Our family went to the Good Friday processions in Valladolid yesterday, and I am sharing this link from Dwights colleague (and our dear friend) in Calvins history department for more complete information. Our family has spent this year intentionally worshipping in a Catholic church, which some people find odd for a Calvin professor. I havent been commenting on this in my weekly posts because the larger public is often less interested. But this is an appropriate time. We decided to go Catholic this year for several reasons: 1) It is the dominant culture, and we want to understand and be sensitive to that culture, and not just look for something like ourselves. 2) There is very little understanding of protestantism among most Spaniards. We are stunned by how often we are asked if we are Mormon or Jehovahs witnesses, as if that is the only protestantism they know. So we think it is good for them to know us too. 3) I find it satisfying when they ask me why I am at the Catholic church and I can answer We have the same God. And truly, you can recognize the liturgy, Lords prayer, and many of the creeds. There is the small? matter of Mary . . . I have to explain. 4) Because our kids are in the Catholic school, we hoped to have cross-over friendships between church and school, and get to know more families better in that way. One of the things that has surprised us is that all the Catholic churches we visited here in Oviedo have been PACKED. I dont know how that fits in with the death of faith in Europe, but we have to go early enough to get a seat. Enrique, who is our oldest friend, an artist and art-historian, and our tour guide on our trips, when he explains religious art in the cathedrals and elsewhere tries to explain to our students the role of art in faith for them--we need to see to believe, he says. They are tactile, visual, artistic people. As we watch the entire Good Friday story told in beautiful 500 year-old art, I hear Dwights rather brave question to his students (some of whom dont realize Catholics are Christians) in my ear--Open your minds and consider--did we lose anything of value to our faith in the Protestant Reformation?
Posted on: Sat, 19 Apr 2014 22:27:44 +0000
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