Lord, Make Us Instruments of Your Peace...
Global Mission > Colombia > Lord, Make Us Instruments of Your Peace...

By Pastor Natanael Lizarazo

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God (Matthew 5:9). We hear Matthew's words at a time when wars and rumors of war are very real in God's world. After September 11th, the United States declared war on terrorism and right now we are on the brink of war against Iraq. News of escalating war between Israel and Palestine are familiar images on our TV screens as well. 

Other wars, however, do not make it to the news, much less to our hearts. The war in Colombia is such example. Despite the fact that Colombia represents the worst case of human rights violations in the Western Hemisphere and the third country in the world in terms of internally displaced population, our awareness of the real causes of the situation, and of its overwhelming suffering, still remains largely ignored.

Speaking to the United Nations Assembly about a month ago, the president of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe, reminded the whole world: "Colombia has to bury each year 34,000 of its sons and daughters, victims of violence. Our country registered last year the highest rate of homicide in the world: 63 out of each 100,000 inhabitants. During the last 5 years, we have suffered 8,000 acts of massive destruction, a much higher rate that all other registered cases of violence in the world. Two million people, 40% of them children, suffer today forceful displacement. This is the equivalent of forcefully displacing the inhabitants of both Washington and Manhattan at the same time. In the last five years alone, 16,500 Colombians have been victims of kidnapping" (Taken from El Tiempo, the leading newspaper of Colombia, September 13, 2002). Although conservative in many ways, these statistics paint a real picture of Colombia at the present time.

Moved by the compassion of the Gospel, the Assembly of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod passed resolution 2002-12, "Hearing the Borning Cry of Colombia" this past May. As a Companion Synod to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Colombia, this resolution signaled a significant step to accompany our sisters and brothers in Colombia during these trying times. 

By passing this resolution, our Southeastern Minnesota Synod committed itself to:

• Implementing the two resolutions already approved by our ELCA Global Mission Board
• Uplifting and supporting the peace-making advocacy work being done by Lutheran World Relief
• Promoting ongoing awareness of the suffering of our Christian brothers and sisters in Colombia. 

Passing the Synod resolution on Colombia was very timely and important, but unless we act on it, it will remain only one more good intention. As caring people of God, we have to make sure we carry out this resolution. Here are some do-able and critically important actions all of us are encouraged to consider:

• Include our Colombian Lutheran brothers & sisters in the individual & public prayers of your church. Prayer makes the invisible visible & the distant near. 
• Grow in awareness about the unfolding situation of Colombia. Lutheran World Relief has excellent information. Log on to www.lwr.org/advocacy/colombia. Another source is www.lawg.org. Look under their Colombia section. The LWR website offers four bible studies, updated actions & sample letters to our congress people. 
• Connect to our LWR network is extremely important to be able to speak with one voice and to receive critical information in due time. Please sign in with LWR.
• Use the gift of citizenship for peace-making purposes. Call or write your congress people. Let them know you care about peace with justice in Colombia. Tell them about our ELCA and Southeastern Synod Resolutions. Encourage them to act on these specifics: (1) Greater US assistance for alternative economic development so farmers who grow illicit drug crops may have a different livelihood. (2) Respect of human rights by all actors of the conflict, including Colombia's military. (3) Implement judicial reform as way of supporting the rule of law and combating corruption. (4) Put real pressure on the Colombian government to break ties with paramilitary organizations and to protect civilians. (5) Support for a negotiated peace process.
• Consider offering a financial gift that will provide formal education and a Meal a Day for a displaced child during the school year. You can do it through the Colombian Scholarship Fund & Leadership Initiatives (LIZWAN), founded by Pastors Natanael Lizarazo and Barbara Wangsness, our former pastors and missionaries in Colombia from 1996-1999. A total gift of $200.00 a year accomplishes both goals. Detailed information is available upon request at the synod office.

Listen again to Matthew's words: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."