The Borderline…The words on the chapel wall are from the prophet Hosea, “The desert will lead you to your heart where I will speak.” I went on retreat, hoping for a break and maybe some inspiration, but at first, I was just going through the motions. It has been a long and challenging year. We live at such a chaotic time in our history. Is anybody else just tired? Selfishness and greed seem to rule the day and it is hard not to get caught up in the conflict and hate. “I know my side is right; how can you think the way you do?” Even if we don’t say it, that’s how many of us feel. We are entrenched, angry, self-righteous. Or at least I am sometimes. The theme of the retreat was “Sources of Compassion and Strength,” words that seemed pathetic at first and then elicited a faint hope. Perhaps I (we) could find something. The faculty presenters, one a Catholic layperson and the other a Jewish rabbi, guided our days and centered our thoughts, drawing on resources from all faith traditions. We sang and prayed, sat in silence and talked. With no TV and no newspapers, we left the news cycle behind for five full days. Some of us laughed for the first time in a long, long time and some of us cried. The world’s brokenness didn’t leave us; we carried too much of it inside. But we left some of it there, shucked it in our confidential setting. It was all renewing and we were an eager bunch. I don’t think I’ve ever been with a group of people hungrier for renewal than these folks. And it all took place in the desert, just as the prophet said it would. How long had it been since I had really looked at creation’s wonder? A thunderstorm in the middle of the day washed the landscape clean. The rich, oxidized air was laced with desert aromas. I thought about the Tohono O’odham people who have lived in the Sonoran desert for centuries, their annual walk to Magdalena and the poetry of tribal member Ofelia Zepeda. I wandered around the retreat center, located next to Saguaro National Park West; walked the labyrinth surrounded by creosote bushes and stumbled through the stations of the cross nestled among the saguaro. I got up early and watched the sun rise over the Rincon Mountains to the east. At night I wandered among the stars and watched the moon rise and wane. I heard the coyotes yip and whine. A rabbit shyly hid and hopped, scampering across an open spot to nestle under a brittlebush. My soul followed. I wanted to stay a long, long time. But still, it was enough. Nature’s tenacity inspired me to stay open, to breathe and to listen. We need strength to show compassion, the kind of strength revealed when we let down our defenses and soak in some humility. Or as Czeslaw Milosz said, “Not that I want to be a god or a hero. Just to change into a tree, grow for ages, not hurt anyone.”      Jerry Haas    

Our second entry in the Social Investment Profile Series, FESAC Director Luis Torres. Please click here to read the full interview .

Magdalena

Here & Now Tour

Located just 60 miles south of Nogales, Magdalena de Kino has been honored as a Pueblo Magico, a special designation bestowed by the Mexican federal government because of its high level of historic and cultural significance to the nation. Just far enough away from the border, this tour provides an opportunity to take in the serene provincial heart of regional Sonora. The community is the terminus of an internationally famous pilgrimage route that spans both the United States and Mexico. This day trip includes both a look back to the past and a glance at the contemporary challenges of a small Mexican city along with a visit to neighboring San Ignacio to visit one of the Jesuit black robe Eusebio Francisco Kino's first missions founded at the end of the 17th century

Mexico's Day of the Dead tradition has been declared intangible cultural heritage of the humanity by UNESCO since 2003. How did this celebration became known worldwide? Day of the Dead is a cultural and historical construction that condenses European and Pre-Hispanic elements. Is an expression of the colorful, diverse, dramatic, and amazing mixture of symbolic features created in Mexico for centuries around the death. This lecture will explore the history and meaning of this cultural expression.



October 26, 2019

1:30-3:00 pm

CPAC- Community Performance & Art Center

Green Valley

The Long Shadow (A Frances Causey Film)

"This hard-hitting film, depicting the history of racism in this country, will be shown on PBS nationally in January or February. Frances Causey, producer and director, will be at this special viewing to respond to questions afterwards. Join us for this special event."

Calling all Volunteers

We invite you to join us for this upcoming Autumn BCA Volunteer organizational meeting.

The purpose of gathering will be an orientation to the Fall season calendar of BCA cultural programming [Cross Border Tours & The Borderlands Forum events] and to outline and assign future available volunteer opportunities. It is also a chance to connect with BCA staff and board members over Mexican Pan Dulce (pastries) and coffee about nonprofit milestones and future plans.

BCA Office

2221 E. Frontage Rd. Ste F-201 Tubac

Please email or snail mail your application to:

volunteer@bordercommunityalliance.org

or

BCA/Volunteer

PO Box 1863 Tubac, AZ 85646