At the end of October, I had the opportunity to participate
in the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship Colombia Accompaniment Training at the
Stony Point Center. The Presbyterian
Peace Fellowship is a program of the Presbyterian Church(USA). PPF began in the early 1940s to support
conscientious objectors. It is still
committed to “creat(ing) the peace we long to see in our world.”
The Colombia Accompaniment Program is one of the ways that
PPF has committed to working for peace.
Pastors and members of the Colombian Presbyterian Church who are working
for human rights and justice have long risked their lives because of the
political and economic situation. Random
arrests and death threats are common for those who dare to speak the truth and
defend the marginalized.
I spent the training weekend learning about the history and
current political situation in Colombia, the work of the Colombian Presbyterian
Church, and the significance of being an accompanier. There was a Colombian pastor present with us
for a few days. It struck me that he has
experienced things in ministry that I will never even really understand as a
privileged North American. He and his
colleagues have long been doing the tough work of standing up for justice and
peace. I really know nothing about such
things but it’s about partnership. It’s
about working together as children of God for peace where there is violence and
broken relationships.
I appreciated the opportunity to learn a bit more about how
my own denomination is partnering with the Colombian Presbyterian Church to
continually work for peace. I hope to
have the opportunity to volunteer as an accompanier in the near future and
continue to learn and partner with the Colombian Presbyterian Church. I encourage you to check out the website (http://www.presbypeacefellowship.org/)
to learn more about the good things that PPF is doing to work for peace around
the world.
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