This last Saturday, August 26th, the “House of Reconciliation and Peace Education” of the Emmaus Lutheran Church in Medellin held a workshop to close its
second module in its yearlong certificate program called “Conflict, Justice and
Reconciliation”. The main theme of the workshop was about
what has been the role of churches in confronting conflicts of the society in
which they exist.
We focused on the experiences of the
Lutheran Church in the struggle for independence in Namibia, the role of the
recently arrived Lutheran Church after the Rwandan genocide, as well as the
current role of the ELCA regarding immigration in the USA, though its
initiatives such as AMMPARO
and its Guardian Angels program, as well as local congregations’ involvement in
the New Sanctuary Movement.
All three of these examples were discussed as models for church involvement in
their society’s conflicts.
The title of the workshop “From Conflict to
Communion” is an exploration of the stages of overcoming conflict. The process
is a pilgrimage. In the current reality of Colombia, regarding the Final Agreement
between the Government and the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia),
as well as the current negotiations between the Government and the ELN
(National Liberation Army), there are great challenges to be confronted in
implementation and overcoming. The role of churches will be crucial.
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| The closing act of the workshop was an activity discussing community strength, demonstrating that if somebody falls the community can hold them up. Photo by John Hernandez. |