A Modern-day Pastorela and Posada at the Border--Geopolitical Life Imitates Folk Drama at la Frontera

In the traditional Mexican celebration of La Navidad--Christmas--much emphasis has been placed in folk culture on the story of the shepherds' pilgrimage to Bethlehem to visit the newborn Christ child.  This journey is portrayed in folk theater as a kind of miracle play known as la Pastorela. The ancient story serves as an allegory to all of our earthly and spiritual lives. As in many folk tales, the humble yet heroic travelers are confronted with temptations and obstacles along their way as Satan tries to deter them from reaching their goal: that of worshipping the Divine Child. The shepherds struggle to walk onward in the face of adversity, and ultimately are able to attain the reward of witnessing the truth of the birth, seeing the infant Jesus close at hand, and presenting him with their gifts.

As American Christians experience the Advent season of 2018, we see a real-life Pastorela being played out at our southern border. I'm referring, of course, to the "Caravan" of Latin American immigrants who are approaching la Frontera with the goal of fulfilling the dream of making a crossing to the Other Side. A quest for dignity, solidarity, and transformation has been portrayed in some circles in a distorted manner. The travelers are accused of being aggressive or even criminal. Yet it's clear to anyone conversant with Latin cultures that the intention underpinning this mass migration is something very different: the hope of realizing a new life characterized by safety, dignity, abundance, and Love; a fulfillment of the promise of the radiant Infant lying swaddled in the manger.

We can only imagine the dangers which these pastores have had to overcome in order to travel the thousands of miles from their homes to arrive at our threshold: the temptations to despair, to give up and turn back, to lose hope, to become hateful or angry, to fail to share what they have with one another, to feel burdened by their mutual responsibility, to forget to express gratitude for help received along the way. Or, most dire of all, to allow peaceful order to descend into chaos or violence.

Aside from the reenactment of the journey of the shepherds, another element of the Nativity story that is played out in traditional theater in Mexico is "las Posadas," or "the inns." This is a community pageant in which a costumed cast of shepherds and wise men follow a living Joseph walking beside the Virgin Mary mounted on a donkey. The group seeks shelter by knocking on doors up and down the village streets but are repeatedly told that there is no room within and turned away. Eventually, however, the caravan and its followers arrive at a predesignated house where they are addressed as "holy pilgrims" and invited to enter a festive celebration awaiting them inside--a piñata for the children and food, drink, and music for everyone.

Although such an occurrence would truly be a miracle, let us pray that the rich and powerful--including the raving Herod who snatches children out of their mothers' arms--can find within their hearts the openness and generosity to allow the Holy Pilgrims, those familiar strangers massing at our border, to be welcomed to enter this highly favored land.