Staff Blog

Clear Choices

An inspiring chat with a courageous man!

This is not a story about religion - the importance of practicing it or the value of one religious denomination over another. It is about one person’s desire to make a choice and the courage to stand by it.

When visiting the host families in Honduras it is unusual to meet the fathers, especially young fathers. I am not sure why this is. The men could be working, deceased or have abandoned the family temporarily or permanently. It seems that the women are the ones raising the children and keeping the homes, at least in the rural areas where I visit.

I am talking with a Honduran man over a lunch of chicken, rice and tortillas. He is younger than me by about 15 years and like me has four children and wants to live life with integrity. We are talking about the worries of being a father and how our expectations for our children can be disappointed and how to live the disappointments well. (Taking about family and children is an easy place of connection with Latin Americans.) In the conversation I ask him if he is religious and if so, does he attend church and he looks very serious and says,

“Yes, Iwas brought up Roman Catholic but now I am attending a different church. I am going to an Evangelical church.”
Worried I may be asking too personal a question I ask him, “Why?”
He responds easily, which tells me he is not offended,
“I need a church with rules,” he says.
I express my surprise. (Having been brought up a Catholic myself I associate this church with rules and more rules!)
He explains. “The Evangelical church says, ‘Do not drink alchohol,” he says “and since joining the church I am not drinking anymore.”
“It’s good,” he says, “Because now there is more money for my family. I am spending more time with my family. It’s better this way.”
“Was it hard to not drink,” I ask?
“Hard? Yes. But so much better this way,” he says with peace in his eyes.
“What are some other rules your church expects?” I inquire.
“Treating everyone with respect,” he says. “Not being angry and not hurting people”
“This is a good rule,” he says, “No easy but good!”
I tell him that for me not drinking is easy but treating everyone with compassion, respect and not getting angry is hard.
He says, “When I was drinking, I was often I angry. But now I think I am a better father and husband.”

We take a moment to look at one another and he says, “It is the same God, just different religions. This one is better for me.”
“Do you like the chicken,” he asks smiling
“Yes,” I say and then add, “You are a courageous man.”
“Jesu Christo vive! I thank Jesus every day,” he says with a big smile. “My wife too.”