Seven Alliances Train on Life and Family in Costa Rica
The Commission on Human Dignity, Family and Society brought together delegates from seven alliances and visited the Legislative Assembly and the Inter-American Court.
Delegates from seven alliances trained on life and family from October 19 to 21 in San José, Costa Rica, at a regional gathering organized by the Commission on Human Dignity, Family and Society, the Latin Evangelical Alliance reported.
According to the Latin Evangelical Alliance, representatives of seven member alliances took part, along with the associated organizations Pasión Vida and Punta de Lanza. The agenda combined training sessions with visits to Costa Rican public institutions.
Three Topics on the Table
The content was organized around three issues: the problems families face, family discipleship, and the defense of life at the national and international levels.
«Praying for those who govern is one of the most concrete ways to love your neighbor.»
The three areas support one another. A home where faith is talked about on an ordinary Tuesday shapes people who will later know how to defend the dignity of others. And a defense of life that stays at the level of slogans, without families who live it out, ends up being noise.
Family discipleship also challenges a widespread habit: expecting the church to carry the spiritual formation of children on its own. The Bible assigns that task to parents before any institution (see Deuteronomy 6:6-7), and the community of faith comes alongside.
A Visit to the Assembly and the Court
Outside the meeting room, the members of the Commission visited the Legislative Assembly. There they spoke with Yara Jiménez Fallas, who presides over the legislative body, and with Representative Gerald Bogantes. Later they visited the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
At both places the group prayed and blessed the spaces. It also stressed the importance of biblical principles and Christian values being known and respected where public decisions are made and where human rights are defended, according to the Latin Evangelical Alliance.
Praying for Those Who Decide
Praying for those who govern is one of the most concrete ways to love your neighbor. The Bible asks for it plainly: "for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way" (1 Timothy 2:2, ESV).
That prayer doesn't excuse us from thinking critically or from speaking the truth respectfully. On the contrary: anyone who prays for a legislator or a judge commits to speaking to them honestly and without insults. The church doesn't win elections; it proclaims the gospel and serves the people next to it. And when it sits down with authorities, it does so with respect and with arguments.
The visit leaves a task that is yours too. This week you can choose an authority in your country and pray for them by name, asking that they seek the good of all and recognize the dignity of every person. If you want to go a step further, write them a short message thanking them for their service. That prayer doesn't just hang in the air: it changes the one who prays and, often, reaches the one who governs.
What would you do if you had twenty minutes in front of someone who makes decisions for thousands of people? Tell us.
Sources
- #familia
- #Costa Rica
- #Alianza Evangélica Latina
- #defensa de la vida
- #discipulado familiar
- #oración por autoridades
