16 August, 2010

Today’s Gospel from Matthew: ‘Go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor.’
Lord, you know that I long to possess eternal life. Did you really mean it when you said that in order to possess eternal life I have to give away all my possessions? If I do, then what? Live on the streets and be fed by the Vinnies? Do you want me to do that?

In silence you can hear Him say, ‘Don’t be silly. You know that I don’t want you to do that. But I do want you to share what you’ve been given. I want you to stop making your comfort and your possessions the center of your life. Please think about me and what you know in your heart I want you to do. ‘The fact is that I am your way, your truth and your life. Listen to me and trust me.’
Now this makes better sense to me, especially here in the Yucatan where so many have absolutely nothing to surrender. I am more focused on the simple creature comforts of life; they enjoy the simple things of life and are always willing to share them with anyone they meet.
One of the things I like best about Mérida is its warm, tropical nights. Perhaps it's the result of being indoors all afternoon escaping the heat and then venturing out with everyone else into the lovely evening air. I enjoy sitting in the plazas or at sidewalk cafes. Chatting with friends. People watching. Eating a late meal. Listening to music. Walking around town and peeking in open, lighted doorways or greeting folks sitting outside their homes. Watching the stars and moon from the backyard. It is one of my very favorite things about this special place.

I feel safe everywhere in Mérida and at all times of day or night. My friends and family in the U.S. simply cannot get this. They are always reading and hearing about drug lord shootings in Mexico and think I am crazy to live in such a land. It is sort of like saying violence is on the rise in Tampa so I am going to move to Nebraska. Last week, U.S.A. Today ran a feature story entitled "Mexico's violence not widespread". It actually was a pretty fair representation. Mexico's murder rate per 100,000 population is 14.0. That compares to 22 in Brazil, 59 in Jamaica and 34.3 in Belize. While higher than the 5.4 for the United States, Washington, D.C.'s rate of 31.4 is well above Mexico City's rate of 8.0. It is simply not reasonable nor fair to apply rates for specific areas to an entire region or country. The state with the lowest rate in Mexico is Yucatan with a rate of 2.0. This is comparable to Wyoming and Montana in the U.S., neither of which have a metro area as large as Mérida.

I walk everywhere in Mérida and at all times of the day and night. Never have we felt threatened or at risk. It's something I especially enjoy about life here.