By: Fr. Efren de Guzman
For more than fifteen years Angola, in Southern Africa, has been wrack by civil was. The Marxist government was backed by Cuba and Russia while the rebels led by Tomas Savimbi were backed by U. S. and South Africa. Now that the cold war is over, peace is beginning to break out or at least the fighting is stopping. Fr. Efren de Guzman, a Filipino priest working in Angola assesses the problems and the challenge to the Church in helping to serve them. It seems in many places the Church is an institution with credibility which can help heal wounds and build peace.
Cease Fire
The Peace Treaty of May 31, 1991 brought about a great euphoria and the hope to the Angolans. This allowed them free movement in almost all places of the nation without fear of ambuscades and land-mines.
After-War Chaos
In the midst of all this joy, certain incidents surfaced in some places, a natural consequence of the 16 years of insinuations, vengeance, robbery, violence and hatred.
Church’s Rule
In the midst of this complex situation in Angola, people ask:
1) What is the emergency program of the church has proposed to meet these challenges?
- hunger, infant, morality, sickness of mind and body, epidemics;
- lack of leadership training for the re-organization of communities
2) How does the Church meet the challenge of Evangelization of Human Development of the dislocated people and refugees who return to heir land of origin and those who prefer to say where they are now?
3) What is the church’s role, to promote the reconciliation of enemies endangered by these 16 years of fratricidal war?
These are a few of the points the church could reflect upon.
During the war, the Church was a voice of the voiceless. Now that there is peace, the still voiceless majority look to the Church with hope for more concrete action in their behalf. Despite this fact the people did not lose their hope for true peace. Some of the Post-war consequences Angola is suffering from today are the hunger, unemployment, lack of school for school-age children and adults. These bring about robbery and violence. The government, faced with great problems of strikes, cannot give a satisfactory response to the strikers. The political-military commission is rather slow, therefore, it has not as yet succeeded in a harmonious dialogue regarding the observance of the items in the peace treaty.
Jonas Savimbi Arrives
One of the positive consequences the Peace Treaty has brought about, was the arrival in Lunada of he opposing party leader, the UNITA rebel President Jonas Savimbi. He was able to visit the capitals of other provinces of the nation. Another positive aspect, was the possibility given by the government to t he rebel sympathizers to express themselves in accordance with the Peace Treaty.
Faced with such suffering and sorrow, how does a missionary bring Christ’s peace? Fr. Efren de Guzman takes up his guitar and sings his own Psalms from the heart to God.
Psalms from the Heart to God
Now is the Time
Tired of waiting for changes from above
Tired of seeing our brothers living in misery
Tired of seeing about ruins and much suffering
Can we face these challenges of life’s reality?
Ref. Now is the time to wake from sleep
Now is the time to think and reflect
Now is the time to be one
Now is the time to work together and act.
Tired of knowing destruction of forests
Tired of seeing the exploitation of the poor
Tired of hearing unemployment and hunger
Here and now-
What must we do?
We Will Till the Land of Tomorrow
I will till the land of tomorrow
With these hands still unchained
It doesn’t matter if my blood will flow
Through these hands in this wounded land
It doesn’t matter if the harvest will be late
As long as we hold on to our hope, love and faith
It doesn’t matter if the passing through of the enemies have just left us ruins
I will till the land of tomorrow
Even if today I have to gather the broken body of my brother
It doesn’t matter if the harvest will be late
But, I will till the land of tomorrow
And I will till the land of tomorrow
The Refugees in a Land Unknown
1. The refugees in a Land of unknown
Powerless in everything
Fear of persecution
Based on their race and belief
2. Their houses besieged by murderers
They have to flee through land and sea
Their lives shed a lot of tears
Caused by political aggression.
3. As the wind of hatred is passing
Driven by the war and exploitations
Emptying the lives of many
Causing thirst and poverty
4. And now with alien eyes they see
In a foreign country;
They watch the birds with home and place
But they are homeless, naked and hungry.
Refrain:
But they keep praying to the sky
Longing with faith and hope
Desiring peace and liberty,
Written in their heart,
Written in their mind
With the promise of a rainbow.