When we were in Cuba last February President Fidel Castro was very ill. We wondered what the country would be like if he died while we were there. One day we hired a taxi to take us into Havana and on the way we met a motorcade of official vehicles coming in the opposite direction. "Raul" our driver said as he pointed toward the cars.
This week Fidel told the nation he has ruled for almost 50 years that he is stepping down and it is likely that his brother Raul will continue in control. I laughed this week when El Presidente of the United States, George Bush, stated that they wouldn't take the Cuban regime seriously until the government and leader was democratically elected. He seems to have conveniently forgotten that he sneaked into office without a majority in his first term.
Fidel is everywhere in Cuba. His image is both figurately and literally in every community. For tourists there is a great selection of postcards showing him doing everything from cutting sugar cane to playing baseball. It seemed that this powerful man would remain vital forever, but age catches up with everyone.
We can pray for the churches of Cuba during this time of transition. The Christian community was marginalized in Cuba for most of Castro's regime and it was a struggle for individuals and congregations to bear faithful witness. While freedom of religion is supposedly a right, only in the past few years did circumstances change.
The United Church has a partnership with Protestant churches in Cuba and we visited the seminary in Matanzas. It is a modest but lovely and well-kept compound atop a hill overlooking the ocean. We spoke with the principal and several teachers and sensed their determination and hope for the future. Christ be with them in their fidelity.
This week Fidel told the nation he has ruled for almost 50 years that he is stepping down and it is likely that his brother Raul will continue in control. I laughed this week when El Presidente of the United States, George Bush, stated that they wouldn't take the Cuban regime seriously until the government and leader was democratically elected. He seems to have conveniently forgotten that he sneaked into office without a majority in his first term.
Fidel is everywhere in Cuba. His image is both figurately and literally in every community. For tourists there is a great selection of postcards showing him doing everything from cutting sugar cane to playing baseball. It seemed that this powerful man would remain vital forever, but age catches up with everyone.
We can pray for the churches of Cuba during this time of transition. The Christian community was marginalized in Cuba for most of Castro's regime and it was a struggle for individuals and congregations to bear faithful witness. While freedom of religion is supposedly a right, only in the past few years did circumstances change.
The United Church has a partnership with Protestant churches in Cuba and we visited the seminary in Matanzas. It is a modest but lovely and well-kept compound atop a hill overlooking the ocean. We spoke with the principal and several teachers and sensed their determination and hope for the future. Christ be with them in their fidelity.
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