I would be lying if I said that each time I walk the children to school there isn’t something that catches my eye. I have to look twice, and as I continue walking, I think to myself, “I wonder if I will ever get used to this.” There are still things that drive me crazy, but others things are now just a normal part of everyday life. As a pessimist, I am always looking for something that makes me roll my eyes. As a learner, I am always looking for something that will enhance my understanding of Spanish culture. As a humorist, I am always looking for something that makes me snicker. But every once in a while, there is something that leaves me genuinely surprised.
As I was walking back home from the children’s school, I saw a young man running out of his apartment building, as if late for work. But as he exited the building, he paused for a second to cross himself, publicly expressing his Catholic faith. Now, why would a Protestant (Nazarene) missionary be surprised, and ultimately impressed, with this demonstration? I’m glad you asked. You would think that in a country that demographically claims to be 94% Catholic this would be a norm. I can assure you it is not. You would think that in a country with a rich religious heritage that public professions of faith would be commonplace. You’d be mistaken. You would think that in a culture that encourages self expression and voicing one’s opinions in a public forum that one would never shy away from a quick prayer or expression of faith. It’s actually extremely rare.
The truth is, that morning, I was feeling a little down…running on empty, spiritually…frustrated by the difficult task at hand. I wasn’t looking for anything. And out he came. I was surprised that he was so young. I was surprised that this was how he greeted the day, even while in a hurry. And I was surprised that I was surprised by this. I realized then that I was in need of this public demonstration of faith. As a Protestant, this Catholic young man was a brother in Christ. But family is getting a bit hard to find here. I needed that moment to be divinely reminded that like Elijah, although sometimes I feel alone, I’m not. Witnessing this rare event helped me realize that there is a remnant, and amazingly, my walk back home was a little lighter.