June 4--Persecution, the Atonement and an Exciting Announcement

Alright, can I just say something? I get tired of hearing about all these martyred saints. I mean after you read about so many people being arrow pincushions, or being burned, crushed, raped, dragged behind horses, intestines pulled out, body parts cut off and otherwise just tortured, it gets to be a LOT. Like just writing all that I’m sorry you have to read all that because it is just terrible and awful and REAL which makes it worse. There’s one thing seeing violence on TV and knowing it’s not real, or seeing it happen in a fantastical setting, but like I don’t know, I have a pretty vivid imagination, so hearing about some poor woman getting dragged behind horses so forcefully her face was incognizable afterwards is just horrific. What was funny is that all of these feelings came to a head while I was at church learning about the more beautiful parts of the atonement of Jesus Christ – the institution of the bread and wine being his body and blood, the suffering in the garden of Gethsemane.  Like we didn’t even talk about crucifixion, but of course my mind goes to THAT whole horrific process since we see Christ on the cross every day here in Spain in the cathedrals. I recognize it is a powerful image, but it is so morbid and violent and real – I want to see Christ in Glory, or during his ministry, or rising from the tomb. Was the crucifixion necessary for the atonement? Yes of course, but the resurrection and suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane are JUST as important. Seeing dying, bleeding, suffering Christ every day just gets sad, and graphic. And then on TOP of that, you’ve got all these saints dying in the name of the church in somehow MORE horrific ways than being crucified.

Plus, I have to say, it’s always hard to read about all these saints being persecuted, and then knowing that in the next couple hundred years of the history of Spain, how many NON-Christians would be persecuted in return in the name of Christ. Isabel la Catolica was a girl boss, but she forcibly removed or converted basically all the Jews and Muslims in the entire Iberic peninsula and started the Spanish Inquisition. It’s just sad that these Christian are honored because they died for their cause, and I just hope those Jews and those Muslims and whoever else died and suffered in the name of the Catholic church are also honored.  I don’t know, I just feel like everybody should be respected, which is a lot to ask for the 10^th-19^th centuries, but it’s just a lot of sadness and a lot of suffering caused by all sides, for literally the personal beliefs of people. Needless to say I am happy I live in a time where even though we aren’t perfectly accepting of everyone, we as a whole, especially in the US, are able to worship and do what we please, and what makes us happy.  

It’s also hard for me because reliquaries (or relics) are a HUGE thing in the Catholic church – often involving the spiritual power of the BONES of saints. I understand the sentiment, having something physical to represent a virtuous life, but especially now that the Law of Moses is long past, spirituality comes from the self and not from objects. I mean just the reactions we have gotten from singing in the church – for so many people, I think they have felt such a powerful and sweet spirit from that music that doesn’t have any connection to what is around us. 

That being said, I am looking at these images and saints and reliquaries from a perspective outside of the Catholic church, and I know there are more nuances than what I can appreciate. Anyway, maybe my mom will edit this down to what is most important and non-offensive, because I don’t want to offend anyone’s faith – and some of those Saints kick BUTT which I can totally respect 

One highlight of the day was going to this shop called Valor. We have seen a few in the big cities, and along with being a chocolatery, it is also a sandwich, smoothie and overall very palatable American-ish food shop. I have never been more happy to get a fruit smoothie and avocado toast in my LIFE – for real, we were at a chocolatery and we literally got no chocolate cause a grilled chicken sandwich with cheese and lettuce sounded so nice and FAMILIAR. Don’t get me wrong, the Spanish food is great, but getting some classic American lunch food was perfect. Plus it was just a few of us that went and it felt very nice and chill. 

We went to the Cathedral of León later that day, but I had already spent over two hours there the other day and I was kind of turned off from seeing more grisly saint images, so we spent about 45 minutes there, and then some others that had gone to the Cathedral earlier in the week went back to the hotel and played LOTS of games. The rest of my evening was spent talking on the phone with my parents and Gordon and MAN was it good to catch up. 

In other good news, Gordon and I are gonna get married at the end of August! We don’t have an EXACT date quite yet, but just a heads up to anyone who didn’t know – because of some news with my student teaching and everything that is already happening in our lives, there’s no need to wait any longer, so yeah, there it is! I’m so excited, it’s gonna be AWESOME! Plans and news soon to come ;)