HOW CHRISTIANS CAN CREATE UNITY TODAY
Christians
can organize fellowship. This would bring different people together as they
share the word of God.
Encourage
the spirit of sharing among the people. By sharing their belonging, those have
and those without or with less are brought nearer to each other thereby
fighting social evils like selfishness and greediness, which tend to be divisive.
Treating
all people equally and associating with everyone irrespective of the social,
economic and political background.
Christians
need to accept that they are seekers of God. This can help to attract even the
people who think they are sinful. This may help to lead them to into
repentance.
Christians
need to campaign for the observation of human rights. This can help people to
recognize and honor the value of one another.
Being
non-partisan in politics. They should treat and take all political parties as being
important and equal to each other in the governance of the country.
By
giving support to the needy group of people like orphans, poor and disabled.
This may help to bridge the gap between the poor and the rich.
By
acting as agents of forgiveness and reconciliation in the event of conflict.
They should convince such parties to sort out their differences in a peaceful
way.
Christians
should pay attention to state duties and functions instead of keeping a
distance. This may be through paying tax, celebrating important days such as
Independence Day, hero's day and women's day. This can make people to rally
behind the government in place.
Christians
can create unity by participating in decision-making process regarding the
governance of the society. This puts the Christians in a better position to
friendly policies that in effect can bring the people together.
Christians
can also create unity by preaching the good news of love to everyone. Love is
important because it can create a situation where people are able to live as
brothers and sisters.
Organizing
public meetings and discussions can help in creating unity among people because
it becomes an avenue of coming together and sharing their ideas
Giving
full support to ecumenical movements can act
as a tool for Christians to forge unity among people. Ecumenism is a movement
that aims at bringing unity between the various divisions of the Christian
religion. This is very important since some religious denomination preach
against each other.
Christians
can bring unity among people by empowering the youth and the underprivileged.
This can help raise the status of such people to a meaningful level.
How
Christians Can Participate in Politics
Through
voting for their desired candidates. This may include presidential, members of
parliament and local Councils candidates
Campaigning
to be voted for as representative’s people in the different political posts
like president members of parliament.
Sensitize
the public about their rights and the political affairs or development in the
Country. This helps to create awareness among the people especially when it
comes to elections thereby helping them to make the best and informed decisions
for their country.
Participate
in public political debate or talk shows. During such debates, topical issues
like term limits which are important in the governance of the country' are
discussed. Such talk shows include on the Spot screened on NTV and Capital Gang
in 91.3 Capital Radio among others.
Respecting
and observing National days like the Independence and Heroes days. By doing
this so, the Christians identify themselves with important events that marked
the development of the country.
Holding
peaceful demonstrations in cases where they feel dissatisfied with what taking
place is or where ever and whenever they feel their rights have been violated.
This can act as a wakeup call for the political leaders to serve people better.
For example the "Walk to Work Protest" that characterized the year
2011 by the opposition leaders including Dr. Besigye of Forum for Democratic
Change and Mao Nobert of Democratic Party because of high fuel and food prices.
Attending
public rallies especially where matters of public interest including
governance.
Express
their views on matters relating to the governance of the country. This can
through writing articles in nationally recognized magazines like The
Independent under stewardship of Andrew Mwenda and newspapers including The New
Vision and The Daily Monitor. Such writings may help to bring to the attention the government of what public think
Oppose
the dictatorship of the government peacefully especially when the policies
limit the freedom of the people.
Attend
national conferences, workshop or seminars organized by the government. This
enables the Christians to express their views in matters relating to the
affairs of the country.
Giving
advices to the political leaders like the members of parliament, local councils.
This can help such political leaders to serve to serve the people better.
Attend
court sessions especially where the cases are about the political development in
the country. This can help to ensure that there is fairness in judging cases.
Pay
taxes effectively and regularly as be
required by the government. This is important in aiding government programmes
like the provision of medical and educational services and constructing roads
among others.
Promoting
government policies like family planning and Universal Primary and Secondary
Education.
Reasons for Christian Participation in Politics
Christians
should participate in politics in order to subdue the world. God in the
beginning commanded man to bring the world under his control. (Genesis 1:28).
Therefore, participation in politics by the Christians is one way of bringing
the world under control.
It
helps the Christian to promote the spirit brotherhood.
This can bring about unity diversity.
It
enables the Christians to encourage the political leaders to fulfill their
promises. This makes it possible for the ordinary citizens to enjoy the fruits
of elections.
Participation
in politics by Christians can help to bring sinners back to God. This is
possible if the Christians can encourage and promote values like love, humility
and forgiveness. Jesus demonstrated this by associating closely with the out
caste like the prostitute woman and the tax collector.
It
can help to minimize election mal-practices like rigging. This can ensure that
the most capable and acceptable leaders are elected.
Christians
should participate in politics in order to show good example to other leaders.
Such a Christian becomes a pace setter or a role model the rest of the
political leaders to follow in order to serve the people better.
It
ensures that there is a fair play in the government especially during important
times like the drafting of the constitution or while debating bills (proposed laws).
The Christians can guide the discussion basing on values like fairness
tolerance and love.
It
encourages the spirit of togetherness in the community. The fruit of this may
be peace harmony among the community members.
It
can help a Christian to implement and establish justice in matters relating to
the country. This can instead make everyone to enjoy the fruits of good
politics include better roads and improved medical facilities.
Christians
should participate in politics to help ensure peaceful change of government. This
may be possible the Christians can sensitize the public that authority is
God-given values of sharing and humility among others.
Participating
in politics gives the Christians the opportunity to render support to their own
people especially those disadvantaged like the poor and the orphans. This is important
in improving their standard of living.
Christian's
participation in politics can help to reconcile conflict among people. In such
a case, the Christians become bridge builders in bringing people having
misunderstanding together.
Participating
in politics by Christians can help in extending the kingdom of God. Before
going back to heaven, Jesus instructed his apostles to make everybody a
believer before his second coming
Participation
in politics by Christians can create unity in diversity. This becomes important
in the pluralistic society where misunderstanding is always caused by
differences in political, religious and social beliefs. Therefore, it is a duty
for the Christians to help the people understand that they all one and are the
children of God.
It
is a duty for a Christian to obey civil authority for authority is God-given.
In his teaching, Jesus said "Give to Ceaser what belongs to Ceaser and to
God what belongs to God". By saying so, Jesus encouraging His disciples to
pay the tax required. He is quoted as saying (Mathew 22: 15 - 22).
Participating
in politics by the Christians is an act of showing obedience to the state. St. Peter
advised the believers to submit to human authority for the sake of the lord (l Peter
2: 13).
It provides Christians with the opportunity to
offer guide and counsel to the political leaders and the members they serve.
Reasons
against Christian Participation in Politics
Politics
tends to divide population basing on the political parties. This is against the
oneness in Jesus Christ and the God they serve.
It
can easily make Christians to become liars. This is especially as they look for
votes. This means that the incapable leaders may be the chosen.
Politics
can make a Christian put him or herself above the others. This contradicts
teaching on authority where the greatest in the heavenly kingdom is one who is
a servant (Mathew 20:26).
Participating
in politics can easily make Christians forget God's duties. This is because the
too much engagements including carrying out rallies and debates.
Politics
creates enmity the people. This is because it leaves people in two or more
rival blocks basing on the political parties.
Politics
make the Christians materialistic. This may become a blockage to the commitment.
Christians are meant to towards their faith as they may be pre-occupied with
the struggle for such material things.
Politics
makes a Christian chaotic. By becoming chaotic, they fail to copy the life Jesus
characterized by humility, tolerance and love.
Politics
is a cheap way of seeking popularity by the Christians. This may be as a result
of being known for doing things of the world.
In
politics, Christians are liable to search tor prestige instead of God. They
should copy the example of Jesus who lived a quiet and simple live.
Christians
can easily become enemies because of different political ideas and as they
fight for votes. This is a threat to the lives of Christians.
It
is possible that the Christians can easily be over taken by the political
issues the spiritual lives of the people.
Christians
are encouraged to work for the heavenly instead of concentrating earthly
pleasures.
Politics
takes a lot of time for the earthly matters. This means that Christians with
little time for serving God.
Politics
is associated with dictatorships. This sets a bad example and portrays a bad
image of the Christians
In many cases politicians violate rights and freedom of the people they serve.
However, Christians are required to live tor with
others peacefully.
Most
politicians are rulers and they want to be served. However, Christians are
expected to follow Jesus' example who served the people instead of being
served.
How
Christians can spread the good news today
Christians
can spread the gospel by preaching. This can either be in the church or any
other organized place for worshipping.
Christians
can use charitable work in the gospel.
Through extending services to the needy, they can convey the message of love
and care to the already disadvantaged.
The
gospel is being spread through living exemplary life. This becomes important in
influencing the lives of non-believers.
Christian
seminars or workshops are often organized with the aim of enlightening the
community about their faith. This keeps the Christians firm.
Christians
are using electronic media such as radio and television. Programmes in such
media are Christian in nature including the songs and the preaching.
Christians
can provide social services to the general public as one way of spreading the gospel.
They can use this opportunity to teach the beneficiaries of the schools and
hospital gospel message.
Some Christians make pilgrimage in the spread
of the gospel. Visitation to holy places such as the Namugongo shrine is used
to remember the historical events and even
encourage the living with faith to behave in the same way.
The
gospel message is being passed through composing and singing songs. Some of
these songs contain the biblical texts that are already summarized. They are
also used during and worship.
The
gospel message is being passed through acting drama. In the process of being
entertained, the spectators are also made aware of the gospel truth.
The
Christians have always and are still translating the scriptures into various
languages spreading the gospel. This helps the masses to read and understand
the content of scriptures.
Christians
also distribute the bibles to people such that they can have access and read
messages.
Some
Christians go out for missionary journey in an effort to spread the gospel.
They travel to distant places where they keep on conveying the gospel messages.
Christians
write and publish different literatures as a way of spreading the good news.
The gospel truth story is always conveyed in the form of story already written
down.
Christians
spread the good news by organizing praise and worship. In such a way, the
gospel messages are passed on to the people participating.
Some Christians use personal testimonies to
influence others. They share the
Christian experiences mostly in the church.
Problems Christians Face In Spreading the Gospel
Language
barrier is almost the biggest problem in the spread of the gospel. In this, it becomes
difficult for the gospel truth to be passed across to other people because
inability to communicate.
Christians
also face oppositions from different groups of people. This may either be non-
believers or believers having different doctrine.
Inadequate
or limited funds delay the smooth spread of the gospel. This slows down
activities such as missionary journey and writing Christian literature.
Lack
of commitment on the side of believers themselves is a problem the spread of
gospel. Such people lack seriousness and may not follow the church summons.
5 Christians are faced with the problem of
competition among the different denominations. Some even preach against the
others with a lot of criticism. This tends to confuse the followers who may
eventually fall out
Rigid
and conservative cultures held by some Africans blocks the spread of the
gospel. Such people even look at Christianity as foreign in nature and arc,
therefore, not ready to follow its teachings.
Political
instability or insecurity has been and is still a problem in the spread of the
gospel. In such places, people cannot freely go
to spread the gospel. Some are even killed in the process of moving up and
down.
Christians
face the problem of temptations in spreading the good news. They are always
taken up by the pleasures of the world at the expense of the gospel truth.
There
is also the problem of over expectation from the general public. In such cases,
society expects the believers to be perfect in each and everything. A small
mistake becomes a way of undermining such believers.
The
spread of the gospel is also hampered by transport hazards including accidents
impenetrable roads. This tends to limit the movement of Christians.
Some
Christians are always mocked, abused, provoked or insulted by the general
public because of their faith. In some places, Christian believers are even
isolated. This may prevent the spread or the gospel because of the hostile
attitude of the-would be audience.
Some
Christians are disturbed by inferiority complex or fear in the spread of the
gospel. This makes them unable to carry out their duties effectively.
Some
Christians suffer from isolation because of the faith. The strict life they
live is seen difficult to copy and at times regarded to be boring.
Christian
Involvement in African Traditional Society
Christian
involvement in African traditional society deals with the integration of
African cultures into Christianity. When Christianity had just been introduced,
both the Africans and the missionaries came to realize that certain customs and
practices combined the two seemingly contrasting beliefs. Every effort possible
was, therefore, made to get the best out of each including the following.
The church accepted the extended family system
in traditional Africa. This was in line with the teaching Christ where the
family must be outward looking to a wider human community.
The
traditional Africans just as the church had a common belief of God being the creator
and the supreme. This was the most important belief that brought the
traditional Africans and the church as one.
Both
the traditional Africans believed in the existence of evil spirits. These
spirits are believed to be the obstacles to man's faith in God and a source of
instability. Above all, they believed in the casting out of these evil spirits
by performing rituals and prayer.
Just
as the traditional Africans, the church especially the Roman Catholic recognized
the use of intermediaries in accessing God. The Africans believed in divinities
(lesser gods) to them with the supreme God and the Catholic believes in saints.
The
traditional Africans had always encouraged communal living to promote the
spirit of togetherness. This was and is not different from the Christian idea
of sharing in common.
Christianity
had to recognize An-jean names relating to the existence of God. Such names are
seen to glorify God's name because of having religious meaning attached.
The
church adopted the African practical way of offering sacrifices with the
intention of living a holy life. They, however, had to change some of the aspect
or the way it was being conducted like human sacrifice.
The
church involved Africans into Christianity by translating the bible, prayer
books and hymn books into the native languages. This made Christianity to
penetrate deeply among the Africans.
The
church also adopted African songs having religious messages. They also
translated hymns into African languages so as to ease praise and worship.
Both
the traditional Africans and the church the
idea of blood bond. To the Africans, blood relationship was not to be broken.
This was the same with the doctrine of Christ shading his blood to cement the
relationship between man and God, man and man.
The
church also encouraged the making of beautiful art pieces such as paintings
sculptures. Several art pieces were later used to beautify the church
buildings.
The
traditional Africans easily understood the Christian rituals and ceremonies
including baptism, confirmation and others. This was not different from the
African cultural practices of child naming and circumcision.
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