| Milton’s work with the
Synod has many dimensions. Now he is leading a commission to deal
with a painful division within Central Presbytery that has had
legal repercussions in a civil action. Please pray for this difficult
situation. Each member of the investigative commission needs wisdom
from above to deal with delicate and sensitive issues in a pastoral
manner in order to lead to repentance and reconciliation.
Milton is also a leader in the area of human rights. “Every
day our country is more polarized,” he commented to me this
morning, as we planned a trip next week to a community struggling
with the consequences of violence. “We are being led into
the logic of warfare and armed confrontation, making it more difficult
to achieve piece through dialogue and negotiations.”
I asked Milton why he thought this was happening. “It’s
the atmosphere of the international ‘war on terrorism,’”
he said. “The current government has launched a major campaign
to achieve the military surrender of the armed groups involved
in the conflict. These groups wish to demonstrate that they still
have power and they take more and more drastic actions to assert
their viability.” But wasn’t the previous administration’s
attempt to negotiate with the guerrillas a notable failure? Milton
shook his head. “Peace,” he said, “is not determined
by governments and military powers alone. It is in the fabric
of the whole society. That’s why we work with community
projects, groups of young people, women, etc. We must start small
and work together to develop the kind of society we want. Building
a culture of peace is a long-term project, and it is our faith
that keeps us working for peace in the midst of violence and war.
Our God is the God of justice and righteousness, the God of joy
and peace, the God of abundant life.”
It has been a source of strength and encouragement to the Colombia
church, and to me personally, to know that many Americans are
aware of the problems here and concerned about their country’s
increasing involvement in Colombia. When the military action against
Iraq began, I was in the United States at the invitation of the
Synod of the Mid-Atlantic to share the impact of U.S. military
aid in Colombia. This aid is no longer limited to combating the
illegal drug trade; U.S. funds and troops are also being used
to protect an oil pipeline owned by Occidental Petroleum, a U.S.
company. (See the recent report by the Washington Office on Latin
America at http://www.wola.org/Colombia/monitor_may03_oil.pdf.).
When I returned from that trip, a group of Presbyterian pastors
and lay leaders was visiting Colombia under the auspices of Witness
for Peace, and other groups are making plans to come. We are also
grateful for retired persons who come to share their skills, such
as Marie Melrose, teaching English and Tom Culberson, getting
our library into shape.
Thank you for your prayers for Milton, for the Presbyterian Church
of Colombia, especially Central Presbytery in its pain, for the
difficult situation of violence and polarization in Colombia,
and for the work of the university as it trains leaders like Milton
for the future of the church and the country.
Blessings on you,
Alice Winters
The 2003 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, page
262 |
