Chris Ferguson Writes an Advent Letter from Bogotá, Colombia ...

Letters from Overseas 

Chris Ferguson Writes an Advent Letter from Bogotá, Colombia 

Troubled Hope 

December 2013 

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; 

we are perplexed, but not in despair; 

Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” 

2 Cor 4:8-9 KJV. 

We are now at the end of our second year in Colombia. It has been a 

challenging and complicated time both in terms of our work 

assignments but more importantly because of massive changes and 

conflicts in a country which still leads in most of the “conflict 

indicators” like: the gap between the rich and poor, years of prolonged internal armed conflict 

(over 50!), extreme and wide spread poverty, femicide and violence against women in war, 

murders of human rights defenders, journalist, trade union and peasant leaders, repression of the 

right to protest of students and other social movements, number of internally displaced people and 

sadly a host of other systemic injustices and violent troubles. 

Last year the government and the largest insurgent group agreed to talks to end the armed 

conflict and move towards peace. The second largest insurgent group has also asked to begin 

talks. There is a strong desire for peace and end to war and the hope that things might change is 

bristling and bursting all over. 

And yet the government refuses to accept a bi-lateral cease fire and the death and violence 

continue in the midst of talks and the rhetoric of peace. This summer the whole country virtually 

exploded with prolonged strikes, road blocks and protests by peasant farmers and others like 

truck drivers who could no longer pay more to produce or transport their goods then they got 

back in sales. The protests were met with military and police repression labelling the poor farmers 

who make up a huge percentage of the population as terrorists and subversives. Public opinion 

supported the peasants and the government backed down and established a series of dialogue 

tables and agreed to respect the human and social rights of rural farmers. Little progress so far in 

the actual talks and the peasant leaders are still being falsely accused, persecuted and intimidated. 

The government land restitution process has been shown to have actually failed to return any 

significant amount of land but has been proven to have increased violence and death to the 

petitioners in order to silence their claims. 

In the midst of this conflict, churches have been working together to develop a Program of 

Ecumenical Accompaniment in Colombia (PEAC). Organized through the round-table of Colombian 

churches that are members of the Council of Latin American Churches (CLAI), the churches have 

been standing with and supporting the people in their right to protest and defending the human 

rights of those seeking land restitution and/or refusing to leave their land in spite of threats. Early 

this year, PEAC project had a pilot project where four young ecumenical accompaniers recruited 

through the Latin American World Student Christian Federation spent three months accompanying 

communities in the strife-torn San Onofre area of Colombia’s northern coast. 

Later, The Presbyterian Church was joined by PEAC and a broad coalition of churches to stand 

with the striking peasants in Catatumbo in north-east Colombia, and helped push for dialogue 

instead of repression. I was asked to support the rural peasants as an international and 

ecumenical observer at the dialogue table. A United Church partner, the Justice and Life Project, 

and its director Lilia Solano have been at the forefront defending the rights of the protesters and 

demanding negotiated non-violent and rights based solutions. The witness of the churches for

peace and in support of the social movements has had an unexpected impact in strengthening 

and encouraging those struggling for justice. 

Last week thousands joined the Women for Peace march in Bogota calling out for peace with 

social justice, while denouncing the ongoing violence and injustice. 

The government is single-mindedly pursuing direct foreign investment, free trade agreements 

(there are now 17 or so) and promoting the wholesale imposition of extractive industries like 

petroleum and gold mining to the detriment of the environment and the people especially the 

Indigenous, Afro-descent and rural peasant communities. The majority of the country suffers in 

an extended humanitarian crisis with multiple causes strongly exacerbated by foreign economic, 

political and military intervention. Canada is not least among the offenders through mining and 

other large scale interventions which benefits the few and hurt the many. 

The Christmas season is in full swing already with lights, decorations, music and holiday events— 

and so is the 2014 electoral campaign. Both highlight the uneasy mix of hope and seemingly 

insuperable conflicts. The electoral period is always turbulent and violent. A political party that 

suffered a “genocide” 17 years ago with over 3,000 leaders assassinated is back on the scene as a 

witness to a cautious hope and some lessening of fear to participate in the political process. 

Paul’s words to the troubled church in Corinth capture the spirit and courage of those in Colombia 

we are privileged to serve with and be inspired by: ”Troubled on every side but not distressed….” 

Advent here is a jangled tangle of crises, violence, suffering, courage and hope. The hope that 

comes to those who see no indications that the structural causes of their suffering and oppression 

are likely to change in the near future. The hope that comes by letting go of any illusions that 

powerful will suddenly have a change of heart. The hope that begins each sense with a true and 

cold assessment of one’s real situation, “troubled” “perplexed,” “persecuted,” “cast down,” 

“abandoned.” The hope powered by God’s presence that says, “and yet not distressed… not in 

despair… not forsaken… not destroyed!” Hope that knows trouble and knows that trouble and 

injustice will not have the last word. 

Advent in Colombia 2013 is alive with the troubled hope of United Church of Canada mission 

partners who are staking their lives on the possibility to turn the corner on injustice and build 

Peace with social justice, in spite of tremendous odds and powerful interests; standing with the 

women, indigenous peoples, afro-descent communities, rural peasants and excluded minorities 

defending life and saying no to violence and death. 

Thanks to you all for your thoughts and prayers and the contributions to the Mission and Service 

fund that make support for courageous peace-seeking partners possible in troubled times. 

Chris Ferguson 

Visit our global partnership photo site (http://unitedchurch.smugmug.com) to see pictures from Colombia. 

Chris Ferguson is a United Church of Canada overseas personnel, alongside his wife Susan, 

serving the Program for Ecumenical Accompaniment for Colombia (PEAC) (http://peac.co). The 

work of our ecumenical partners and the work of overseas personnel are made possible through 

your gifts to the Mission and Service Fund of The United Church of Canada. 

The United Church of Canada, 3250 Bloor St. West, Toronto, ON M8X 2Y4 

1-800-268-3781 or 416-231-7680 ext. 4017; pip@united-church.ca

Chris Ferguson Writes an Advent Letter from Bogotá, Colombia ...

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