I'm in Guatemala ahora. God has a sense of humor and my plans here have already changed half a dozen times. I love Guatemala. My spanish is so rough, but I love this country. Tonight Vinicio sat down with me and we worked over a map of the country, planning out possible trips as the conversation evolved into a discussion about Guatemalan history, human rights, war, injustice, sorrow suffering, the church and God's love in all this. Perspective is so cool. There are so many problems in this world, with the church, governments and people. I mean this place is pretty F'd up, but times like today sharing food and fellowship over the dinner table, sprawled out on the floor perusing a map of Guatemala or singing praises to God with the congregation at Nueva Generacion and the guys from Boston send chills down my spine as I think about the beauty of the Kingdom of God. Sometimes it is but a whisper, but the taste of the Kingdom is sweet and sustaining. Flying over Guatemala, I read Henri Nouwen's "On Solitude" and I go back to that book so often. He closes the book in a way that makes me wait expectantly to see how God reveals himself to me in the midst of a hurting world, including me. He is present and working and I want to patiently wait. (Cursing the luggage conveyor belt at Guatemala's airport is not patience, repeating "With patience, you can cook stones" did not work)
"Is God present or is he absent? Maybe we can say now that in the center of our sadness for his absence we can find the first signs of his presence. And that, in the middle of our longings, we discover the footprints of the one who has created them. It is in the faithful waiting for the loved one that we know how much he has filled our lives already. Just as the love of a mother for her son can grow while she is waiting for his return, and just as lovers can rediscover each other during long periods of absence, so also our intimate relationship with God can become deeper and more mature while we wait patiently in expectation for his return."
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