In section: Prayers and Reflections
©Marcelo Schneider/WCC

WEEK 2 - Is there fullness of life without water?

By Rev. Gloria Ulloa

Reflection - Seven Weeks for Water 2018

Introduction

The second reflection of the Seven Weeks for Water is by Rev. Gloria Ulloa, an ordained priest of the  Presbyterian Church of Colombia and the president of the World Council of Churches, Latin American region.  In the following reflection she relates her own experiences of growing up in her village by the riverside.  She laments the current situation of water in the Latin American region and challenges the churches to address this water crisis to usher fullness of life among us.

Text:

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) (NIV)

Reflection:

I am a pastor and a teacher. I have been a pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Colombia in many communities in the northern part of the country. For the past few years, working as chaplain in the Colegio Americano de Barranquilla (American School of Barranquilla), I have dedicated myself to developing skills and consciences of the boys and girls to care for the planet, especially caring for water. I have had the opportunity to travel throughout Colombia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and visit the countryside as well as cities, which has helped me understand that the issues regarding water are similar in different contexts.

I was born in a small village in Colombia’s countryside on the bank of the Rio Suarez, which was a source of nourishment and life to all my family. Our entire lives revolved around the river: we washed clothes, bathed, collected firewood and dried it to provide fire for cooking, we shared meals called “sancocho” on special days, like birthdays, Christmas and New Year’s. The rivers’ waters were abundant and crystal-clear. Nowadays, that river no longer carries the amount of water it once did and is mostly dirty and can no longer be used for washing, bathing, or cooking.

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Let us reflect on the following:

As a church, how are we contributing to water protection?

In our surrounding context, are we engaging with other, non-religious organizations to protect the right to water?

How are we teaching our youth to value water as a strategic resource for the life of the planet?

 

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Development and Peace – Caritas April 17: International Day of Peasants’ Struggles
Development and Peace - Caritas : Are you Partagens?
Spiritual Message – April 2018
Reflective Prayer - Stardust
Week 7 - Water: a calling to the blessing of caring!
Week 6 - The open taps in Latin America