Evangelical Pastors Call for Peace in Rivera Hernández
Hundreds of young people dressed in white walked through Cerrito Lindo, and the churches announced monthly home visits.
Evangelical pastors in Rivera Hernández, in San Pedro Sula, called a walk and evangelistic campaign that brought together hundreds of young people dressed in white, Diario La Prensa reported.
A white march in Cerrito Lindo
The walk took place in the morning and started in the Cerrito Lindo neighborhood. The group then moved to an open lot in the same area, where there was worship, dance and prayer for the community. It is one of the sectors of San Pedro Sula hit hardest by violence.
The call came from the confederation of pastors in the area, which wanted to promote peace and coexistence among neighbors. Juan Ramón Espinoza, its president, said that the street and direct contact with residents are the way to bring about positive change.
«A neighborhood's peace is built by people who decide to stay and serve, not by speeches.»
The event was presented as an evangelistic campaign and not just a walk: pastors and young people marched together, and the music and prayer at the lot were part of the same announcement.
One hundred churches and a long-term goal
Espinoza shared figures on the work already under way: about 20,000 people attend the 100 churches in Rivera Hernández, and about 75% of them are young people. On that foundation, he announced that every month the congregations will visit homes in the sector. The goal is to repeat the visits month after month.
His read on the neighborhood is that transformation starts from within. If the neighbors change, the sector changes, he said, and the young people are already taking part in that process.
Neighbors and pastors, on the same agenda
René Maradiaga, president of the sector's development committee, called the event important for generating positive responses. "The people have come out to declare that they want to live in peace," he said, and he thanked the pastors for the initiative.
Maradiaga acknowledged that death and mourning have marked dozens of families in the area, and he presented the march as the announcement of a complete change.
Juan Carlos Pineda, pastor of the Torre Fuerte church, said that religious leaders are concerned about the young people trapped in violence. His commitment, he said, is to work to strengthen moral and spiritual values.
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9, ESV). That promise does not depend on the success of a march, but on the identity God gives to those who work for peace where it is needed.
What's on you
You don't have to wait for a gathering of thousands to move something in your neighborhood. This week you can pray over your streets, calling them by name, greet a neighbor whom almost no one greets, and join your church's work if it already visits homes. A neighborhood's peace is built by people who decide to stay and serve, not by speeches. What would happen if your congregation started knocking on doors next month?
