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Cuba Journal
National Council of Churches USA Delegation to Cuba
by Rev. Steve Horswill-Johnston, United Methodist Communications, Nashville, TN

Day 2: January 23, 2004

Our morning started with a flurry of activity surrounding the arrival of the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at our hotel for a meeting with our delegation and invited others. The Cuban military secured the hotel and the media was present for the event. More security appeared to be present for this gathering than for Castro last night.

To our knowledge, this was the first exchange of greetings between the heads of Greek Orthodox, United Church of Canada, Presbyterian Church (USA), A.M.E. Zion and Coptic churches - as well as the NCC, Latin American Council of Churches and the Cuban Council of Churches. His All Holiness spoke to the group about our common mission grounded in the life of Jesus Christ. It was evident at that special exchange the church is not bound by national boundaries or governments, nor even churches' polity. In the midst of our factions, there is solidarity in Christ.

Following this gathering, Dr. Robert Edgar, General Secretary of the NCC, and the delegation met with His All Holiness and discussed some of the concerns shared by the churches regarding religious fanaticism, terrorism, recent U.S. foreign policy actions and the Middle East.

Many of our times together have been filled with music. Tonight we enjoyed a concert celebration at a nearby performance hall that included a wide variety of Byzantine, Greek and Cuban music. We noticed large numbers of high school age youth at this event and the night before. The commitment to providing the youth of Cuba educational and cultural experience was evident. Cuba is highly regarded for its excellent education and health care for all citizens, especially considering the poor economy of the nation.

The day ended with a reception at the Cuban National Hotel following the concert. The old hotel fits the stereotype when picturing Havana. A large open lobby is lined with mahogany, grand wicker chairs, and fountains in the garden. The building was lit in a green tint, one of the colors often used in Cuba’s art. The reception was hosted by President Fidel Castro for the Ecumenical Patriarch. With 500 to 1,000 people in attendance, it was difficult to get a glimpse of the president as he passed within five feet of us.

Earlier in the day, several of us boarded the public transportation bus (named the “camel” because of its unusual humped shape). After boarding at the back of the packed bus we had little room to move while standing. While wondering how we were going to pay the fare when perhaps 100 people were between us and the coin box, a man standing next to us handed one of us several coins. The delegation member didn’t know what to do at first. Then the man said some words in Spanish and motioned to pass the coins along to the front. We did and included our fare. Those coins must have passed through 50 trusting riders’ hands before arriving at the front and dropping into the slot. It’s evident community is valued here.