In Medellin, the “Misión Emaús” (Emmaus Mission) community
supported by IELCO, is growing and strengthening its members. I was able to
visit the community this last weekend and participate in some of its
activities.
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| A poster of German Lutheran Pastor Dietrich Bonheoffer during WWII, "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.” Photo by Curtis. |
Every second Friday is Café Lutero (Luther Café), a space for open
conversation about a selected theme. The theme for last Friday was based on International Mother Language Day, focused on cultural resistance and
indigenous peoples. The conversations were incredible, talking about the
importance of language for indigenous peoples, the revitalization of the
Wampanoag language in Massachusetts (the indigenous people from the
Thanksgiving story), and the need to recognize what other cultures have to
teach us.
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| Poster at the Luther Cafe "Because thought is tax free". Photo by Curtis. |
On Saturday I led a workshop called "Human Rights: Theology, Theory and Practice". Great conversations continued as the community started the process of forming its identity regarding their work in protecting human rights. We will continue this process with two more workshops this year, hopefully developing a plan for the community to continue its involvement in human rights defense.
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| Yvonne and Carina getting ready to present their conversation about what it means to be made in the image of God. Photo by Santiago Giraldo. |
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| One of the small groups during a break-out session of the workshop discussing the inter-relatad values of the Jubilee laws of the old testament and the human rights of today. Photo by Santiago Giraldo. |
On Sunday I was able to participate in worship before I
headed back to Bogota.