The Narrative Construction of Peter in the Gospel of Mark in Light of the Reports of Displacement and Exile Due to the Armed Conflict in Colombia

Abstract

A scenario of conflict, as in the Colombian case, may be related to the socio-political context in which the Gospel according to Mark may have been written, and therefore offers new insights for the understanding of the narrative phenomena presented. In effect, Mark could have been a response to the traumatic experiences of the followers of Jesus to whom the Gospel was addressed. Likewise, the experience of those displaced and exiled by the Colombian armed conflict has involved a series of traumatic events, but also bears witness to processes of resilient reparation. Against this background, it is proposed that in Mark, the figure of Peter, courageous and determined at the beginning but cowardly and flighty at the end, is analogous to that of many victims in the Colombian armed conflict who, faced with the imminent danger of losing their lives, were forced to abandon their deepest convictions and even their loved ones to end up fleeing into hiding and exile. Nevertheless, both Mark and the experience of those displaced and exiled because of the conflict in Colombia suggest the possibility of vindication of these victims and their respective narratives, helping them to recognize that their flight was not a betrayal and that, thanks to it, the memory of the events can be reconstructed to guarantee the truth and the non-repetition of the facts.