Wisdom in the Streets
By Dave Hoffman, vice president
John Stott Ministries
Langham Scholar Juan-Jose Barreda is just about to complete his Ph.D. in Theology from ISEDET University Institute in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His dissertation is on the “Messianic Expectation in the Qumran Writings and a Comparison with the New Testament.” While Juan-Jose’s dissertation is certainly an impressive reflection of his deep, biblical knowledge, it’s in the streets of Argentina where Juan-Jose seeks and discovers a different kind of wisdom.
On my recent trip to South America, I met Juan-Jose at ISEDET; later that evening we visited his church, where he was hosting a movie night for some local street kids. I quickly learned from him that one of his passions is working with the homeless on the streets of Buenos Aires. He feels that he learns a lot about himself and the Bible by getting to know them.
Originally from Lima, Peru, Juan-Jose moved to Argentina some 20 years ago and has been a Baptist pastor there for 15 years. “I love to teach the Bible,” he says, “and I think that the pastor has to have a deep studies in Bible, because … [teaching] grassroots leaders is difficult when you don’t have the preparation and study of the Bible yourself.” Juan-Jose says that leaders want their teachings to be more biblically sound, but with little or no programs for formal training, it becomes crucial to pass on scholarship as much as possible.
Juan-Jose is also concerned that the homeless in his area live in a culture where receiving help is uncomfortable to people, so he has been working to change the mindset of his church to reach out to them in a spirit of partnership and not in the typical patriarchal way of providing help. Weekly his church members go and sleep with them in the streets, and then homeless families come to the church and stay overnight there. It gives Juan-Jose and his church members a chance to eat with them and have Bible study together.
“It is interesting how God can teach me through them,” he says. “I help them to understand the world of the Bible and some methods reading the Bible, but they teach me about the street and how to live – to grow – and there is a moment when I understand that we cannot separate the academic from the pastoral care and the wisdom is not just in the seminary or the library, but also in the streets.”
This combination of “street” studies and formal education is a way Juan-Jose is able to meet with people who have a heart for the Word so he can spark in them the need to grow stronger in their growth with God.
After completing his studies, Juan-Jose will be teaching with the Kairos Foundation, which seeks to teach the Bible to churches and different ministries with an integral mission view. There he will help to train other area pastors and church leaders. He also plans to start some Bible education projects in the neighborhoods.
To learn more about Juan Jose, his comments on society, and how to pray for him read his comments below:
When you think about issues that you see happening in the society, what is one that the church can help most?
Juan-Jose: Well as a church, we are talking about solidarity right now. Here we live with a lot of individuality. And there is a problem because, everybody looks for himself, and our problems in society is that it is very difficult to find someone to help you, to take care of you. Also, it is difficult to get somebody to love. It is interesting because many people are asking for somebody to help them, but when somebody tries to, we have a culture where it is difficult to receive love from the other. We don’t know how to be loved. Our church tries to help men from 55 years, and we have serious problems. They say they want to be helped, but when we try, they feel very bad. So, as a church we have been transformed by the Holy Spirit to learn how to love somebody, to make space where everybody wants to be together and help each other and make a difference in our society.
In Argentina, 10 years ago we never saw people sleeping in the streets, but today, there are many families living in the streets and the society is not attending to their problems. They see them as part of a building and they just walk by and leave them there.
How can the churches in the West and America best pray for you?
Juan-Jose: First of all, it’s important to meet us. One from the other. When I talk about theology, I talk about the body. The body is important. We all need to meet to talk about things like what we all are doing. There is a lot of ways to help, but there are many that think we can help you to learn about the world and life in Christ. But when somebody feels that it is important to get to know the other it helps him or her to grow as well. I think that the first thing we need to learn together is to become friends, to have partnership and to love each other and take time together. When you think you have everything and you are the leader, you sometime forget that you need to love the other, and be loved in return.
Also, my father is very sick right now – he has Alzheimer’s and has recently been diagnosed with cancer.
If you could say something to the people that have made your scholarship possible, what would it be?
Juan-Jose: First of all – Thanks! I really appreciate the help that I receive. I started my doctoral studies in 1996, but I could not finish because of my work and my economic situation here – it wasn’t possible. And I think those who support me are part of my ministry right now. I feel that we are together in ministry that God has given to me. I want them to know that I will be working for God and I am thankful for them.