Temple of the Sun

  

In July 1979, my husband and I flew to Peru to adopt two children. In July, 2013, with our now adult children, we flew to Peru to visit their ancestral home. It was an extraordinary journey for our family and for me, a growing awareness of the power of faith in history.

On our first Sunday in Lima, we visited the Cathedral Church of the Good Shepherd, which was founded in 1844 as the first non- Roman Catholic Church in Peru. It is now a bilingual parish and there were several women interested in the Order of the Daughters of the King. We had an interesting discussion with many questions. The women, already involved in a program of evangelism and service, were interested in how our Order would enhance that mission. I encouraged them to pray for discernment and promised to keep in touch and send them any materials they might need.

As we traveled around the country, I reflected on the difference between evangelism today and how it was done in the days of the Spanish conquest in the 16th C.

During that century the doctrine of the Roman Catholic church included a strong belief that if you were not part of the Church, you would go to hell. So the conquistadores had the argument that it was their duty to make all people Christians, i.e. Catholics - by any means necessary. This could be by promises of material goods, positions, jobs or torture and terror. By contemporary standards, these are not ways to bring people to the Christian faith. But during the many years of the Spanish conquest and occupation, power not persuasion was used to bring people to Christ. Military power was used to destroy sacred temples and spiritual leaders. Churches were built on top of the foundations and the ruins of those temples and sacred places.

The Christian God of mercy and love had been brought to these people by some of the monks who came to work in Peru during those years. This concept of a loving and merciful God was taught, often at the risk of the monk's lives. But the overwhelming message was that God was on the side of the Spaniards and all others needed to be subservient. It was not a new concept.

In our travels, we visited the pre-Inca sites of the Temple of the Moon and Chan Chan in northern Peru. I was struck by the slavery and the enormous amount of human sacrifice. The history of being exploited by rulers and religion was not new to these people. I wondered what it must have been like to be part of a culture which sacrificed hundreds and hundreds of human beings to gods in exchange for - what? At one point, these pre-Inca Moche rulers decided that the god they had been worshipping in such a manner was not responding and they changed gods! Still the sacrifices continued and the offerings came to the rulers.

Today one is aware of the many Madonnas and Virgin Marys, in parks and on street shrines. (No separation of church and state there.) But the remains of the old religion remain. An early painting of the Virgin in the Cusco Cathedral is really Pachamama, Mother Earth Goddess. Many Peruvians today acknowledge her every time they drink something by pouring out a little onto the ground. (Pachamama predates the Incas.)

I think of these traces of their ancient faith and I marvel at the loyalty and acceptance of this heritage. I also think of all those in this beautiful land, who are dealing with the many challenges this heritage of pain and oppression present. There are many today, who are working to enlarge the concept of Christ as the best possible expression of God's love for us. I pray for their efforts. 

 

Mariana Bauman

Communications Chair