God in our midst.(Central America)(Column)

I come from Central America, a tiny geographic space located in the center of the American continent. We believe that: "God is the creator of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen ...", "That God created existence out of nothing for the life of all humanity". God, the Parent of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the maker of all creation, where everything was for all ... for life. But see what has happened in our tiny lands.

The countries of Central America, some to a greater extent than others, and some such as Costa Rica, to a lesser extent, have become over ten times more impoverished in the last four years. In Nicaragua, for example, more than 40% of the population of four and a half million residents live in extreme poverty. Lands are in the hands of a small group of families. Unemployment is up to 60% in the economically active population. The most vulnerable members of the population are women, the elderly and children. More than half of the children do not go to schools because they have been privatized and they have no money to pay for such an education.

Woman, according to Nicaraguan culture, is created only to serve the man. This means that she is relegated to the home setting because it is understood that, that is the role God has given her and, although everyday there are more women working outside their homes, the decision-making power continues to be held by the man. The man feels more macho when he has more women and, consequently, more children. There continues to be great discrimination against women.

Hunger, drought, poverty wreak destruction in our land. There are no medicines in the hospitals and some people die. Some are killed by dengue (without having enough money to buy acetaminophen which, at a cost of ten U.S. cents, seems cheap to some, but for those with no money, very expensive).

Famine is a reality compounding sadness and pain. People have nothing to eat. Either drought or flooding has prevented the land from producing anything. Added to the coffee crisis, the problem becomes one of famine, an expression of death. I could spend hours telling you about the misfortunes of our Central American people so that together we would come to ask: "What has happened to God's creation?" We have to confess that creation is broken, it is ill. As some theologians remark, there is a lamentable situation of 'decreation' and we cry as Ezekiel did in 37:11: "Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are clean cut off".

But NO ...!! NO ...!! Our faith in the God of Life is great. The God of Exodus freed the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt and brought them to the promised land. We believe in Jesus through whose death and resurrection, we have new life, a new creation. And through his ...