Colombia

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Promoting human flourishing through faithful presence in marginalized communities of Medellin afflicted by systemic injustice.

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Vision

WMF Colombia seeks to foster a community of contemplative activism by engaging individual, community, and historical injustices that have given rise to economic, political, and social marginalization while cultivating a deep spirituality, cultural intelligence, relational wisdom, and theological formation.

Foundations

Incarnational– The incarnational approach to mission in a global context focuses on presence, relationship, and mutuality—inhabiting with, rather than rescuing from. In the shared space of brokenness, mutual transformation can be born.

Therapeutic– Physical, emotional, and psychological woundings shape individuals and communities. Given the realities of individual, collective, and historical trauma, a trauma-informed approach holds awareness of violence and abuse that impacts the people whose communities we’ve made our home among. Honoring the shaping forces of traumatic experience that disrupts the potential for human flourishing is a reality that must continually be named and processed.

Missional– Many have sought to generate better understandings and approaches to participating in missio Dei— the mission of God in the world. For us, missional articulates a postcolonial paradigm of local expressions of the church as catalyst for transformation that transcends standard missionary paradigms.

Contemplative– Contemplative prayer has been a part of Christian tradition throughout the ages. St. Gregory the great described contemplation as resting in God. At its heart, contemplative practice, like all good spirituality, teaches us to see with new eyes. It is about waking up. The marriage of contemplation and action, spirituality and mission, is a crucial aspect of cross-cultural mission and justice work.

Formational– The people of God are a people of becoming. Theological, psychological, spiritual, and cultural formation are essential in the work of international advocacy and development, helping us to embody the gospel across cultures in more beautiful ways.

Ecumenical– There is a wide stream of Christian orthodoxy that generously celebrates diverse denominational traditions. Crossing denominational lines in order to facilitate dialogue and generate community among the body of Christ divided is important in living out an ecumenical ethos that builds bridges of connection while tearing down walls of division.