Lutheran Colombian Perspectives on the Peace Agreements: Part Three

The recent announcement of the final agreements between the governmnet of Colombia and the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) is exciting news. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia (IELCO) and all affiliated organizations and ministries have been working for decades to build peace and look forward to the next stage in this long and arduous journey. What are the perspectives of Lutheran Colombians on the peace agreements and hopes for the future of their country?

The plebiscite, where the Colombian people will have the opportunity to vote "yes" or "no" on the agreement, will be held on October 2nd. Between now and then, we will be highlighting the voices of our Colombian Lutheran brothers and sisters and their perspectives on the agreements.

This week, Pastor John Hernandez, Pastor of the Emmaus Mission Lutheran Church in Medellin, Colombia, and Pastor Nelson Celis, Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in southern Bogota.

Pastor John Hernandez:

Pastor John Hernandez leading worship at Emmaus Mission. Photo bu Curtis Kline.

After so many decades of political violence in Colombia, we suddenly find ourselves with the concrete and real possibility to end the conflict with the FARC. This seems to have scared us. A few days after the announcement of the final agreement, the country demonstrated what so many years of violence has made of our society, which divided as it is, is debating between the "yes" and the "no" of the plebiscite.

It is clear that the agreements are beneficial for the country; an open-minded reading of them will confirm it. However, after so many years of mistrust, lies and manipulation, most people have fears as to the sincerity and the likelihood that those benefits will materialize. The majority of those who tell me they are going to vote "no", are almost certain that nothing will change and the violence will continue. Their vote is an expression of that hopelessness.

I don't know if the agreements will be implemented or not; I don't know if the lives of the ex-guerrilleros will be respected; I don't know if there will be an effective justice for the victims of the conflict; I don't know if peace and calm will arrive to the grassroots. This may not be the beginning of peace, but the agreements are an expression of the hope of a generation dreaming of the possibility, a generation unwilling to accept the fate of a failed society. This is the best argument I see to vote for "yes".

Pastor Nelson Celis:

Pastor Nelson Celis leading worship at St. Paul Lutheran Church. Photo submitted by Nelson Celis.

“Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, and not rather that they should turn from their ways and live? […]Again, when the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their life. Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live; they shall not die. […]Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord God. Turn, then, and live” (Ezequiel 18: 23, 27-28, 31b-32a).

If it is the Lord's will that we have life, and if life follows from the repentance of all our transgressions; if He himself gives the opportunity to turn away from evil and his desire is that NONE die, why would we perpetuate a conflict that feeds on the blood of the children of this land; a conflict that destroys the dreams and hopes of those who only seek to improve the welfare for their families; a conflict that makes our brothers and sisters miserable while the "fathers" of the country bask in their dishonest gain?

The historic opportunity to rid ourselves of the armed violence has broken through into this generation; allowing the light of life to touch us all and to restore the ties that make us fellow citizens and brethren; to reconcile and remember the victims, so we never again have to suffer the consequences of the war in Colombia. 

As a minister of the Lord, I should not, and I cannot, turn a deaf ear to the voice of God's children, those who are calling for an agreement between the players in this war. A call so that those who are trapped in the middle of the conflict do not continue to be the target of its bullets, better yet, so that not one more bullet is fired from anybody. Rather, that all will walk in the pursuit of justice, and with it, a legitimate peace; a peace which Christ has left for us, a peace which we want to live and leave for our children. As a Colombian, Christian, Lutheran pastor, I join the feeling and the longing of all who proclaim Christ’s love of neighbor, all those calling for a stable and lasting peace. Let me anoint by the balm of the Word which reads: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5: 9).

Lutheran Colombian Perspectives on the Peace Agreements: Part Two

The recent announcement of the final agreements between the government of Colombia and the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) is exciting news. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia (IELCO) and all affiliated organizations and ministries have been working for decades to build peace and look forward to the next stage in this long and arduous journey. What are the perspectives of Lutheran Colombians on the peace agreements and hopes for the future of their country?

The plebiscite, where the Colombian people will have the opportunity to vote “yes” or “no” the agreement, will be held on October 2^nd. Between now and then we will be highlighting the voices of our Colombian Lutheran brothers and sisters and their perspectives on the agreement. 

This week, Andres Alba, Technical Secretary for the Inter-Church Dialogue for Peace (DIPAZ) and member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia (IELCO).

Andres Alba in a workshop about the peace proccess, photo credit: submitted by Andres Alba

I took a taxi to work a few days ago. The driver and I talked the whole ride; the subject “yes” or “no” on the plebiscite for peace. First I listened to his worries about the Final Agreement; it is difficult to read the “fine print”, he said, and it is difficult to think of a guerrillero participating in politics. I tried to argue with him about what it means to “stop killing ourselves” (a popular campaign slogan) and to start peace-building from the grassroots without armed mediation from whichever armed actor. I specified that the implementation of the agreement between the FARC and the National Government is the work of all of the Colombian society. I insisted on the centrality of the conflict’s victims in the agreements, the transitional character of the agreements, as well as the restorative justice approach that has sustained the dialogue. I also tried to clarify that in no part of the agreements does anything similar to a “gender ideology” appear, only a gender focus for a necessary justice which is intended to be democratic for everyone.

The taxi driver respectfully stayed strong with his “no”. Finally, I asked him if he is a believer. He told me yes with enthusiasm. Then I brought up that biblical memory about Jesus’ arrest, where Peter reacts: “Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?” (John 18: 10-11).

I told him that for me to say “yes” on the plebiscite was a way to affirm the modern necessity to “put your sword away”. It will be fundamental to build peace together without denying our political differences or killing ourselves because of them. I managed to say: “we should do as Jesus, bet on or choose nonviolent action”.

Then the taxi driver, a man already advanced in age, without needing to, slowed down the cab and told me: “I was a soldier and I know what war is. I had not realized that Peter was armed. True, Jesus invites us to sheathe our sword. Of course, the zealots were present in Jesus’ times”.

The zealot spirit, I reminded him, encouraged the most violent faction of Judaism in the time of Jesus, The Zealots. That spirit tried to permeate the movement. Is it a coincidence that Peter had a sword with him or one of the twelve is called Simon the rebel (zealot: Lucas 6: 15) or that his disciples, in front of the mob at Jesus’ arrest, say: “Lord, should we strike with our swords”? I continued, saying: It may be that the plebiscite is a necessary step to pass through the cross and await the resurrection? What do you think? I asked him. He told me: “Let’s go for peace”. 

I told him, with one foot on the sidewalk and the other in the taxi, for me the plebiscite is not the fundamental thing, but it is an important chance to claim my right to peace, as well as the right of my son, Gabo.

I closed the taxi door and felt the many dead left by this war. I thought about the necessity to “stop killing ourselves” and the unique opportunity we have in this country. And I asked myself: Why not say yes to a Final Agreement that truly will require all our service and commitment to ensure its implementation? Why not disarm ourselves as Christians and as disciples of Jesus and say yes to this peace process which becomes yes to the plebiscite?

Lutheran Colombian Perspectives on the Peace Agreements: Part One

The recent announcement of the final agreements between the government of Colombia and the FARC (Revolutionary Forces of Colombia) is exciting news. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia (IELCO) and all affiliated organizations and ministries have been working for decades to build peace and look forward to the next stage in this long and arduous journey. What are the perspectives of Lutheran Colombians on the peace agreements and hopes for the future of their country?

The plebiscite, where the Colombian people will have the opportunity to vote “yes” or “no” the agreement, will be held on October 2^nd. Between now and then we will be highlighting the voices of our Colombian Lutheran brothers and sisters and their perspectives on the agreement. 

This week, Sara Lara, Coordinator of the Human Rights Program of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia:

Sara Lara, the coordinator for IELCO's Human Rights program. Photo credit - submitted by Sara Lara.

The hopes of Colombians have grown with the “final agreement for the end of the conflict and the construction of a stable and durable peace”to live without the war that has scourged the country for more than 50 years. The surrender of weapons by the FARC also strengthens the possibility of realizing the right to peace, enshrined in Article 22 of Colombia’s Constitution of 1991. 

Multiple organizations have arisen during this long war, many of them to defend the human rights of the conflict’s victims. These organizations have played an important role as protagonists of the social mobilization pushing for the peace agreements, as seen through the development of peace education, the diffusion of the agreements from Havana, and even the campaign for massive participation in the plebiscite which seeks to endorse the agreements on the 2^nd of October.

Civil society organizations have taken on the tasks entrusted by the government of President Santos, demonstrating the need to build peace from the grassroots and for forgiveness and reconciliation to become a reality. In this vein, the work carried out by churches is essential for the promotion of justice and the proclamation of the Gospel. Also noteworthy is the undisputed support of the international community for this process; since the beginning phase of secret negotiations to the implementation of the final agreements.

The challenges ahead are concerned with the experience of peace in everyday life; it is well known that the FARC exiting the armed conflict does not necessarily mean the end of violence in the streets, homes, schools and other living spaces. Nor can we ignore the persistence of other guerrilla groups like the ELN and the EPL and the criminal and paramilitary gangs that keep the Colombian armed conflict alive. 

It is also our call to make visible the more than 8,131,269 victims of the conflict whom are at the center of the agreement. They will need greater attention from the government to ensure the effective enjoyment of their rights. 

We will move forward, step by step, with trust in God to heal this land and with great expectations of peace. At the same time though, we are cautious of the current economic model, as well as the difficulties concerning the integration of demobilized guerrillas into political and civil life and the constant struggle for the respect of the rights of all people in Colombia.

¡Por eso es que hoy tenemos esperanza!

Last Wednesday, the 24^th of August, The Government of Colombia and the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) announced that they had reached the conclusion of their negotiations and the peace accords were ready to be signed. This is such an exciting time for Colombia, especially to be here accompanying the people who are working for peace! After more than 50 years of armed conflict between the government and the FARC, and now, after four years of negotiating, the country is ready to take a giant step towards peace.

The work of the churches in supporting this has been crucial, and will continue to be as the country struggles for the full implementation of the agreements. In fact, DIPAZ, the Inter-Church Dialogue for Peace, which the Lutheran Church of Colombia is a member, has been very involved in pressing the negotiating teams to keep at it, and was even mentioned by name in the final agreement document!

In the evening of Thursday the 25^th of August, DIPAZ held an ecumenical worship gathering to celebrate this giant step. The evening began with the song called ¡Por eso es que hoy tenemos esperanza! (Because of this we are filled with hope). A great song, worth listening to:

In an atmosphere full of hope we understood this achievement as “good news” that will lead to the transformation of the conflict in Colombia. Here is the official declaration from DIPAZ after hearing the announcement.

Ecumenical worship celebration of the announcement of the final peace agreement at the
Mennonite church in Bogota. Photo by DIPAZ.

Andres Alba of the Lutheran Church of Colombia reflecting on the
 Sermon on the Mount and "Blessed be the peacemakers..." 
Photo by DIPAZ. 

The next step in this process comes on October 2 of this year. A plebiscite will be held for the citizens to vote “yes” or “no” on whether or not they accept the agreement between the government and the FARC, legally mandating all future administrations to implement it.

There was a lot of celebration in the air here in Bogota on the night of the 24th, as well as all over Colombia. This article from the Colombian newspaper, El Tiempo, shows many photos of the joy and celebration. For those who read Spanish, here is the complete text (297 pages) of the final agreement.

A lot of difficult, yet exciting, work ahead as the IELCO continues to define and act on its role as an actor for peace and justice in Colombian society.

ProFILE

We are back in Colombia, and back at work full swing. I spent last weekend with the leadership group (ProFILE). If you heard us speak over the summer, you heard me talk about the importance of lay leadership, and lay leadership training. For this year, 2016, the ProFILE training will be 4 retreats, this was the 3rd. 

There is so much I could write about. The theme for the weekend was Liturgy and Diakonia, Pastor Jairo Suarez was the lead speaker, and just like last year (and please do read to refresh the ins and outs and more technical parts of the retreat) he did a great job. 

Saturday evening, every congregation brought a Luther Rose to gift to another congregation. Part of this gift also says our congregation is praying for your congregation. This was such a special night, and during this exchange I saw transformation happen. I watched the whole Colombian church get smaller, closer together, and become more of a family. It was beautiful to watch. This group had taken so much care in the gifts they brought. 

The ProFILE 2016 group with their gifts, Photo credit: my camera taken by someone from the retreat center

This retreat was in Villavicencio. This is one of the cities that is without a pastor, and has been for almost 2 years. For our Sunday closing worship, we invited the whole congregation to come and worship with us, break bread, and after worship share a meal together. 

The whole congregation from Villavicencio along with the participants from ProFILE

One of the requirements to graduate from ProFILE is to attend all of the retreats. Julian missed the 3rd one last year, so he came this year to fulfill his requirements. At the close of the worship he graduated, it was very special, extra special because he is from Villavicencio and therefore graduated in front of his family and church. He proceeded to tell the congregation about the importance of ProFILE, and thanking them for the opportunity. 

Pastor Ata presenting Julian with his certificate

What is Justice?

Recently, all tenth graders from the Saint Luke’s Lutheran School, in southern Bogota, were taken on a field trip to visit a prison in Bogota. The prison, “La Modelo”, is infamous for horrendous treatment of prisoners; here is a documentary for anyone interested.

The school then invited the Human Rights Program of the Lutheran Church, to spend some time talking with the students, helping them unpack what they witnessed during their visit. We focused on themes of justice; that there are many different ideas of what constitutes justice.  We had some great conversations with the students, beginning by asking if what they saw during their visit was in fact justice, as the prison is part of the “Justice System”. The discussion then went to compare justice as defined by humans with God’s justice. The students had a great time drawing/painting their thoughts on these issues.

Curtis helping the groups of 10th graders discuss "justice". Photo by Sara Lara.

Students of the 10th grade with their artful reflection, including justice as love, grace, forgiveness. Photo by Curtis Kline.

10th grade students artfully reflecting on their experience. Photo by Curtis Kline.

And we are back!

It was almost 3 months ago we wrote our last blog. The last 3 months have been a whirlwind of leaving Colombia, Home Assignment in the US (2 1/2 months), and returning to Colombia. During Home Assignment we visited churches in Colorado, South Carolina, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. We attended the Summer Missionary Conference just outside Chicago, and Curtis presented at the World Hunger Leadership Gathering in Chicago. We visited with friends and family. And so much more!

Sporting our Colombian colors!
Upper left: Curtis and his best friend Andrew
Upper right: Katie and her niece, photo credit Curtis
Bottom: Colombia Ops Team from the Southeastern MN, photo credit Pastor Mark Johnson

The name of our blog is 8000 Feet and Counting (because of the elevation of Bogota, which is just over 8500 feet). So to stick with the tradition of counting things, here are some counting we did during our Home Assignment. We drove over 8000 miles! A huge thank you to my Mom and Dad who loaned us my Mom's car for the majority of that driving, as well as Curtis' parents for loaning us his Mom's car and renting us a car, and Andrew and Leah who loaned us their car. We also stayed in 30 different houses/hotels....I can't list all the gracious people who housed us, but I can say, every single place we were so warmly welcomed and attended to. Thank you! We visited 14 different congregations, attended the South Carolina Synod Assembly, Curtis preached 9 different sermons (each was based on the Lectionary text for that week and how it related to Colombia and our work in Colombia) but because many churches had more than one service, he preached more than 9 times, and I lost count of the number of presentations.

Left: Curtis preaching at St John's Lutheran Church in Northfield, MN.
Upper right: Katie with Pastor Vera at Evergreen Lutheran Church in Evergreen, CO
2nd right:Our display table at St John's Lutheran Church in Beaufort, SC
3rd right: Katie giving the Children's sermon at Faith Lutheran in Dodge Center, MN
4th right: Welcome sign (special for us) at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Johnston, SC

We celebrated my Dad and his twin brother's 70th birthday with a surprise party. Visited my grandparents in Duluth, MN (not really grandparents, but I call them that). Visited with both of Curtis' grandpas. Visited with lots of extended family. Met our niece for the first time - now a year and a half old! Also, visited our other niece and nephew, who are now 9 1/2 and 4 (they've changed so much)....and visited with so many friends.

Happy birthday to my Dad and Uncle Denny! Left photo: Uncle Denny (left) and Dad with their birthday cakes
Right: My Dad and his siblings together for the birthday party, who came from all over the country to celebrate (left to right) Uncle Denny (Arizona), Aunt Julie (Minnesota), Aunt Elaine (Colorado), Dad (Wisconsin)

And some great family time! Upper left photo: Curtis and his Grandpa Kline.
Upper right: Katie's (Andert) family (photo credit, Katie with a timer).
Lower left: Katie's 'grandparents', Don and Barb Garnett, Duluth, MN (photo credit, Bob Garnett).
Lower right, Curtis (Kline) family (photo credit Katie with a timer). 

And some photos are too cute not to share: Curtis and his nephew...no doubt they are related! 

Curtis with what we brought back to Colombia with us!

Last Wednesday as we finished our Home Assignment we packed everything up, and flew back to Colombia! Thank you to everyone we saw and everyone we met. Thank you to all who welcomed us, the churches who sponsor us, and the churches who support and are interested in Colombia. Thank you to all who listened to our stories and asked such thoughtful (and difficult) questions. The time went too fast, but we are so thankful for the time together.  

P.S. We will return to our regular schedule of blogging every Tuesday, starting next week.