Mexico: a land of myriad people, problems and opportunities

MEXICO CITY, Mexico — Many people think they know all about Mexico. They describe it as poor, corrupt and Roman Catholic – and its people speak Spanish. This is an inadequate description of a complex nation.

There is a lot of poverty in Mexico, but there are also many wealthy people. There has been corruption for decades in Mexico’s government and business structures, but reforms have encouraged many that real change is taking place.

Colourful tapestry

Spanish is the official language of Mexico, but more than 40 other languages are also spoken. And Mexico’s culture is traditionally Catholic, but the religious landscape is much more complex than it seems. Evangelical and charismatic churches are growing rapidly and Mexico’s Catholics are in the midst of a biblical renewal.

It is within this colourful tapestry that the Bible Society of Mexico strives to bring God’s message of renewal and redemption. Working with Catholic, evangelical and charismatic churches, the Bible Society is rebuilding its outreach with the help of Opportunity 21 (O-21). General Secretary the Rev Abner López is well aware of the challenges his Society is facing.

“Today the Bible is considered an important book,” Mr López explains. “Historically, however, the Bible was not especially important in the Catholic Church here. In recent years, the Catholic Church has begun to have Bible studies for lay people, and these have become very strong. We are making a great effort to work more with the Catholics.”

But Mr López says that, at the same time, a strange thing is happening among the traditionally Bible-centred evangelicals.
“Many evangelicals seem to be losing interest in the Bible,” he laments.

“The newer evangelical churches seem to focus more on worship, music and personal testimonies.”

This does not bode well for the spiritual growth of these churches, he contends, because the experience of the Bible Society has been that God’s Word is essential for church development.

The irony of this situation is that while there is a shift away from biblical preaching, evangelical churches in Mexico still revere the Bible itself.
“The older evangelical churches still support the Bible Society in distribution,” he says, “while the newer churches, even though they don’t read it as they should, still honour it.”

Whether Catholic or evangelical, most Mexican Christians agree that Bible translation is a major challenge.

“Translation is a very complex task,” Mr López notes. “There are about 10 million Mexicans who speak languages other than Spanish, and there are about 40 of those languages, with more than 260 dialects.”

Pointing

In Mexico, O-21 is moving beyond simply translating and distributing God’s Word – it is pointing to the Scriptures as the foundation for improving the lives of the most disadvantaged citizens. Mr López recognises work with street children as being of paramount importance.

“One of Mexico’s most serious problems is the street children. That is why one of our O-21 projects is aimed at bringing them new hope through the Scriptures.”

Efrain Amaro Palermo, the Society’s O-21 Co-ordinator, says O-21 is vital for the Bible Society’s growth.

“Our Hope for the Marginalised O-21 program is made up of three huge projects,” he explains. “Without O-21, we might be able to do some parts of each them, but because we have the promise of O-21, we are able to do them at a much higher level.

“I am excited about O-21, but it is a lot of work! In many ways we are just beginning to put the first stones in place to build the structure.

“When O-21 is complete, many illiterate people will have the opportunity to learn to read and write. Street children will have hope and their lives will change. O-21 will also lead to better relationships with the churches, so it will help with distribution.

“Most importantly, more people will have contact with the Bible and their lives will be improved through the Scriptures.” (WR 375/43 - 3.03)