It is hard to express in words what Faith and Brotherhood relationships do for the communities of the Costa Rican Lutheran Church, but in this article we want to express our gratitude for their caring and solidarity.
 
And old Icelandic Saying reminds us about fellowship: “the man or woman alone is but half, and with another he or she is the whole.”

In the Gospel according to Mathew 22:39, Jesus says, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” and his words are embodied in the contribution that U.S. delegations bring to the communities of faith and people in exclusion. Many delegations have been visiting the different communities of faith where the ILCO has a presence, lending a helping hand to build and restore many of the churches around Costa Rica.

One example of this work in solidarity is that of the delegation from Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Olympia, Washington, which spent a week in the community of Carit in Puriscal. This group was comprised mostly of youth and their leaders, who came to participate in a holistic relationship including not only liturgical celebrations, but also helping to build the walls of the church in Carit and perhaps closing the last Costa Rican Lutheran Church with no walls. The group was also immersed in community life, interacting with children, youth and adults in a variety of spaces.

It was a pleasure to see how the delegation showed their love to the community of Puriscal and how they integrated into the community and their work, reflecting God's love in how they showed love for their neighbors and themselves.

The fundamental tension between the need for community life and for private life is expressed in the book “See how they love one another” as follows:

“I need to be with other people, I need to love and to be loved, and to experience unity with another/ others”

The example shown by this delegation and many others that have visited ILCO should encourage and inspire us to continue responding together to situations of discrimination and exclusion. The identification that this group showed to the community is worthy of admiration, leaving the feeling of how a community of love should be.

We at ILCO thank the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd from Olympia. God bless you.

Autor: Comunicación y Relaciones