Celebration

READ BEFORE SHARING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN

As we were reading on the corridor of Casa Concordia, a truck pulled in with a beautiful young steer in the back. We wondered why a steer would be in the heart of the city of San Salvador. The steer was unloaded, roped to a tree, and his legs were tied; he was brought down and a loud long moo expressed his final moment. A 10 inch knife was pushed into the soft spot at the base of his skull. The men lined up their simple tools of two long sharp knives and an ax.

It may seem strange to write about this in detail, but it bears comment that we live and work in a new culture where differences are becoming more striking. To ignore and not share these differences would cheat all of you from this amazing experience.

We decided to watch while it was butchered. Clarification: Nancy watched everything; David joined to watch when it looked more like meat and less like steer. The men butchering the steer worked quickly and quietly; they cut with precision indicating years of experience in this process. It all seemed very dignified with the proper respect for this gift of life and knowledge that this animal had a purpose in life and death.

The meat was being readied for the following night’s celebration for a youth choir from Switzerland performing in San Salvador. At this fiesta given by the Bishop, a barbeque pit of concrete block was built. Bamboo (a building material of the third world) was cut in 4 foot skewers for placing the chunks of meat. Carbon rocks (yes carbon rocks) were the fuel. They light fast and burn hot.

The meat was cooked and served. While we ate, the choir from Switzerland sang. After they performed, a local group of men sang and played instruments of the indigenous Mesoamerican tradition.

The men played for hours, but it got late and the fiesta needed to end. The evening was like the first balmy night of summer when you much prefer to enjoy being outside until the cool or damp of the late hour moves to closure of the day.