(Read Part 1 and Part 2)

The Catholic intellectual Dagoberto Valdés has spoken of that essential embrace between the exiles and those remaining within the country — those two “lungs” of the nation. Millions of Cubans are scattered across the globe, kept apart by politics and the draconian laws of a totalitarian regime. From the prohibitions and surveillance surrounding the receipt of letters from abroad, to the deep-seated mistrust directed at the men and women who departed the island — all these wounds must be healed.

“Not everyone will discern this right away,” Methodist Pastor Darlon Bermúdez cautioned. “It happened in the days of Nehemiah, and it will happen again now. But when the hand of God rests upon a people, He Himself undergirds the entire process. Cuba has not been forgotten by God. These ruins do not mark the end of the story. God continues to raise up, to restore, and to establish — and He often accomplishes this by bringing back those who were once compelled to leave, yet who never ceased to belong.”

Zeal Tempered by Love; Prudence Guided by Truth

For his part, religious leader Carlos López Valdés drew another historical parallel — though in this instance, he focused on two distinct groups that coexisted during the days of Jesus. The pastor of the Evangelical League of Cuba recalled that, at that time, Israel was living under immense socio-political pressure.

“Amidst that reality, the Zealots emerged: men deeply passionate about God and about the freedom of their nation. They believed — rightly so — that only God should reign over His people, and that oppression was not God’s design for Israel,” said López Valdés. In his view, their contribution was significant: they kept the people’s identity alive, defended God’s sovereignty, and refused to resign themselves to an unjust reality.

To the pastor, some of them chose the wrong paths — “not in their yearning for change, but in the methods they employed to achieve it.”

Then there were the Pharisees. “Men sincere in their desire to honor the Law, committed to the spiritual life of the people. Many of them sought to preserve the faith amidst a complex context,” he said. “Their concern to avoid conflict with Rome also stemmed, in part, from a desire to shield the nation from graver consequences.”

Yet in that attempt to preserve, he underscored, “there was sometimes a risk of adapting too readily to the system and of viewing with suspicion those who raised a dissenting voice.”

López Valdés noted that Jesus did not align Himself with the violence of some Zealots, yet neither did He ignore the need for transformation. He did not reject the Pharisees as individuals, though He did confront — with love and authority — attitudes that hardened the heart.

The controversy surrounding political engagement within the Cuban church reminded the pastor of that historical scenario. Regarding believers who, moved by their faith, voiced their anguish in the face of injustice, he stated that they did so not out of hatred or violence, “but out of a deep conviction that human dignity must be honored.”

He acknowledged that, at the same time, other brethren feel concern regarding the tone, the potential repercussions, or the risk that the church might lose its spiritual focus. “Their desire, often, is to safeguard unity, avoid divisions, and protect their witness,” he said. In his reflection, López Valdés took issue with the epithets hurled during the controversy. “Calling a brother a ‘zealot’ can end up being a label that oversimplifies something far more complex. For not everyone who raises their voice seeks violent confrontation. And not everyone who remains silent does so out of a lack of conviction,” he wrote.

For him, the challenge amidst the controversy was not “labeling one another,” but rather discerning hearts and fruits. “There is a zeal that needs to be guided by love. And there is also a prudence that needs to be accompanied by truth. The church is called to uphold both: a passion for justice, and wisdom in its approach.”

In an invitation to unity, López Valdés urged everyone to listen to one another with humility. “Behind every stance lie distinct stories, fears, convictions, and burdens. And all of us, in some way, are striving to remain faithful to God amidst complex realities,” he remarked. “Instead of discrediting one another, we are called to walk alongside each other. Instead of labeling one another, we are called to understand one another.”

Zeal is not the problem, nor is prudence. “The true challenge is ensuring that both are surrendered to Christ. For ultimately, the Kingdom of God advances neither through imposition nor through silence, but through transformed hearts that know how to love the Truth and live it out with grace.”

I believe that a mature and realistic perspective on the church’s mission involves viewing it — yes — as an institution, but also as the sum of its members. We are one body; I have been called to be a voice, while others serve as hands or feet. No one is superior to another. We are all part of the Redeemer’s plan.

At the same time, I never forget that whenever members of the political police detained or summoned me regarding my work as a journalist, they would invariably sneer the phrase: “Christians don’t get involved in politics.” Of course! That is precisely what they desire: that those who know the Light should hide it away. Yet, it fills me with hope to know that within the Cuban church, many simply do not know how to hide their lamp under the bed.