February 17, 2003
Reyes: Learn from Hispanic families
___By Ken Camp
___Texas Baptist Communications
___AUSTIN--The family of faith can learn important lessons about biblically authentic family life from Hispanic culture, Albert Reyes told a group of Texas Baptists.
___Reyes, president of Hispanic Baptist Theological School in San Antonio, explored distinctive characteristics of Hispanic family life as he spoke to the annual statewide confer
ence of the Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission Feb. 10 at First Baptist Church of Austin.
"Familia teaches us that when we become believers, we belong to the collective family of faith."
___ --Albert Reyes |
___"In Hispanic culture, familia is the basic unit of identity," Reyes explained. And as the Hispanic population in Texas continues to grow, that viewpoint will become "the frame of reference for the future," he predicted.
___Reyes was quick to note that the dominant family model in Hispanic culture is not biblically authentic in every respect. But the Latino view of "la familia" that includes the extended family--encompassing adopted members such as godparents--is close to the Middle Eastern view of the "household" as presented in the New Testament, he noted.
___"Familia starts with the extended family as its point of origin," he explained, adding that Hispanics tend to see life as a "web of relationships" starting with the broadly defined extended family and not just the immediate family.
___Relationships matter deeply in Hispanic culture, Reyes said. And the Latino-Hispanic culture tends to see the world as collective and connected, unlike the Euro-American culture that generally sees it as individual, segmented and compartmentalized.
___This means Hispanics tend to "see the world through the lens of the group," and feel a "common loyalty to each other," he added.
___The family of God in general can learn at least three valuable lessons from the Hispanic family model, he suggested:
___ Belonging. "Familia teaches us that when we become believers, we belong to the collective family of faith."
___Hispanic church members don't just use the terms "hermano" and "hermana"--brother and sister--as courtesy titles, he said. "We really mean it."
___ Loyalty. "Familia teaches that you defend the unity of the family. When you say something bad about my brother, you're insulting me."
___ Emerging identity. Hispanic culture is a tapestry woven from the threads of Spanish, Aztec, Mayan, modern Mexican and American cultures, and it is a continuing process of development, Reyes explained.
___That paves the way for believers to understand their "new identity in Christ." And that concept can help all Christians understand their role as the "Pueblo Nuevo, the new people of God," Reyes said.
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