Risk taking women


Before anything happened, I guessed I would have been writing about Zero Stress' celebrations upstaging the John Calvin conference.

Zero Stress now has double the space and since Sunday there have been events to mark the occasion. The users are mainly women from outside the Seminary. Olwen calls them rough diamonds, I'd agree, apart from the diamond bit. Her concern was that they'd misbehave: you could imagine some getting into the spirit of the occasion and knocking down more walls.

In fairness, for such women to support a Seminary activity isn't easy. Lower strata Latinos have a strong herd instinct. The barrio offers you protection, but you have to conform: stray and the cost can be high.

Last night's opening Calvin event didn't go as planned. It was anticipated 50 would attend to hear of his life, but 200 turned up: it's difficult to upstage Calvin.

Yet the two events are connected. Zero Stress' celebrations emphasize the reality of the Christian message. And for the barrio women conversion to a sincere belief in Jesus requires Herculean strength, better to say, divine strength: just as Calvin taught.

Photo: Trying to persuade the barrio women that Jesus is real

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