A Cathoic radio station is helping me learn more Spanish. I recognize a lot of the songs from my church-going days. Very helpful!

 

Yesterday afternoon, I pulled out the radio I bought a week or so ago and turned it on, looking for a radio station with DJ’s/emcees that spoke slowly and clearly enough for me to be able to distinguish one spoken word from the next.  I found one that was perfect, not realizing, at first, that it’s a Catholic/Christian radio station.

 

But pretty quickly, I heard comments like “Gracias a mi dio” and other terms that clued me in. And there were “pastors” (poss-torz) who spoke briefly every so often, slowly enough that I can separate every word and make sense of a great many of them.

 

But what sealed the deal for me is that a lot of the worship songs that play on it were ones I learned (in English) when I was in the choir at Church For All Nations in Tacoma, before I discovered that it was leaning more toward Church for Aryan Nations than Church for All Nations, at which time I fled like one who’s tail was on fire. (As did a great many of my choir members as the same thing dawned on them subsequently.)

 

For almost two years, I loved being in the choir. I learned a great many songs, both traditional and contemporary. We often sang songs from the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.  Last night during the night I heard at least three of the same songs, but in Spanish. And although I’m no longer a “Christian” (I’m a huge fan of Christ and his actual teachings, however!), I felt right at home.

 

I probably won’t stay with this station as I evolve as a Spanish speaker, but for now, it’s awesome to hear, in a language still foreign enough to be able to appreciate it, the utter sincerity and devotion that these pastors and DJs exhibit toward their Creator and other sacred individuals: Jesus, Mary, Saints, etc. It’s the same sincerity and devotion I saw displayed during the Independence Day festivities in Grecia on September 15th.

 

This culture is a devoted place, where the words of Jesus live inside them in a way I have not seen in nearly enough nominal (in name only) Christians in the U.S.

 

I have no problem respecting the faith and devotion of Costa Rican Christians/Catholics.  They reflect Christ in thought, word, and deed.  And boy howdy, can I embrace a people and a culture like this one!

 

I will point out the people in the U.S. that I know personally who do reflect the same Christian/Catholic virtues, few and far between as they are.  They are Sue and George Rebar, Wendy McNiven, Jennie Wallace, Sherry Sutton, Sandy King, Hannah McCrane, Hannah’s mom and  dad, Judi  and Mary Jane Cooper, Jessie Richards, Edward Smith, Lisa Twining, Billie Rae Walker, and a few others who will be as upset as I will be that I forgot to add them.

 

But get this: Not all of these listed individuals are Christians! Which only goes to show you that it isn’t religion that makes people decent human beings;  it’s decent people that make cultures worthy of a Creator/Universe that supports all of us, so-called (BOO! HISS!) “saints and  sinners alike”.  (The  term “sin”, by the way, simply means “missing the mark,” — not hitting the bullseye in a predetermined eclesiastical target — not abomination!)

 

Anyway, that’s my take this morning as I listen to a radio station that speaks clearly, slowly and and lovingly enough that I want to keep listening to it while I develop my Spanish language aptitude…