Quintana Roo

The other day my dad brought up a really good idea, an idea that has brought me through a few compelling hours tonight. He suggested that I look up the history of Playa Del Caremen and its surrounding areas before I leave. And I sure am glad that I did, because what I found is rich.

Playa Del Carmen, (Known in ancient times as "Xaman-Ha" or "Waters of the North")and its surrounding area's were the core of the Mayan civilization. Especially that of Mayan Religion. Cozumel (which is only 15 miles east of Playa) was supposedly home to Ix-Chel, the godess of fertility and healthy childbirth; and her husband "Itzamna" the god of the sun (woah, talk about an important couple). Thousands upon thousands of Mayan pilgrims would travel from even beyond the likes of Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras just to pay homage to these gods. Shrines built in honor of Ix-Chel even still stand today. I didn't realize before that I was stepping into what used to be a land filled and centered around idol worship. Principalities that have long been over these areas.

Whats even worse is how Christianity was introduced to this area! Hernan Cortez from Spain came in to the picture around 1519, bringing a forced religion, small pox, and little desire to understand the Mayan people. Cortez and his men destroyed Mayan temples, and in place built Catholic churches. The Disease they brought decimated the population of Cozumel bringing it from a thriving 20,000 people, to less than 200 people in less than 50 years. The Mayans along with others began to rebel and resist against Christianity. And why wouldn't they? These strange men who bring intolerance, compasionless hearts, disease, and strange idea's forced on this culture untouched by the Gospel of Jesus.

Folks, can you believe so many have achieved horrific exploits of murder, genocide, enslavement, and greedy colonization in the name of a homeless man from Nazareth? A Godman who taught that if one were to ask us for our coat, that we should give them our shirt also? To die for a people who "know not what they do." Yet instead throughout history men have insisted to bulge, intrude, and barrage a manly path in the name of Jesus through those who have never even heard His beautiful name? Exploit and enslave I'm sure for the "better good" of the Gospel. Friends, that is no Gospel at all (the Gospel being the "good news") No my friends, that is the Bospel (definatly bad news).

With a first impression like that, I wonder what the spiritual atmosphere is like today. From what I understand, Catholicism is widely spread and flourished in the area now, and all across Mexico. Mayan spirituality is now a mixed breed with Catholicism, replacing the Gods with "Santos" and replacing their life stories with that of the Mayan idols. Still preserving and living in their ancient rituals. But the Mayan people still thrive... in a different way.

To say that the Maya civilization disappeared is not only an inaccuracy, but a great disservice to more than 6 million Maya living today in Guatemala, Mexico and Belize. While the city-states of the Classic period lowlands may have been abandoned in the tenth century, the Maya people did not disappear any more than the Italians when the Roman Empire fell.

-Jeeni Criscenzo http://www.criscenzo.com/jaguarsun/mayanow.html

To be known as a Mayan can be dangerous, the people being a target of social clashes, and religious intolerance. I suppose this would create sort of a nationalist feel, that is if the Mayan people had a nation. Missionaries like myself are seen as a threat to their way of life and culture. But heck, Jesus changed every culture He ever touched!

Is there still a deep running resistance in the local Mayans against the Gospel? Apparently so. How do these deep spiritual histories shape the atmosphere of the Mexican state Quintana Roo? How do the locals percieve the Lord Jesus? Holy Spirit, change our hearts.