"I AM: Proud" --An Unlikely Friendship Develops Between Neighbors

Photo: https://www.pottsmerc.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/2021/08/2ca81abc2a4fc8f4ed0141e735157e31.jpg?w=620Photo

Ed.: As part of Studio B Art Gallery's "I AM: Proud" project, local writers, artists, and community members were encouraged to respond to the theme. 

by Dave Bitler*

It was an unlikely meeting. A pastor relocating from North Carolina to Berks County, PA, and a Mexican business owner and self-professed atheist of the Ayn Rand school, purchasing an old farm to restore the mill and create a museum and a culinary school on the property.

A meeting, initiated by a third party, because one of the original owners of the 1700’s mill (a veteran of the American Revolution) was buried in the cemetery of the church where the pastor is now serving.

An unlikely request. Would the pastor be willing to offer a prayer of dedication and blessing over the plans and the property of the investor?

An unlikely ceremony, filled with live classical music, attendees dressed in suits and bib overalls, all four verses of the Star-Spangled Banner, history and destiny.

Photo Photo Credit: Luann Zambanini

A nagging question with an unlikely answer. Why would a Mexican investor seek to restore and improve a piece of Pennsylvanian German heritage? Because heritage, in itself, is important.

The unlikely friendship continues to grow, and another unlikely question emerges. How could a Pennsylvanian pastor seek to invest in Mexican culture? Can the bridge be built from both ends at the same time? Heritage is important. It’s worth saving and celebrating.

An unlikely trip to Mexico. Lots of learning, tasting, and watching. Skulls and the Day of the Dead. Museums, cathedrals, pyramids, and holy sites. Planting trees on a nature preserve. Resting in solitude almost 9000 feet above sea level. Arriving at a community event and being greeted with smiles and handshakes. Eating cactus-topped steak in a restaurant located in an underground cave.

I am proud to say my friend is no longer an atheist. I’m proud to say that, together, we are trying to build a bridge between our two cultures and countries. I am proud to follow the command of Jesus, to love God and neighbor. As an American citizen, I am proud to say Mexico is my neighbor. Celebrating the culture of another does not diminish your own, it enhances it.

I don’t know where exactly this unlikely journey will lead, but I’m proud to be on it.

* Dave Bitler is Pastor of St. John-Hill Church in Boyertown, PA. He is also a Tattoo Storyhunter and Evangelism Resident with Evangelize Today Ministries.

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