Side Trip

Last semester I took a cultural missions class about the gospel. One main point professor Derran Reese argued for is that there is no such thing as culture. Now you’re thinking, ‘Deanna, that’s crazy talk. Of course culture exists.’ What Derran means is that it is extremely difficult to define any particular culture and stay true to every person and characteristic that description might include. For example what does it mean to be from the United States (I hate this phrase, but to be ‘American’)? You speak English? You’re European dissent? You like country music? You’re Christian? Of course not. None of these things describe a majority of the nation. There is no one clear definition of what it means to be ‘American.’ I have found this to be particularly true when trying to figure out Chilean people. Every city has its own characteristics and the people do not fit into any clear molds. Of course I have studied these concepts in my time at ACU, but it becomes reality when you physically spend time in another place. Let’s remember this when we think about our own population as well as those around the world. Generalizing entire peoples does no good. 

I write to you this humid morning from the cozy B&B in Buenos Aires, Argentina. My dad came to Chile last week for his school’s Centenial reunion, so I joined him in Santiago for a night before flying together to Argentina. This 4 day trip is his graduation gift to me, and what a beautiful place it is.