Skip to main content

Pastor’s Sharing

Image
By

Dear Friends              Pastor’s Sharing
3/10/2019 Cali, Colombia
“Can you tell us what your sharing’s are about?”  Ask my Nazarene church friend Juan and his mother Norha.
“I focus my sharing on healing the deep divide that is in Colombia today. One side supports the peace accords and the other opposes them. My focus comes out the book “I’m Right and You’re an Idiot.” Both sides are thinking this of the other and not talking to each other. That is very similar to what is happening in the USA, for Trump and against Trump.”
“I will begin by sharing my experience of trying to do this myself. Then I will ask the listeners to share their experience of conversation with the other side. I see this as a way of encouraging each other to talk across the wall separating them. And thus to plant seeds for a more kindly Colombian society.“
“That is a real challenge as we all know today here in Colombia,” said Norha. She added, “Juan, it would be great to have Jim share with Enrique’s Baptist pastors who support his 42 year drug addiction program.
(2 days later Juan told me) “Enrique said he would like to meet with you before setting up a time for you to talk.”
Enrique started, “I have been a left wing activist a long time. I could not believe it when my wife said she had voted for the right wing Duque who is trying to undermine the peace agreement. Guess we just have to accept some things. Life is a challenge.” added Enrique.
(3 days later with the pastors) I began with the usual introduction and a few of my experiences sharing’s across the aisle and then I ask them to articulate their experiences.”
And at that point people just began to share their experiences and ideas and they didn’t stop for over an hour later.  Out of about 15 all but 2 shared at least 2 minutes. They often directed their remarks to each other rather than me.  Something I hoped they would do as my goal is that they would do most of the talking.
A woman pastor who works with war victims remarked, “I have come to believe no matter what religion even Buddhist we all worship the same God.” I added, “Once when as a part of CPT we met some FARC soldiers’, and when we prayed the “Our father” with them. One of the soldiers broke down crying when we got to the part forgive us our sins. Deep down he believed in God.”
Pray these seeds will be fruiting justice and peace and helping to end the walls that divide Colombians today.
 Jim




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hope in Iraq

By
Dear Friends, I have recently finished Peggy Gish’s book An Iraq Journey of Hope and Peace . It brought me to deep prayer at times, helping me to see US soldiers as human beings and breaking down some of my stereotypes of them. It also helped me experience the personal pain of Iraqis who are caught in the war as opposed to hearing statistics in the news. This was peacemaking taking place in my own heart and mind. Peggy’s honesty in sharing her own personal struggle and admitting her own mistakes is challenging to my own peacemaking. Another aspect of this book that was inspiring to me was that when CPTers in Iraq realized they were making a mistake in midst of sharing with Iraqis, they were able at times to change right then and there. This is clear evidence of the Spirit at work. It also gave me a sense of how God was able to use the seemingly small amount of people, just six or so, to make a significant difference for the good in this horrible situation. I am adding to this messag...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fear and the Corona Virus

By
Dear Friends,                                        Fear and the Corona Virus In some self-reflection I have come to see that I have been unconsciously enveloped in a fear over the coronavirus pandemic. I feel paralyzed and hopeless. I noticed I feel I just have to turn the radio on to keep up on what is happening. Each time I hear more figures on how it is getting worse everywhere in the world, it fills my mind, the focus of much of what I think about. When I came to see this was happening, I noticed I wanted to just turn on the radio, and it was and is hard to turn it off. Just about everything on the radio was related to the virus. In reflecting I realized this subconscious fear permeated me. This fear was not healthy. It was creating anxiousness and anxiety, and anything but peace and contentment. This fear was what I needed to get rid of. From a Dr. Bruce Lipton...
Post a Comment
Read more

informe de salud

By
  Queridos amigos, Les escribo para informarles que hace unas semanas me diagnosticaron Parkinson vascular. Tenía problemas para mantener el equilibrio y caminar. Vi a un neurólogo y me hicieron una resonancia magnética de mi cerebro, y a partir de eso y de mi historial, me diagnosticaron Parkinson vascular. Me siento muy bien con mi doctora. Mi Parkinson Vascular es causado por mini accidentes cerebrovasculares que bloquean la sangre en la parte del cerebro que controla la marcha. El Parkinson vascular afecta principalmente a la parte inferior del cuerpo, y por lo tanto, afecta la marcha y el equilibrio y regularmente no suele provocar temblores. Es diferente del Parkinson clásico que es causado por la falta de dopamina. El tratamiento principal para el Parkinson vascular es tratar de detener los accidentes cerebrovasculares manteniendo bajo control factores como la presión arterial y el colesterol; esto puede evitar que la enfermedad progrese. Por lo tanto, no necesariamente empe...
Post a Comment
Read more