Cesar Ortega, Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month
Guest Blog Post: Cesar Ortega, CityServe Arkansas Community Coordinator
In Genesis 12:3 God promised Abraham that through him He would bless “all the families of the earth.”
From September 15 through October 15, we celebrate the heritage and culture of the Hispanic community. President Gerald R. Ford proclaimed the week beginning September 10 to September 16, 1974 as National Hispanic Heritage Week.
On September 15, eight of the 35 countries that make up Latin America celebrated the anniversary of their independence. Those countries include Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Chile and Brazil.
In 1988, president Ronald Reagan declared National Hispanic Heritage Week a month-long celebration which we now honor every year.
The U.S. Hispanic population reached 62.1 million in 2020. This accounts for 19% of all Americans which makes it the nation’s second largest racial or ethnic group. In Arkansas, the Hispanic population reached 9%.
The Latino community in the United States needs the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. From the United States and to all the countries in Latin-America, the Gospel needs to be shared.
As Christians, National Hispanic Heritage Month means more than just a celebration of a culture. As sons and daughters of Christ, Christians can celebrate the manifold wisdom of God displayed in His eternal plan through the church.
The apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesian church that this promise is being fulfilled through the church as God unites all things in Christ. It is amazing that one of the many things the Lord is uniting through Christ is a people from every tribe and nation. Paul’s point is that in the church of Jesus Christ there are no categories or preferences. In Christ, “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:20).”
I encourage you to do three things:
Pray for the Latino community. Ask God to move in the hearts of Latinos and that they would come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Pray for Latino children. Ask that God would give them wisdom, perseverance and favor. Also pray for disintegrated marriages due to separation. Pray for families that are living in different countries away from each other.
Intentionally seek to meet someone from the community. You may encounter a language barrier, but there are many tools and apps that can help you.
Share the Gospel or invite them to church.
DIOS LES BENDIGA, GOD BLESS YOU.
“After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb and said in a loud voice “Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne and from the Lamb!””
Revelation 7:9