Nicaragua

Facts  1930’s US Marines put into power a “Christian Family” The Somoza Family  They ruled for over 40 years until the injustice they brought to the Nicaraguan people forced a revolution  Sandinista Revolution was Communist movement with support of many Christians  Americans (Yankees) until very recently were not welcomed in Nicaragua because they were seen as the reason the nation was corrupted by money and politics

Facts  The Western involvement in Nicaragua’s Past has turned the country against western governments but not the people from those governments  The churches although western by denomination are ran almost completely by native Nicaraguans.  What really stood out to me was what westerners could learn from Nicaragua…

Ideological Struggle Nicaragua is an example of how the depredations of the North Americans have brought mainly exploitation, conflict and death…The Sandinistas, in a matter of 6 years provided more education, health care and housing…despite the Somocistas claim of Christianity and the backing from the most powerful Christian nation in History…

Practical Spirituality Able to bring Spirituality into a practical light They live lives similar to those of 2000 years ago and have similar struggles Indeed it is a spirituality which cannot rest while unjust structures remain, for it sees them as deeply destructive of human dignity and therefore atheistic, a real rejection of God Do we see unjust structures as atheistic therefore rejecting God?

“The prevailing view of western Christians is still that we have much to teach or contribute to the developing counties, the ‘Third World,’ that nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America. In fact an increasing number now believe the reverse to be true – that we have more to learn from those countries than to teach them, and we desperately need to hear their missionary message.” David Haslam