creating a little piece of heaven here in this troubled Earth that we call home.