Sunburnt, sore, bug-bitten, and heart overflowing. This past weekend I had the JOY of going to camp here in Colombia; hosted by the Central Presbytery, 40ish youth from all over the country gathered together in a small finca outside of Bogotá for 4 days of activity, faith formation, and community. This past Monday was a holiday in Colombia, so the puente offered just enough time for folks from Urabá, Medellín, Bucaramanga, and Barranquilla to travel to the capitol where, bleary-eyed, we filled 2 buses and cruised out of the city, winding through the nearby mountains to reach the most gloriously beautiful valley where we would be staying for the next 4 days.
Just before reaching our destination we hit a snag when one of the buses couldn't gain enough traction in the slippery mud to climb a final hill in the road. But, with some creative pushing and the generous help of a few friendly locals, the bus finally managed to incline. I still laugh as this memory reminds me of moments from my trip this past spring with YoungLife College to Baja, Mexico and our almost daily trouble with the buses. Yet, rather than being a nuisance, those moments only brought us closer together, and so I knew this was a good sign for the weekend ahead.
Leading up to the campamento, I had little idea of what to expect, but that didn't lead to any worry; the uncomplicated beauty of camp is that it's not that different halfway across the world. Despite different surroundings and different food, there are still games, shared meals, and time in worship. The back of the bus is still the loudest and everyone still stays up too late. There are still bunkbeds and campfires. What's more, the people are just as kind and loving, just as silly and fun-loving. I felt right at home in this atmosphere -- Nelly is back! -- and I am so grateful for the welcome I received from these beautiful souls.
The theme of the weekend was "Jóvenes presbiterianos frente a un mundo cambiante"," or "Presbyterian youth facing a changing world." At first I was surprised that the theme mentioned "presbyterian" so overtly -- I have grown up in the Presbyterian church and still never been asked or encouraged to claim that identity so strongly. And yet, this was the unifying trait that brought people together from all corners of the country, and throughout the weekend I was inspired by the connection my peers felt for this denomination. Some of that loyalty may come from the fact that they claim a minority religious identity within a majority Catholic country, but mostly I think it comes from a genuine resonance with the people and practices of this faith. We even spent Sunday afternoon rotating through a series of stations learning about the history and theology of the denomination through physical team challenges. It was surprisingly fun, even gratifying, to learn about founding figures who contributed to the establishment of this faith that I had never been exposed to before.
Of course, the programming of our time at camp also placed a big focus on the idea of "facing a changing world." To spur conversation and reflection on this piece, we began Saturday by splitting into groups to spend an hour or so engaging with some ~dirty jobs~ around the finca that would simultaneously alleviate some of the burden on full-time staff and reconnect us with Mama nature. Ultimately, I was placed in the group that cleaned out the pond -- literally got in, clothes and all, to remove the algae so that future fish could live happily and healthily. Unsurprisingly, it was gross and icky, but also so memorable and fun and generally hilarious. When we were first introduced to the activity, my jaw dropped, but camp girl that I am I was among the first to get in and embrace this weird, challenging, unforgettable experience. In time, we did remove a substantial amount of algae, and my whole group agreed this was a powerful demonstration of the ways we isolate ourselves from nature in our daily lives. It was a reminder to get messy and get involved in efforts to clean up our precious Earth one dirty job at a time.
Beyond this activity, we also shared a couple powerful charlas (or presentations) together. The first of the two sought to challenge our understanding of Jesus' ministry and what example it sets for us as youth in the world today. A pastor from the central presbytery, he led us through the themes of Jesus' ministry as "ruptures" from time and culture; radical in His decision to leave His father's trade as a carpenter in order to begin His ministry, radical in His interactions with the ill and the outcast, radical in His call to His followers. In unpacking these different elements of Jesus' character, we were invited to live into that same invitation to challenge our current context and culture, just as waves of youth have done for decades by means of protest and advocacy. In this way, faith and justice came together for me once again and I continue to learn about their indivisible nature. With all that is happening in the world today, it is such a pertinent intersection to open our eyes to.
This theme continued into our second charla wherein a psychologist from the area came to discuss sexuality. The sheer fact that this conversation took place speaks to a changing world -- or at least one in which the adults in charge are paying attention to what youth most want and need to hear. Covering everything from who we choose to be with to how we choose to be with them, our group spent several hours in conversation about what it looks like for people of faith to engage with love on this side of heaven. The presenter was compassionate while still being frank as he shared with us his view of romantic relationships, combining both scripture and science. Through his lens of psychology we reflected on what genuine, authentic, selfless love looks like in couples and how that already has or could play out in our own lives. I found it to be a deeply meaningful talk and it helped solidify some of my views while disqualifying others that had been taught by fear-based theology. Everyone's openness and receptiveness was beautiful to witness and I can only hope it anticipates a continued willingness within spaces of faith to talk openly about human sexuality and end the taboo.
Later, it was a special privilege to talk with my Colombian peers about their takeaways from these presentations and their potential impact on our outlook. As it turns out, much in the way that our US culture teaches us to strive toward the next accomplishment and the next possession in our capitalistic and individualistic vision of the "good life," my peers here feel the same pressure the uncritically follow the same line of achievement and attainment, from degree to marriage to parenthood, from car to house to...it goes on. But I ask myself "What is this vision of the 'good life' that we have created?" When Jesus said He came to give us life to the FULL, I understand that to mean something beyond material wealth and a framed degree on the wall. A better model would look a lot like camp -- a focus on fun, faith formation, and relationships. To me, the "good life" looks a lot like love and light and laughter. It looks a lot like shared meals and time in worship, bunkbeds and campfires. It looks a lot like stepping out of fear and anxiety into freedom and joy. And I think this altered vision of the "good life" is one of the most powerful shifts young people can hold on to in a changing world -- or even a way to change the world. My friend María even said something on our last night together that I've heard all too often before as camp comes to a close: "tomorrow we go back to reality." But, I responded with what I believe to be true: "THIS is reality." The rest is just empty striving. I don't always live into that reality but in my heart of hearts I know it to be true.
We closed the weekend together, reminded of the truth that we are the light of the world (Matthew 5:14). Gathered together in a circle, we passed a flame around one at a time until all of our candles were lit and in turns we placed them within the logs. Soon we had a full campfire, and it was such a unifying image of our collective capacity to bring light to the world (and, of course, there's a song to go with it).
I'm returning home from this weekend holding onto this truth and changed by the relationships I made during our time together. My soul is full from belly laughs and mountain views and new learning - thank you, Jesus!
"Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you." Psalm 116:7
Comments