The fifth issue of the “Synodal Spirituality” series, published by the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM), offers a reflection on the need to live an incarnational spirituality—one capable of hearing the cry of the people, caring for our Common Home, and recognizing God’s presence in the diversity of Amazonian cultures and territories.
“Out in the Open, Barefoot Through the Amazon” is the title of this fifth installment, written by Azucena Correa Plata, a religious sister of the Missionaries of the Immaculate Conception, who holds a master’s degree in theology and a bachelor’s degree in social sciences with an emphasis on applied anthropology. Her career is linked to ecclesial organizations such as the Latin American Confederation of Men and Women Religious (CLAR), the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM), the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA), and the Amazonian Itinerant Network.
This reflection begins with a biblical invitation that illuminates the entire journey: “Do not come any closer; take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground” (Ex 3:5). From this perspective, the author proposes a spirituality that invites us to shed our certainties, traditional frameworks, and self-centeredness in order to approach the reality of the Amazon with humility and allow ourselves to be transformed by it.
A Spirituality Born on the Roads
Drawing on the experience of Jesus, Correa Plata presents a spirituality in the open as a way of living out faith through encounters with people, especially those who experience exclusion, suffering, and vulnerability. The life of Jesus—lived on the roads, by the river, in communities, and in everyday settings—becomes a model for a Church that goes out to meet others and recognizes the signs of the Kingdom in the lives of the people.
This spirituality demands a faith with open eyes, capable of recognizing the face of God in those who struggle for their dignity, justice, and peace. It is not merely a matter of proclaiming the Gospel with words, but of making it visible through concrete gestures of solidarity, closeness, service, and commitment to life.
Walking Barefoot: An Invitation to Ecological Conversion
One of the central themes of the document is ecological conversion. The author reminds us that mission work in the Amazon requires an understanding that everything is connected and that caring for nature is inseparable from the defense of human rights and the rights of the peoples who inhabit the region.
Walking barefoot represents a spiritual disposition to feel the earth, listen to its wounds, and recognize the suffering of communities affected by the exploitation of natural resources, violence, and territorial dispossession.
In this sense, Amazonian spirituality invites us to reconnect with the memory of Indigenous peoples and with their deep relationship with rivers, trees, the jungle, and biodiversity.
The earth is not merely a geographical space, but a source of life that demands care, respect, and protection.
Indigenous Peoples: Where the Seeds of the Kingdom Sprout
The reflection also acknowledges the spiritual richness of Indigenous peoples and their cultures. Drawing on shared experiences with women from the Murui people, the author highlights the importance of listening to their stories, recognizing their struggles, and valuing their processes of cultural and spiritual recovery.
These encounters reveal experiences marked by violence, abuse, and cultural imposition, but also by resistance, memory, and hope. The revival of native languages, the recognition of ancestral knowledge, and the community’s relationship with nature are fundamental elements for understanding the spirituality that dwells in the Amazonian territories.
From this perspective, Indigenous peoples are not merely recipients of evangelization. They are bearers of a spiritual richness in which the seeds of the Kingdom of God are also manifested. Therefore, the Church’s mission is called to listen, learn, share, and walk alongside them without trampling on cultural diversity.
A Church That Listens to the Language of Creation
Another significant aspect of the document is the contemplation of nature as an expression of God’s presence. The river, the jungle, the trees, and every form of life convey a message of communion and hope.
The author presents the river in particular as a symbol of life, encounter, and connection among peoples. Its course reminds us that water is a fundamental right and a common good that needs protection. Its cry is also that of communities who lack decent living conditions.
This perspective broadens our understanding of the evangelizing mission: caring for creation, defending territories, and working for socio-environmental justice are all part of following Jesus and of the Christian commitment.
Walking in the Style of Jesus in the Amazon
In her closing remarks, Azucena Correa Plata invites us to live a synodal spirituality that leads us to journey through the geographical and existential Amazon hand in hand with Jesus of Nazareth. A spirituality that allows us to recognize human vulnerability, overcome self-centeredness, and approach others with respect, humility, and sensitivity.
This proposal also represents a challenge for the Church with an Amazonian face: to walk alongside the peoples, recognize their wisdom, listen to their cries, and discover the presence of the Spirit in every culture and territory.
The invitation is to walk barefoot, with open eyes and a willing heart, making synodality a concrete experience of encounter, communion, care for life, and hope for the entire Amazon.