Synodal Bus

I remember travelling on minibuses in Jamaica. When the bus departs the terminus, it is full, with each passenger having his/her seat. En route to the destination, the bus stops periodically, not necessarily for passengers to disembark, but for more passengers to embark, accompanied by the conductor shouting to the onboard passengers, “Small up yuhself.”

Notwithstanding the extreme heat, heightened body odours, loud music, sometimes violence and bruised glutes, these bus rides are characterised by:

• . . . a levelled playing field among the passengers, no hierarchical or privileged positions or status;

• . . . vibrant conversations throughout the journey about a myriad of topics: politics, religion, relationships, sex; 

• . . . a raw and brutal honesty and openness about life issues, personal mistakes, and family problems; 

• …an intense sense of an informal community, albeit temporary and untested, developing along the journey. 

The Jamaican expression “small up yuhself” (“Small up yourself”), used by bus conductors, helps us understand and explain the nature of the Church’s synodal journey as one of communion and participation in the mission of evangelisation. 

“Smalling up yourself” on the synodal bus ride speaks to inclusivity, allowing everyone to discern God’s will. It’s an invitation to deeper Communion and greater Participation in the Mission of the Church.