A letter from Katie Griffin in Argentina
May 2, 2011
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
As I was putting a load of laundry to wash before leaving for work this morning, my husband turned on the news on TV. He only watched for about two minutes. When I came back in, he told me the sobering news that U.S. special forces had killed Osama Bin Laden. The anguish in my soul is acute. Not because I am a fan of Bin Laden — not at all. But because the first thought on my mind was: What is to stop Al Qaeda from seeking revenge? How many more people will suffer? Bush the father was a friend and ally of Bin Laden against the Soviet Union in the late 1980s. Bush the son started the war against Al Qaeda. Will Al Qaeda seek vengeance against the Bush family? Will they seek vengeance against whoever is in the U.S. presidency? Will they seek vengeance against any representation of the United States of America? Will the war ever stop?
As I made the 45-minute drive in to work, I listened eagerly for news and analysis on the radio. However, local news took precedence over international news this morning. The commuter train line from the western suburbs of Buenos Aires (where I live) was in flames. Riots started at one station, in Haedo, then spread two stations eastward to Ciudadela, then to the station in between, Ramos Mejía. When I got to the city limit on the highway (which is maintained by expensive tolls), there were huge billows of black smoke coming up through the bridge on the highway from the first train station on this line within the city limits, Liniers. Thousands of passengers use this train line to get to work every morning, and today, of course, the service is completely stopped. According to the radio report to which I was listening, the riots were supposedly started by passengers who were protesting, yet again, the delays, the extremely poor service, broken train wagons, etc. Yet the news reporter was strongly indicating that he suspected that the riots were not started by the passengers but by one or another group of social rebels.
Those of us who are wealthy enough own and maintain a small vehicle (my car is new, 2009, but very modest as cars go) and pay the heavy highway tolls (I pay somewhat more than U.S. $5.00 a day to drive round trip about 35 miles; we also pay about U.S. $4.13 per gallon of gasoline). Mission co-workers receive the minimum pay of PC(USA) employees, but here in Argentina my paycheck puts my family within the top 30 to 40 percent of family income. There is a huge gap between the top 20 percent and the top 10 percent of income earners in the country, but there is another huge gap between the top 40 and the top 50 percent of income earners. About 30 percent of the population continues to live very near or below the line of poverty. This morning I felt my privilege deeply.
In the wake of the news about Bin Laden and in the midst of my economic and social realities here in Argentina, I wonder how many U.S. citizens understand how privileged we are. I definitely understand why so many Latin Americans resent the United States, which leads me also to imagine why so many people all around the world could resent the United States.
As a Christian struggling to live faithfully to Jesus Christ in a world of upheaval, I wonder how many Christians in the United States are dedicated to maintaining our privileges, and how many are dedicated to living out the constant chorus of the Psalms, “God’s steadfast love endures forever.”
In the midst of war and social upheaval, where, oh where, is God’s steadfast love and mercy? The temptation to throw in the towel and give up the fight against the forces of sin and death around me is sometimes overwhelming. God, grant me faith, hope and love to live through this day in the presence of the grace of Jesus Christ. May your Church be faithful to your Cross and risk everything in order to show the world that there is a better way. God, have mercy on your children, that we may be merciful to all.
Under God’s mercy,
Katie
The Rev. Kathleen M. Griffin
Professor of Church History
Instituto Universitario – ISEDET
The 2011 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 303
