A Culture of Abundance

First off, those photos in the last post are from various places along the way on our Peru adventure.  The city ones are of Cusco, where we were based.  The market scene is in Chinchero, not far outside of Cusco.  Chinchero is renowed for its weaving and textiles - and Sunday market.  The Incan sacred sites are Pisac, Machu Picchu, and Choquechirao.  The group shot that looks like we are on top of the world is the summit of Wayna Picchu.  You can see Machu Picchu quite far below us.

As I continue my work clearing the site for the labyrinth (I'll get to that later), I am still reflecting on our trip to Peru.  I am struck that in a country that many of us would describe as a place of scarcity, there is a overwhelming culture of abundance. 

Peru is part of the Third World - no doubt about it.  You have got to be careful if you drink the water, especially in rural areas. After all, you don't know used Pampers or simply horse manure have contanimated the waterway farther upstream.  You can't flush toilet paper down the toilet (you'll find a small covered waste basket next to every john from the airport to restaurants to family homes).  Many houses are built of mud and straw bricks or concrete, often with dirt floors.  In rural areas, there may be no plumbing at all.  Many people are subsistence farmers.  A meal is potatoes.  A feast is a newly slaughtered chicken to go with them.

Perhaps because of our consumerist bent and affection for material goods, many of us would label these people as impoverished, lacking the essentials, and living lives of scarcity.  And yet, my experience was that there was the belief that there is always enough to go around - from warmth and welcome to food.  Hospitality is part of being human, part of that sacred web that connects us all.  Whereas in the US, we might walk by people we do not know (or even those we do) in silence and avoiding eye contact, in Peru, we were always greeted - whether on the trekking trail or in the city - and found ourselves enjoying the opportunity to greet in return.  Consequently, you will need to expand your Spanish vocabulary to also include "buenos dias,"  "buenas tardes," "buenas noches," and simply "hola."

There is a strong sense that whatever God or gods you believe in will provide.  There is always more than enough to go around.  We are all called to share what we have.  And so after our lunch in Chinchero with Puma's family, a cup of anise liqueur (said to be good for the digestion) was passed around for anyone who wanted a sip.  Leftover food on our trek was given to the families on whose land we had camped.  Snacks on the trail were sometimes divided into 9 portions, so we could all have some. When Joe and I finished our trek and were waiting for the others to fetch us and our gear with the van, Ruben had two tamales in his daypack.  He share them with Joe and Puma and me.  And when a couple of women passed by on their way into town, we in turn shared the tamales with them. 

Perhaps abundance and scarcity is simply a matter of perspective - or theology - or faith.