Life in Barcelona
LIFE : Our lives continue to be interesting. Recently, on our way home, we passed a crowd of drunk, English soccer fans (”hooligans”), brawling as part of the traditional post-game celebration. Exiting the plaza, we passed one such stumbling drunk being “helped along” by four or five of our neighbors as they rifled through his pockets. I stopped and yelled at them to leave him alone, causing one of them to charge at me muttering and gesturing something to the effect of, “stay out of this, or else.” Considering the situation in haste — his wallet or my health — I walked on. My coworker, Nate, recently interfered in another robbery provoking the thief to come at him with the sharp end of a broken bottle. Just yesterday we confronted a neighbor who was slapping and kicking his girlfriend at our front door. Actually, we rarely feel threatened by the criminal element in our neighborhood; they know us and they leave us alone. They leave us alone, that is, as long as we do not interfere.
Edmund Burke said famously that, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” In our neighborhood, the streets are ruled by robbers and thieves, while aging grandmothers watch from their balconies above and yell their impotent disapproval. Those able-bodied among us have our own concerns, are intimidated, and essentially, “do nothing”. Burke’s claim is true, of course, except that, good and “evil” are false categories, and there really aren’t any “good men”. Or so we are told. I don’t think it too much of a stretch to suggest that similar dynamics are at play on an international level. In Europe, the French faithfully rehash all the reasons evil is a fiction, and the rest remind us insistently that the US’s hands are dirty also. Who are we to interfere. More perplexing still is just how to obey both Christ’s calling to deny ourselves, our rights, turning the other cheek, and our calling to protect the fatherless and the widow: the weak.
So, when 350,000 Barcelonans marched against globalization last month, essentially saying, “This is what’s wrong with the world”, I wanted to be there. Americans had been warned to steer clear of the protests, and I wondered if, as one blonde in a sea of brunettes, I would invite hostility. The march was lively, diverse, and peaceful. The primary complaints seemed to be the US, Israel, and Europe’s growing adoption of capitalism. In the end, like clockwork, confrontation erupted and there I was, running along with the press corps (feeling naked as the only one without a helmet) as we photographed the roaming clashes between protesters and police. Some conspiratorial types have suggested that the police plant these troublemakers to discredit the anti-globalization movement. This would be clever realpolitik. Those of us who benefit from the status quo are all to eager to dismiss the social reformer. And yet, I cannot say that I saw among the thousands of placards and signs any promising suggestions or hints for the way to peace and goodwill on earth. On the contrary.
This afternoon Nate and I visited the studio and home of Marco, a local artist who we befriended at our favorite café, “The Arc”. As we put the finishing touches on a lamp he was working on, we talked at length about, among other things, the current state of affairs in Israel. True to his socialist milieu, Marco suggested repeatedly that western politicians needed to step in and solve the problem. I was reminded of Dallas Willard’s comment that, “the world can no longer be left to mere diplomats, politicians, and business leaders. They have done the best they could, no doubt. But this is an age for spiritual heroes — a time for men and women to be heroic in faith and in spiritual character and power.” Politics can keep warring parties at arm’s length from each other, but it cannot reconcile them. What the world needs is moral leadership, more Ghandi’s and Martin Luther King’s. Or, to go straight to the source, what the world needs is: Jesus. How timeless, powerful, and revolutionary still is the life Jesus leads us into. Of course, invoking Jesus does not make our international or local politics simple, but there can be no doubt that a life such as his — of dying to oneself, of loving one’s enemy, of forgiveness — IS the way to peace and goodwill on earth.
MINISTRY: After four months cleaning, installing, repairing, furnishing, and decorating, on March 22nd we threw our doors open for the world to see. True to form, the foreigners began arriving at 7pm, the Spaniards at ten, until we were packed from wall to wall. Our guests were neighbors, local artists, and fellow Agape staff. As part of our Open House, Nate Smith exhibited several drawings and one painting from his series exploring the immanence of God. I set up my computer so that guests could browse through webpages, books, and films I’ve created. As we had hoped, both of us had chances to share the Gospel naturally, in whole or in part, as we explained our creative work. Our goal was to introduce ourselves in full to our community and the Agape ministry. Already, as we walk our seedy streets we feel better known and more welcome. I cannot visit our local Pakistani supermarket without shaking hands with each of the four or five assorted family members working there. The owner of our favorite coffee shop, previously a bit cold and abrupt, now smiles widely and greets us warmly. The cook, who’s REALLY an artist, has invited us to his studio. (You can see a short film from the opening by clicking on the frame at alastudio.com. You can see pictures at: http://www.alastudio.com/studio/tour.)
In some respects I feel like our new ministry has jumped from the starting blocks. It was only six months and some days ago that I decided to return to Spain long term and launch the ministry of Alas eStudio. In the meantime we have raised some initial funds, found a location, made the studio a beautiful place, met with many key people, befriended our neighbors, and begun several creative projects. And yet, I have been personally frustrated by all that we have not been able to get to. It has been difficult, frankly, to run two races at once, leading the studio while trying to make a living on the side. Last month, feeling pulled in too many directions, I met with our director, John O’Neal, to reconsider our priorities and get some breathing room. As a result, the “Nest”, our biweekly artists’ meeting has been postponed and we’ve axed the film I was working on for this year’s Damah Film Festival.
We’re focusing on two initiatives: pursuing our relationships with local artists, and developing “Freshmen Survival Kits” for a large outreach in the Fall. Freshmen Survival Kits are boxes given for free to incoming freshmen that include snack food, some toy for idle pleasure, campus resources, and some Christian materials. We’ve been working with the campus ministries to develop the concept and design these kits as well as creating some of the resources. Students will be able to contact the Agape campus ministry online, the goal being to connect with those students who are already spiritually seeking. We are also hosting a weekly film showing at the studio starting this week. Through great films we’ll be exploring various themes like hope (Shawshank Redemption), war (The Thin Red Line), math (Pi), and miracles (Magnolia).
I will be returning to the States briefly at the beginning of June. I look forward to seeing many of you then. Please pray that we will be able to finish the mountain of work that must be completed between now and then.
In God’s Grace,
Alas eStudio
Calle de Rull 3, bajos 2: Barcelona, 08002
H: 933-178-429 M: 66-17-17-422
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