I am watching the events in Cuba with great interest for four reasons. First, having lived in Miami, Florida for several years, I got to know a lot of Cubans who had fled the island rather than be imprisoned or killed for either their faith or for their desire for democracy. These people passionately loved their country. Most said that when communism dies in Cuba (as it will, for communism/socialism will always feed on itself after it has exhausted everything else) they will return. Many of those people are dead now and their children and grandchildren are fully Americanized, but those older Cubans loved their island home.

          The second reason I am watching the current uprising is that much of the rising socialist feeling in this country looks to Cuba as the example of successful socialism. I am hoping that American socialist will wake up and see that Cuban socialism is just as evil as any other socialistic government ever. Several years ago I was talking to a young man who wanted this country to become socialist. He was a big Bernie Sanders fan. This young man told me that the US naval blockade was what was keeping Cuba from reaching its full potential. When I told him that the naval blockade ended in 1963, he would not believe me. But there isn’t a blockade. Cuba’s biggest trading partner is The European Union. They are free to trade with anyone except the US and US companies. Cuba’s ills come from socialism being socialism.

          The third reason I am watching this is a selfish reason. The Cubans are a great, energetic and honorable people. And they are fanatical baseball fans. We call baseball our national pastime, but for Cubans, it really is. They love the sport. They are my kind of people.

          The fourth reason, and most important reason, I am pulling for the protesters in Cuba is because these people have become an amazing people of faith. Not faith in an institution like the Catholic Church, but faith in the saving power of Jesus Christ. Under totalitarian regimes, institutions like the Catholic Church lose their luster. But the pureness of simple faith in Christ offers freedom we have a hard time imagining. Stories of great faith have been coming out of Cuba for decades. One of the great joys of my life has been to sit in groups and listen to stories (translated from Spanish) given to us by recently escaped Cubans about their faith in Jesus.

          I was an associate pastor at a church in Hialeah, Florida, which is part of the Miami Metro Area. Our church had the sanctuary first and then our ‘Spanish Mission’ had the sanctuary. The mission was about ten times larger than the Anglo church. Made sense. Hialeah was about 90% Spanish. Sometimes their sound man (name of Edwardo Fitchiaro) would not come in and I would stay over and do the sound for them. Typically I was lost as to what they were saying. These people talk fast. You may think you can speak Spanish, but you better have your ears tuned up. However, it was always a fascinating thing to watch those folks when they sang. Many of the songs were the same tunes as our hymns. The words are a little different than a direct translation to make them fit meter and rhyme, but very much the same. But there were a few songs that were totally different. People would start to weep. They would look to heaven with pleading eyes. They would tremble. One Sunday I took one of their hymnbooks home and found a couple of those songs. I had a Cuban friend translate. They were songs of freedom in Christ when there was no other freedom. Joy in the Lord when there was no other joy. They were songs of pure emotion, emotion spurred on by the grace of the Lord.  Very much like the Negro Spirituals of time past in this country. Touching on an emotion we cannot begin to feel. For us, Jesus Christ is common. For them, He is precious.

          All Americans should be cheering the Cubans on. All Christians should ben praying for the Cuban Christians. I want you to think about the passion and hope in this sign seen at a protest:

Si nos oedamos callados

Nos matan! Si hablamos

Nos Matan! Entonces

Hemos decidido Hablar para!

No morir callados!! S.O.S.

The translation is, IF WE STAY SILENT, THEY KILL US! IF WE SPEAK, THEY KILL US! SO WE HAVE DECIDED TO SPEAK SO WE DON’T DIE SILENT! S.O.S.

          Could you live like that? These are people who need prayer.