Christianity in Colombia

Christianity in Colombia: The Republic of Colombia is located in South America. The country shares boundary with the Caribbean Sea to the North, Venezuela to the East and Northeast, Brazil to the Southeast, Ecuador and Peru to the South and Southwest, the Pacific Ocean to the West, and Panama to the Northwest.

The capital is Bogota, while the official language is Spanish, though Creole, English and 64 other languages are recognised regionally. Colombia has a human population of 52,695,952 spread across many ethnic divides. These are Mestizo-White, 87.58%; Afro-Colombians, 6.84%; Indigenous tribes, 4.31%; Raizal, 0.05%; Palenquero, 0.01%; Romani, 0.01% and others, 1.35%. Christianity is the dominant faith at 87% comprising Catholicism, 70.2% and other Christian groups, 16.8%. Atheism also thrives in Colombia at 11.1% and other faiths, 1.9%.

Brief History

 Colombia has been home to many indigenous peoples and cultures since 12,000 BCE. The Spanish first landed in La Guajira in 1499, and by the mid-16^th century, they had colonised much of the country. Colombia gained its independence from Spain in 1819. The incumbent President is Gustavo Petro.

God’s Canvass in Colombia

 The geography of the country is characterized by its six main natural regions that present their unique features, from the Andes mountain range, the Pacific coastal region, the Caribbean coastal regions, the Llanos (plains), the Amazon rainforest, to the insular area comprising islands in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Some of the fauna and flora of Colombia are presented below.

Fauna

The country has a diverse fauna, with the highest rate of species by area worldwide. The animal species include golden poison frog, giant anteater, dolphin, black caiman, eastern meadowlark, happy eagle and collared peccary. Some of them are shown in the pictures below.

Flora

The nation is home to over 40,000 plant species. The native plants include encenilo tree, Palma de cera, pekea nut tree and marmalade bush. Some of them are shown below.

Beaches

Culture

Colombia’s rich cultural heritage, including language, religion, cuisine and art, reflects its history as a colony, fusing cultural elements brought by immigration from Europe, Middle East, African diaspora, as well as indigenous civilizations that predate colonialization.

Traditional Attire

 In the countryside, both men and women wear the ruana, or wool poncho. Men also wear twill pants, cotton shirts and brimmed hats, while women adorn long cotton skirts, embroidered cotton blouses, shawls, brimmed hats and white sandals.

In the Andean region, women wear a ruffled white blouse that hangs off the shoulders, adorned with lace and sequin. A wide skirt, open during dance, is made from colourful satin and lace, often with colourful floral decorations. The men’s attire is simpler, comprising a simple white shirt and trousers, a red scarf, leather belt and a hand-made hat.

In the warm rugged plains of Eastern Colombia, where horseback riding and cattle ranching are a way of life, the clothing is normally light and simple. The women wear a wide skirt that falls to the knee, while the men typically wear white pants rolled up the leg, and black or red shirt. Some of the traditional clothes are shown below.

Cuisine

 The country’s cuisine varies regionally and is influenced by indigenous Spanish, African and Arab cultures. Some of the popular dishes are shown below. 

Status of Christianity in Colombia

 The Roman Catholic dominated country is not very friendly towards evangelicals in certain regions. In fact, the Catholic Church embraces all faiths in Colombia, including traditional religion. Consequently, many Christian leaders in the country have received death threats from people opposed to their faith, while a strange law prohibiting Christian evangelism in tribal areas exposes believers to attacks by traditionalists.

Christian converts in such communities face serious persecution. In the light of the foregoing, we need to intercede for the salvation of all unsaved souls in the country, using its President, Gustavo Petro as point of contact.

Prayer Points

Use the following prayer points to pray for Colombia or intercede for its people as the Holy Spirit leads you:

1. Ask the Father to pour out His Spirit on all flesh in the country, as He pledged in Joel 2:28
2. Pray that the Holy Spirit would remove the blindfold of satan from the hearts and minds of all Colombians
3. Ask the Father to judge all demonic principalities and powers operating in the country.
4. Pray that He would destroy their influence on the people and set them free to embrace His grace through Christ
5. Ask the Father to unplug demonic blockades from the ears of all Colombians, to help them understand and receive the Gospel
6. Pray that God would destroy the influence of all false religions in the country, especially those insisting that all roads lead to the Father; thus denying Scriptural claims that Christ is the only Saviour of the world
7. Ask the Father to purge Christian believers of pollutions from their interactions with adherents of false religions
8. Pray that God would sanctify them by His word, the eternal truth
9. Ask the Father to send labourers into His harvest in Colombia
10. Pray that He would protect the missionaries and their converts, especially those in tribal areas.

Intercession Checklist

 Use the political map of Colombia to pick a region, city or town for focused prayer. Present the chosen geographical space to the Father, and tell Him that you are claiming its people for Christ as His ambassador. The anchor Scriptures are 2 Corinthians 5:20 and Psalm 2:8.

     ***** Some materials sourced from Get to know Colombia’s beautiful and varied traditional clothing, https://colombia.co; Colombia, https://en.wikipedia.org