Por Jorge Mario Cardona Botero, voluntario de la Fundación el Buen Pastor en Manizales, Colombia.

Inspired by the Bicentenary Zoominar on Catholic Social Teaching, Jorge wrote this poem, which he connects with its key elements on peace to be embraced by each dimension of humanity: personal, spiritual, and social. “When people abandon the Gospel’s message of love,” he says, “they forget to respect the lives of others.” The poem, he says, “aims to offer a reflection of conscience, to say that the only way to find the path to peace is by first finding the way of Jesus, the Good Shepherd whose example teaches us to love and respect each other.”

Peace…?

Along the path to my village
A mountaineer’s path
My compadre Tomaso walks,
Clad in his muleteer gear.

The compadre rushes ahead, anxious,
For a thought stirs in his chest—
A thought full of hope,
Filling his soul with joy.

For yesterday afternoon,
A great piece of news reached the ranch.
The peace his elders once enjoyed
Had returned anew.

But so great was his shock
When he finally caught sight of the village—
Sadness overwhelmed the plaza,
And despair filled the streets.

Heartless murderers
Had descended upon the town.
They had killed the doctor,
The priest, and the baker.

And the Peralta family was torn apart without solace,
Even the engine
Of the village aqueduct was destroyed.
The war had carved a deep shadow
On the miner’s heart.

*All characters are fictional but portray the sad reality of Colombia where, Jorge says, “armed groups have forgotten God and, as a result, have no respect for life”.

We invite all sisters and partners-in-mission to respond in creative ways to express what is stirring within them. These creative responses may include artwork (a sculpture, painting, or other artistic creation), song or music, food recipes, poetry or inspirational stories, or symbolic acts, such as planting a tree. Please send your creations to creations@gssweb.org.