January 5: The Missing Angels

Dressing angels for a church service.

By Magdalena I. García

I had some really good conversations today about what it means to be multicultural. It came about because some of us who are part of the Presbyterian multicultural movement are concerned that there be room for theological variety around the table—and not just racial and ethnic diversity.

Clearly we—the so-called colored people of this world—are very comfortable celebrating our espresso or café-au-lait skin, our vivacious ways, our poly-rhythmic conversations (thanks to Yolanda Nieves for blessing me with this term). But are we equally eager to embrace everyone else’s ways? And are we ready to acknowledge that underneath our caramel and chocolate skins there is an enormous assortment of fillings?

It’s bad enough that the US Census has been trying to convince us for decades that we are all the same—that is, Hispanics—instead of Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Guatemalans, Colombians... But have we bought into the lie? If we are all the same, can somebody tell me why my own extended family continues to have so many heated conversations around the kitchen table over all kinds of subjects?

Building the beloved community must mean tearing down all barriers so that everyone is welcomed at the table. Period. No strings attached. Otherwise, there is nothing be-loving about this community; it is a rather un-loving click. Truly, the credibility of the multicultural movement—and more importantly, the Gospel and the church—is at stake here.

This all got me thinking about the multicultural angels that I made this past Advent for a worship service. They were beautiful and colorful. And they represented various cultures around the world. But what about the missing angels? Will there ever be, for example, a homeless angel? An undocumented angel? A gay angel? Of course. So I guess that my craft-making and my faith are both a work in progress...