Editor's note: This article concludes an eight-part series, "Keys to the Spiritual Life in Times of Transition," prepared by the Archdiocesan Spirituality Commission.
A few years ago I was prompted to see a theater show, The Art of Rice Travelling Theater, sponsored by the UCLA Center for Intercultural Performance. The attraction was the word "rice," something important to me, as a Filipino, who considers rice as a chief commodity or staple. It spoke to my cultural experience.
The show depicted internationally celebrated artists from East and West --- Indonesia, Myanmar, Dominican Republic, China, Japan, Hawaii, California and New York. Quite a challenge, I am sure, to assemble the seemingly incompatible disciplines of Chinese opera, South Indian Kathakali dance theatre and East/West post-modern dance. Yet each of these distinct heritages and traditions was woven into a dynamic theatrical presentation of what they have in common: rice.
The production demonstrated how rice connects the journey of many different lives, memories and legends. For me, the reality of rice made deep connections to my life and experience. It is within this same life and experience that I have come to know the love of God.
Benedictine Father Lawrence Freeman speaks of three elements found in all of the major faith systems:
---An experience/encounter/enlightenment of God. This takes place in many different ways and times and events, but is the initial movement of faith. The initiative for this movement comes from God and we respond to it.
---An attachment to a belief system (Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, etc.). Without this there is no real grounding in the communal aspect of religion. Indeed the word "religion" means to bind oneself to God and others.
---An expression of this in symbol, ritual and song. These expressions, rituals and symbols vary from culture to culture, but there is a common spiritual dimension that touches the heart and offers an experience of God's love.
How are these three elements, in the context of cultural values, expressions or belief systems, interwoven in the spiritual lives and faith of some peoples beyond our borders?
Portraits of the Lord
Catholics throughout the world have just celebrated the Paschal mystery --- Christ's suffering, death and resurrection --- through ritual, song and music. Though we may be familiar with our liturgical expression, it once again offers us the opportunity to join into deeper union with Christ and solidarity with believers in the global churches.
As we continue the journey with the Acts of the Apostles during this Easter season, we encounter a diverse populace which was invited to put its faith in the risen Christ. The Letter to the Hebrews notes that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever" (13: 8). Yet there are differences, since the portrait of Jesus that each evangelist portrays is colored by the culture and perception of the local community in which the evangelist proclaimed the Good News.
Their experience of the risen Jesus enabled the disciples and believing communities to appropriate various names and titles for Jesus (God, Lord, Savior, Bread of Life, Living Water, the Good Shepherd, etc.), all of which describe how they related to him then, and we now. Similarly, our understanding of Christ is expressed in light of our cultural background, experiences, human questions, needs and the problems of the time.
Owing to our particular experiences, then, we have many ways of relating to Jesus. And it is through our lived-experience, in both our cultural and relational context that Jesus connects with us.
Understanding this we might ask, for example, how does the experience of the Filipino people speak of Jesus Christ? And how does Christ speak to the experience of the people?
Pain and hope
Often, non-Filipinos simply see a preoccupation of the Filipino people worshipping a bloody, crucified Christ. But if one looks closely, our Filipino religious symbols hold the paradox of life. The Black Nazarene of Quiapo, Manila, for example, is the image of Jesus, in a fallen down position, bloodied, depicting much pain and suffering. Yet he is dressed in purple, with a crown, symbol of royalty. Obviously for the people this is also a message of hope.
The Black Nazarene offers to all people a suffering Jesus transformed to a new life of royalty. To a suffering people this is good news and one example of how spiritual or cultural expression of faith can offer some sense of oneness of faith and belief in Jesus Christ.
At the top of the list of Asian cultural values is respect for elders/ancestors. This is the solid ground on which Asians stand on --- filial piety --- which places great importance on family and defines rules of engagement in social relationships. The gestures of Namasté, a Nepali and Indian greeting; the Chinese Jugong, a bow to parents, elders or anyone of higher rank; the Filipino Mano Po, a greeting rendered to elders ---- all these express a profound respect to elders or leaders of a community.
These may not be necessarily considered religious gestures by everyone, but this initiative of recognizing the dignity and divinity in each person comes from God. As Catholics we can find these same gestures of respect incorporated in our rituals --- in our welcoming, in the sign of peace, and in the reception of Holy Communion. We are blessed through these religious rituals just as these cultural gestures are expressions of blessings in our daily lives.
Returning to my experience of The Art of Rice, I attended a reception after the production. I was expecting a variety of rice delicacies to dominate the plethora of sweets and drinks arrayed in the plaza area. After all this was all about rice.
To my disappointment it offered no taste of a rice treat common to my eastern world. The show lost its savory appeal, and its connection to the reality of my life. A great opportunity was missed to taste and see the "star" of the whole show --- at the table! It would have enriched all who came to see the performance and made even more sense to have a rice delicacy as part of the reception. Its absence left a void.
Cultural expressions of faith are varied, but we are anchored in the "One Faith, One Lord." When we celebrate the Risen Lord in our midst, in our own setting, with doors open to the "sacred ways of others," faith becomes a reality in people's lives and life is lived in faith. Let us then learn from each other and share our rich diversity so that we can all grow in the likeness of Christ. In the power of the Holy Spirit we can boldly say, and hear it proclaim in many languages that "God is Love."
That indeed is the Good News to all --- God's unconditional love is boundless and borderless! Fe Musgrave is director of Liturgy and Adult Formation at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, Rowland Heights. She previously served as consultant, Catechesis in the Asian/Pacific Perspective, in the archdiocesan Office of Religious Education. |