Love is Stronger than Hate

Willie Sordillo

“If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.” – Romans 12:18

In 1984, I went to Nicaragua with a group of musicians. There was a war going on and the infrastructure was in bad shape. Transportation was dicey, and on our second day we were not surprised as we awaited the late arrival of a couple of pickup trucks to take us to our gig. I assumed the gig was off by the time the trucks showed up and we were told to load up. When we arrived at the site well over an hour after start time, I was dubious that anyone would still be hanging around to see us play.

But to my great surprise, the amphitheater was full, and as we stepped out of the trucks, we were greeted by thunderous applause which continued during the entire time it took to unload, set up our equipment, tune up and ready ourselves to play. Now, it’s not like we were the Beatles; we were complete unknowns, a blank slate save for one fact: While our government was funding and training rebels attempting to overthrow their popular government, we chose to come here on a mission of peace.

How easy it would to have been to hate us, citizens of a country whose taxes paid for the bullets which rained down on the loved ones of those who now stood and applauded us, even before we played a note. I remember well the young soldier who engaged me in conversation saying, “When you go home, tell the people there that we want peace.” Yes, love is stronger than hate.

Prayer
God of all people, help us to know that love is always the better, though harder way. Forgive us for our lack of imagination and creativity. Forgive us for deluding ourselves into thinking that violence is ever an acceptable response to violence. Amen.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Willie Sordillo is Administrator of the Pastoral Excellence Network and Music Director of Jazz Worship at Old South Church in Boston.
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Comment: Nicaraguans to this day continue to show love for us each time Edgewood UCC sends mission/service trip groups to the country.

At “Llano Grande”

Global Ministries Missionary working in Nicaragua Missionary

January 14, 2014

It was 4:30 in the morning and I had still not been picked up, but it is Nicaragua and I know I must be flexible with regards to schedules.  Besides, I wasn´t the only one who expected to be picked up in the large construction truck that would take us to Llano Grande (the Big Field) a village about four hours northeast of Managua.  When they finally arrived for me, just after 5 am, I found a place on a plastic chair and got ready to face the cold and bumpy road in the company of the twelve sisters and brothers also on their way to church.

Little by little, I put together the history of this small congregation of the “Misión Cristiana” Church of Nicaragua, tucked away in an area which is deeply Catholic and where there was a great deal of fighting during the long and bloody civil war.  The first evangelism campaigns were organized by Sister Flor Mendoza who worked for many years to establish a church in this town.  The first member of the church was Brother Saturnino Urbina who had been a leader in the local Catholic Church and the right hand man of the priest.  He told me that when he had begun to study the Bible and analyze its teachings, he began to doubt things that the Catholic Church was doing.  Upon being invited to a celebration for the patron saint of a nearby town, he refused to go.  At that moment, he decided to leave his service in the Catholic Church, which was the only church in the village, and where his whole family attended.  

At 9:00 am, we were finally arriving at Llano Grande, a small sleepy village with two main streets and a hazy view of the mountains in the distance.  We were warmly welcomed with coffee and milk, fresh cheese and tortillas in the home of the pastor, a young woman who is the daughter in law of Brother Saturnino.  By 10:00 am, we were in the worship service at the church which is still under construction.   We praised the Lord even without windows, doors, altar, floor, electricity or water! In this humble village where everyone struggles to survive, the building of the church has been slow and with many sacrifices.   The sisters and brothers have remained faithful from the moment they started meeting in a lean-to during the civil war of the 1980s, until recently building the shell of the permanent building. 

I met with 15 children of all ages.  We talked about the birth of Jesus and how he, too, in spite of humble beginnings, had great potential and dreams.  One boy told me that his dream was to have a motorcycle to help his family come to church, and another girl said she would build herfamily a cement home when she grew up.  All the children said that they wanted something better for their families.  Jesus came to be born in a manger even though he was the Lord of the Universe.  I shared with them that this same Jesus would be with them throughout their lives and in the fulfillment of their dreams.

The son of Brother Saturnino, Luis Felipe Urbina, remained in the Catholic Church, replacing his father´s leadership.  Two years later, however, he too, began having doubts.  He had questions that were answered not by the Bible, but by other books or traditions.  Eventually, he decided to leave the Catholic Church.  He had said that the day he became an “evangélico” (a protestant Christian) he would build a proper church for the people to worship God, and to this day, that has been his goal.  He has also brought many members of his family to the new church.

I have been in Nicaragua three months, and little by little I am learning about the stories, struggles and testimonies of the Misión Cristiana Church and its members.  As I learn, God strengthens and blesses my life.  During this visit to Llano Grande, I learned from the Urbina family about their sacrificial love for the church.  The church is the center of their lives and they want to leave behind a beautiful inheritance for their children as well as their community.  They work every day to take that dream that the Lord has put in their hearts and make it a reality.

Magyolene Rodriguez serves with the Convention of Churches Christian Mission of Nicaragua. She serves in environmental education, food security, and conflict transformation.

 

 

Taking it to the Streets

Rev. Campbell Lovett, Michigan Conference Minister, United Church of Christ

I love Jesus’ parable of the great feast. Those who were originally invited could not come, so servants were sent out to the highways and byways to invite the poor and marginalized. In this way, the house was filled! God is good!!

In my travels on the highways and byways of Michigan, I spend a lot of time listening to what people are saying. Lately, I have begun to hear two themes that are repeated quite often. These themes can be summarized like this:

With income inequality on the rise, with record numbers of children living in poverty, with many people still unemployed, with voter disenfranchisement (and many more similar illustrations), we are surprised that there are not mass demonstrations in the streets!
The church has increased greatly in its pastoral role at the expense of its prophetic role. We do a good job of helping to feed, clothe, and shelter, but not as good a job of asking why people are hungry and homeless.

As I reflect, it seems to me that a shared characteristic of these themes is a call for solidarity with those in need and an advocacy on their behalf. Our Biblical heritage is rich with examples of solidarity and advocacy.

The laws of Hebrew Scripture mandated social policy that took care of widows, orphans, and the sojourner. The prophets spoke of economic justice and fairness especially for the marginalized and oppressed. In the Gospels, Jesus invites followers not simply to a life of individual discipleship and personal piety, but to a life of concern for the creation of a just social order – a realm where the ways of this world are reversed and the servants lead, the last are first and the poor are blessed. In Acts of the Apostles, the earliest followers of The Way shared all things in common in their beloved community that praised God and welcomed all.

We may think that the call of the Gospel gives us only two distinct options for each congregation: we can either focus on making the church a sanctuary from the world and all the social ills that confront us each day, or we can focus on reaching out to serve those in need and help create a social order that cares for the least of our brothers and sisters.

I am hopeful that in 2014, our churches can continue in conversation about being both a sanctuary for individuals who have been bruised along the pathways of life, as well as a community of people in action with, and on behalf of, those who don’t have a voice among the principalities and powers. It will be easy for us to be derailed by concerns for the health of our own congregation; the challenge will be to continually listen for that stillspeaking God who calls us beyond our own selves and our own needs.

We have a unique mission as the United Church of Christ: to be deployed along the highways and byways of our communities in a special way of providing extravagant welcome and changing lives. Won’t you join me in exploring how we might both call attention to the injustices that are daily perpetrated against the powerless, and work together to create a mission of empathy, engagement, and action?

With you on the journey,

Campbell Lovett