Perspectives On Change

Today marked our last full day on Oaxaca.  With the protests came an interesting time of sharing life and learning in the midst of social change.  As I reflected on our time here earlier this evening in the Zocolo, a group of boys passed by with baseball bats, sticks, and machetes -  reminding me it is about time to go.  This morning we had an opportunity to speak with an older woman who is a well established business owner in the community.  We discussed the current challenges facing Oaxaca, including the protests and recent violence in the city.  She sees things as an ebb and flow of people and politics which will eventually find a place of balance and compromise.  She acknowledges the inevitable problems caused by 'bad boys' in the community, but suggests that is random and isolated at worst.  Her hope is for a speedy resolution brought about by a negotiator from the Roman Catholic Church who has agreed to mediate.  The Senora also discussed the spiritual climate of Oaxaca in some detail, offering a very tolerant and open minded view of faith and practice.  At lunch, we ate with a young woman we met yesterday in one of the parks here in the city.  She is a 19 year old university students in Political Science.  We asked her many of the same questions we asked of the older lady, but received much different answers.  More sympathetic to the protesters, she described many of the injustices and much of the corruption infecting Mexican politics.  Ties to the Roman Catholic Church were frequently cited as hot spots of unrest and anger on the part of citizens who do not want to be under Church rule or influence.  Anger, frustration, a sense of helplessness, and a true desire for something better drive the demonstrations that have been on-going since April.  There is a passion for change that is catching on with many of the people, especially the younger generations.  When asked about matters of the spirit, she brightened up and told us of many young people who are searching for and finding personal faith. They are breaking away from the traditions of their families to find truth and life for themselves.  It is our hope as we leave here that part of the struggles and many of the stories we have heard will stay with us.