A Prophet Without Honor

I was watching an episode of 30 days, Morgan Spurlock's show inspired by his documentary "Super Size Me." There's an episode where he goes to live on an Indian Reservation which happens to be the very reservation we are on right now. Except most of the show takes place a couple hours east of where I am probably in New Mexico somewhere. You can look up the episode online http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/30days/

Anyway, what made this episode really interesting to watch is that I did so with Lorena (pictured in the previous post). She is a Navajo missionary who lives at Immanuel. So far, she's probably my best friend on the mission. I admire her a lot.

During some school years, Lorena teaches a class on Navajo culture. It includes things like preparing Navajo dishes, teaching the Navajo language, and teaching about the culture in a way that gives honor both to the Navajo and to God. Many families are very thankful that she is willing to teach this. Some families are not. Lorena says that these families tend to be the (Navajo) Christian families who believe that the Navajo have to "leave the old ways behind." To Lorena this doesn't make much sense. She says that "We can't stop being Navajo, God made us Navajo."

Such an interesting concept, right? Not that God scattered everyone at Babel and now is trying to get it all back together. But that God actually made people who belong to certain nations. I think it's really hard to understand because in America there is so much distance (literally, unless you're a Native American) from your past culture. If anything, the American Dream is to forget your past and move up. (where is up?--Dunno, possibly Danville or La Jolla?) I don't really feel like God made me American because what does it mean to be American? Whatever you want it to mean. Which ironically, is sort of meaningless.

It's just interesting to hear Lorena's struggle between the Christian and Non-Christian Navajo. There is conflict present on both sides. But she plays such a significant role on the mission as being a bridge between what it means to be a Christian-Navajo. In a way, she almost has to be the Navajo Jesus.

"Only in his hometown, among his own relatives and his own house is a prophet without honor."