Ola mi gente
I am indebted, once again, to the Reverend Winnie Varghese whose sermon at Trinity Church Wall Street on Sunday, December 16th was entitled “Mi Gente, Repent and Return”. The sermon was based in part on the text of Luke 3: 7-18 and on the visit she and others recently made to Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas which provides shelter and assistance to individuals and families who are beginning their lives in the United States, some of whom are just coming out of detention centers. Reverend Varghese reminds us that:
· The United States has a long history of being just one of the forces which has helped to create the current conditions in many South and Central American Countries.
· The current policies make it nearly impossible for men or women to come here and work and then return to their families in their home country resulting in many bringing their families with them.
· Many, if not most, of these families come from the Americas. The United States is one of the Americas
One of the children (age 7?) holding the hand of an adult smiles broadly to the Reverend Varghese and other visitors and says, OLA!
Ola translates as hello. Mi Gente translates as my people.
Ola mi gente
John says: “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”
Ola mi gente
The people ask: “What shall we do?”
John says “If you have two shirts share one.”
Ola mi gente
John says: “Do the same with food.”
Ola mi gente
John says: “Don’t collect any more taxes than required.”
Ola mi gente
John says: “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely – be content with your pay,”
Ola mi gente
These are my people. We are their people.
There is no us and them.
Who indeed is the criminal?
Ola mi gente
John says: “One comes who will baptize you with the holy spirit.”
The good news is this.
Mi gente
Ola
My gente are the sick, the wounded, the oppressed, the homeless, those overwhelmed with the newly arrived immigrants.
My gente are the tax collectors, the prison guards, the so-called terrorists, the ones living lonely in the gilded cages, the addicted.
Mi gente are the lonely and fearful hiding behind self-righteousness, a title, a wall.
Ola
My gente are ever present and everywhere present.
Ola
My gente
Jimmy F Pickett
Written December 23 2018
I am indebted, once again, to the Reverend Winnie Varghese whose sermon at Trinity Church Wall Street on Sunday, December 16th was entitled “Mi Gente, Repent and Return”. The sermon was based in part on the text of Luke 3: 7-18 and on the visit she and others recently made to Annunciation House in El Paso, Texas which provides shelter and assistance to individuals and families who are beginning their lives in the United States, some of whom are just coming out of detention centers. Reverend Varghese reminds us that:
· The United States has a long history of being just one of the forces which has helped to create the current conditions in many South and Central American Countries.
· The current policies make it nearly impossible for men or women to come here and work and then return to their families in their home country resulting in many bringing their families with them.
· Many, if not most, of these families come from the Americas. The United States is one of the Americas
One of the children (age 7?) holding the hand of an adult smiles broadly to the Reverend Varghese and other visitors and says, OLA!
Ola translates as hello. Mi Gente translates as my people.
Ola mi gente
John says: “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”
Ola mi gente
The people ask: “What shall we do?”
John says “If you have two shirts share one.”
Ola mi gente
John says: “Do the same with food.”
Ola mi gente
John says: “Don’t collect any more taxes than required.”
Ola mi gente
John says: “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely – be content with your pay,”
Ola mi gente
These are my people. We are their people.
There is no us and them.
Who indeed is the criminal?
Ola mi gente
John says: “One comes who will baptize you with the holy spirit.”
The good news is this.
Mi gente
Ola
My gente are the sick, the wounded, the oppressed, the homeless, those overwhelmed with the newly arrived immigrants.
My gente are the tax collectors, the prison guards, the so-called terrorists, the ones living lonely in the gilded cages, the addicted.
Mi gente are the lonely and fearful hiding behind self-righteousness, a title, a wall.
Ola
My gente are ever present and everywhere present.
Ola
My gente
Jimmy F Pickett
Written December 23 2018
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