“The Missing Preposition”

By Magdalena I. García

“H2O: Deepening our faith, Widening our culture.”
It was the theme of the 11th National Multicultural Conference,
held in Chicago this past Memorial Day weekend,
and sponsored by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

It was a colorful conference.
It always is.
It was a joyful conference.
It always is.
It was an energizing conference.
It always is.
It was a challenging conference.
It always is.

Everyone has gone home
and now, barely a month later,
all eyes are on Minneapolis/ St. Paul
for the bi-annual meeting of the General Assembly,
where a different watery theme
has called Presbyterians together.

And yet, as I continue journeying
with that H2O theme floating in my head,
I find new waves splashing
on the shores of my consciousness.
Like the one that keeps murmuring:
“Where is the missing preposition?”

Deepening our faith by widening our culture.
It seems to me that is exactly what Jesus himself did
when he talked with the Samaritan woman at the well,
or when he had dinner with Zacchaeus the tax collector,
or when he accepted the challenge from the Syrophoenician woman,
or when he had healed the centurion’s servant…

Maybe it’s time we put that missing preposition
back into our church talk and faith walk.
Deepening our faith by widening our culture.
You could say it’s the original evangelism program.

When we dare do just that
we will need no other campaign.
Our tired denominational legs
will get a respite from treading water.
Our rigid denominational arms
will get relief from clinging to a lifesaver.
Our sinking denominational bodies
will get a breather from holding their heads above water.
And we will find ourselves splashing
in the midst of a growing company
of colorful, joyful, energizing, and challenging people.

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