The Ability to Forgive, Rebuild, & Embrace

María Elena Hernández Lara and Diana Rueda, JRS LAC

Part six of our JRS Lenten Reflection series

No one is ever fully prepared for humanitarian work. No one should have to do it because no one should be forced to flee home. We met the women of Revista Lideresa at the Transborder School of Citizenship in Tame, Arauca, on the Colombia Venezuela border. Facing great risk, they turned their community media project into a platform for sharing stories, poetry, and hope. Their work fosters hospitality, welcoming displaced Colombian women, returnees after the peace accords, and Venezuelan migrants seeking a better life. Through writing, they transform pain into connection, offering refuge through words. Their ability to forgive, rebuild, and embrace others has taught us that true hospitality is not just shelter but a commitment to humanity, dialogue, and reconciliation.

An Invitation for PRAYER 

Pray using this prayer written by Maritza Jiménez, a migrant woman. “God is our supreme being—love itself, an infinite presence that connects my spirit and soul, bringing peace and shelter to my heart. His magnificence is rooted in love. What is the essence of life? It is love, forgiveness, and the peace we so deeply need to live in harmony with one another.” 

An Invitation for FASTING 

Fast from indifference and distractions that keep us from seeing the suffering of forcibly displaced persons. Compassion and tenderness can be learned when we tear down our internal walls and allow ourselves to see and hear God’s will expressed through the lives of others.

An Invitation for ALMSGIVING 

True generosity means creating a world where migrants and refugees are received with dignity, and where hospitality is not just a gesture but a commitment to recognizing their full humanity. One way to live this out is by creating spaces in our communities where people can truly know one another—through shared meals, storytelling, and meaningful encounters.

A highlight on Colombia – Venezuelan Border

In recent years, Colombia has also experienced a significant influx of people escaping economic and social crises in Venezuela. Around three million Venezuelans have settled in Colombia, seeking safety and stability. JRS began its mission in Colombia in 1995 and continues to assist thousands of people displaced by violence, including indigenous communities, and Venezuelan refugees. Facing the region’s immense challenges, JRS has initiated reconciliation and hospitality processes to heal, rebuild, and restore broken bonds within communities fractured by violence. The programme aims to foster inclusion and social cohesion as a means to counter violence—both a cause and consequence of forced migration—and to promote peace.