Colombia: Seeds of Peace
Introduction
You are about to embark on a month-long journey of seeds and hope.
As you go along, you’ll meet some Colombian brothers and sisters,
and learn how can you can help them plant seeds of peace.
You’ll need a few things as we go on this journey.
- a seed
- a clay pot
- some soil
- water
- a sunny spot
And, for making cards and writing letters:
Each week, you will be learning a bit more about planting seeds
of hope in Colombia. Set aside about one hour each week for the
reflection time and related activities. The activities include planting
a seed and watching it grow, hearing stories from Colombia, prayer
and singing (you may want to practice the song ahead of time: "In
the bulb there is a flower," Hymnal: A Worship Book #614 or
see lyrics in this packet). You will also contact your congressional
representatives, passing along the message of peace that Colombians
have asked us as people of faith in North America to send. At the
end, you will give the plant to a congressional office as a reminder
of the many things the U.S. government can do to plant seeds of
peace in Colombia.
Invite friends and family (children included) to come along, and
let’s get started!
Colombia: Seeds of Peace
Week One - Planting the Seed
"[The kingdom of heaven] is like a mustard seed" (Mark
4:31).
The seed
Fill the clay pot with soil. Look carefully at the seed -- what
do you think it will turn into? Does it look anything like that
yet? Place the seed in the pot, making sure it is covered with soil.
Give it some water, and put it somewhere where it will get enough
sunshine.
The Scripture
Read Mark 4:26-32 together.
The story: Planting Peace in the Midst of War
Over the last 200 years, Colombia has known only five years of relative
peace. Since the time of the Spanish colonizers, power has been
concentrated in the hands of a few elite families. Today those families
still control the country’s politics, economics and media.
Meanwhile, many Colombians remain poor. In some rural areas there
are few hospitals, schools or roads. Over the years this unfair
system has led to outbreaks of violence. Each year about 3,500 people
die in the civil war. But there are six times that many violent
deaths overall, because people resolve their differences the way
they see everyone else doing it -- with force.
Into this violent situation came two Mennonite missionaries in
1945. Gerald Stucky and a friend made an unexpected stop in Bogotá,
the capital city, due to illness. Gerald later returned with his
wife, Mary Hope, to start a school. From this seed planted fifty
years ago, there are now about 3,000 Colombians who identify themselves
as Mennonite, Mennonite Brethren or Brethren in Christ. Many are
directly involved in working for peace and giving aid to those who
are suffering from the war. They believe that the seeds of peace
which they are planting – though they may look as small as
a mustard seed right now -- will one day grow into the kingdom of
God!
Prayer
God of hope, we pray for Colombians suffering from the violence
in their country. Thank you for the inspiring work of peacemakers
and may their efforts be multiplied. Amen.
Song
Sing "In the bulb there is a flower" (Hymnal: A Worship
Book #614)
Activity
Find Colombia on a map. Look up information about it in books or
on the internet. What sorts of foods do Colombians like to eat?
What is the weather and landscape like?
Write a card to members of Colombian Anabaptist churches, letting
them know that you are embarking on this project and want to support
them in their efforts to plant seeds of peace. Have children draw
pictures and write messages as well. Mail to: Mennonite Central
Committee, Cra 7 No 33-49 Apto. 701, Bogotá, Colombia, South
America.
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Colombia: Seeds of Peace
Week Two - Life-giving Water
"I will open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in
the midst of the valleys"
(Isa. 41:18a).
Water
Seeds need water to grow and thrive, just like us. Give some water
to your seed, and watch the soil soak it up. What would happen if
the seed didn’t get any water?
The Scripture
Read Isaiah 41:17-20 together.
The story: No Home to Go Back To
In northern Colombia lives a little girl, about ten years old. I
met her several years ago when I visited Colombia as part of a church
delegation. We talked for a while about her brothers and sisters,
and what she likes to study in school. In some ways the conversation
was no different from what we might talk about in the United States.
But Ana and her family were living in a makeshift house. They had
been pushed off their land by one of the armed groups, and now had
no home to go back to. Ana and the other children in the neighborhood
didn’t have much of a school to go to, either. It was simply
a blackboard, hung on the outside of a building, and a few teachers
who volunteered their time. The community didn’t have access
to clean water or land on which to grow food.
Unfortunately, Ana’s story isn’t unique. There are about
2 million Colombians living in similar circumstances, forced off
their land by the civil war. Into this mix the U.S. government has
been pouring millions of dollars of military aid, to help the Colombian
military defeat the guerrilla groups. But more arms and military
training make it even harder for peace to sprout!
In today’s Scripture we read that God promises to send rain
(life) on those who are poor and needy. The prophet Amos said, "Let
justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing
stream" (5:24). When God decides to send floods of justice
and life, we’d best join the current and not stand in its way!
Prayer
God of love, may we show compassion for our sisters and brothers
in Colombia. Give our elected leaders courage to seek policies that
promote peace, not war. Amen.
Song
Sing "In the bulb there is a flower" (Hymnal: A Worship
Book #614)
Activity
Find the nearest office of either your representative or one of
your senators. (See list at Web site below.) Call to set up a meeting
for later this month. Identify yourself as a district resident,
describe your group and the project you are doing, and ask if you
can meet with your member of Congress or a staff person who can
pass along the message.
http://clerk.house.gov/members/index.php
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Colombia: Seeds of
Peace
Week Three - Light and Darkness
"The Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will
be your glory" (Isa. 60:19b).
Light and darkness
Besides water, air and soil, plants also rely on the cycle of light
and darkness in order to grow. We can’t see everything that
happens, as the plant takes sunshine and turns it into energy. But
somehow – mysteriously – the processes necessary for life
take place.
The Scripture
Read Isaiah 60:19-22 together.
The story: A Mystery Unfolds
Maricela (not her real name) pastors a small Mennonite church in
Colombia. She and her family started their work by leading Bible
studies and sharing their food with the hundreds of people who had
moved to their town to escape the war. Their work puts them in danger,
because the armed groups don’t like them helping out people
who have fled the fighting. They keep going, in spite of the threat.
Things have gotten even harder for people like Maricela this year.
In February, there was a major setback for peace in Colombia. Talks
which had been going on between the government and one of the guerrilla
groups broke down completely. Even more violence erupted as a result.
The U.S. government responded by asking Congress for even more military
aid -- about $500 million this year.
In the midst of these situations, it is hard sometimes to see where
God is working to bring about life. And yet, we have faith that
it is happening, in countless ways that we can’t see yet. I
Corinthians 3 says that "neither the one who plants nor the
one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth"
(see verses 5-9). God is working things out! In that we can take
great comfort.
Prayer
God of life, we confess that sometimes we despair when things look
bleak around us. We ask you to work miracles (seen or unseen by
us!) that will bring peace to Colombia. Amen.
Song
Sing "In the bulb there is a flower" (Hymnal: A Worship
Book #614)
Activity
Write a letter to the Washington, DC offices of your two senators
and representative. (See sample letter in
this packet.) Share your concerns about military aid to Colombia
and ask that the U.S. government help plant seeds of peace instead.
Have children participate and add their own sections to the letter.
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Colombia: Seeds of Peace
Week Four - Life from the Spirit
"If you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from
the Spirit" (Gal. 6:8b).
The sprout
What does your plant look like by now? Fed by soil, water, sunshine
and your tender care, it is likely sprouting. Celebrate this sign
of new life, created by God.
The Scripture
Read Galatians 6:7-10 together.
The story: Finding New Life
Despite the setbacks and increased violence, Colombian churches
continue to work courageously for peace. They work to bring together
people with different opinions, from business people to guerrillas,
to talk about what peace would look like. They also helped to organize
a "National Congress for Peace and the Nation" in May
2002, which brought more than one thousand Colombians together to
state their desire for peace.
Colombian peacemakers have recommended some ways in which the U.S.
government could plant seeds of peace, instead of seeds of war.
These include: making the court system more fair, giving aid to
people suffering from the war and supporting peace talks between
the government and armed groups. They also want to build links with
churches in North America. You may want to consider their invitation
to join a delegation to Colombia or have your congregation partner
with a sister church in Colombia. (See brochure included in this
packet for more information.)
Based on your learnings this past month, what do you think peace
would look like in Colombia? How can the roots of the conflict be
addressed? What are the roles that individuals, churches and governments
can play?
Prayer
God of peace, thank you for your promise of a peaceable kingdom.
May we sow seeds of love, trusting that your Spirit will bring life
from them! Amen.
Song
Sing "In the bulb there is a flower" (Hymnal: A Worship
Book #614)
Activity
Visit the local office of your representative or senator. Take the
plant with you. Tell them about your journey this past month, as
you learned about peacemakers in Colombia. Share your ideas about
how the United States can nurture peace in Colombia, instead of
war. Specifically ask them to oppose sending any more military aid
to Colombia. Leave the plant with them as a reminder of your witness.
In the bulb there is a flower
#614 Hymnal: A Worship Book
In the bulb there is a flower;
in the seed, an apple tree;
in cocoons, a hidden promise:
Butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter
there’s a spring that waits to be,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.
There’s a song in ev’ry silence,
seeking word and melody.
There’s a dawn in ev’ry darkness,
bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future;
what it holds, a mystery,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.
In our end is our beginning;
in our time, infinity;
in our doubt there is believing;
in our life, eternity.
In our death, a resurrection;
at the last, a victory,
unrevealed until its season,
something God alone can see.
Text and music: Natalie Sleeth, 1985. Copyright © 1986
Hope Publishing Co.
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