First Fruits

"South America is the ambassador of Europe's civilizations to their more powerful neighbors to the North, still too harried to listen, but to whom will arrive the time of anguish and questions. But your role is not only as intermediary and conservationist: civilizations rot when they become overly conservationist. From your land something new must arise, we don't know what. American civilization has grown too rapidly; you mature more slowly, as do the things of nature. The fruit will be more delicious that way." -Emmanuel Mounier, 1949

This is a quote from the religion textbook I was given for teaching the third-years at Colegio del Niño Jesús. It has nicely framed my re-entry into work. Everything is slower here. I work fewer hours. I have fewer resources. But I have to believe that there is maturation going on, both in me and in the classroom. Even though I can't see it happening.

In the meantime, however, I get to enjoy the fruits of young wisdom. The 10-12 year olds were analyzing the quote "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." As one boy explained, "The camel was good and shared his wealth with the poor people, so he entered the reign of heaven. The rich man didn't share his wealth, and didn't enter the reign of heaven."