MORALITY MUST RULE

THE declaration of Zambia as a Christian nation stands out in the preamble of the Republican Constitution to fortify the Christian values upon the citizens. Invariably, Christians are in the majority in the religious realm in Zambia, hence the imperative need to embrace and practice the Word of God wholeheartedly while at the same time accommodating citizens with divergent religious beliefs. As the Holy Week hits the crescendo, Zambians should critically examine their conduct at personal and national levels. It is time to conduct a self-introspection! It is also time to realign one’s conduct after a quiet and deep introspection. This process should run from personal, familial, through to organisational and national levels. At national level, there is equally an urgent need for healing, reconciliation and unity of purpose. This follows, therefore, that the Church, politicians on both sides of the divide, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the general citizenry must stand together to rebuke any evil elements and covert actions. In the midst of all this, the citizens must fully understand the meaning and purpose of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion, death and resurrection. Citizens should not just end at reciting the Bible verses, but embody the Word of God. Yes, some toxic elements have emerged clothed as ‘Men of God’ when in actual fact they are not. This development should not divert our attention because the Bible is very explicit in Matthew 24:24. “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even elect.” An appropriate approach is to pray for them and to call upon the name of the Lord to intervene. At the same time, however, we must appreciate the fact that there exist genuine and true Men of God, who perform deliverance, healing and preaching. Thus we must commit ourselves to ceaseless prayer for us to focus on correct doctrine which is crucial to growth of Christianity in Zambian and beyond. We need to remain on course as not to misinterpret the Bible. Yes, Jesus` death and resurrection which we are celebrating now is His accomplishment of taking away from mankind guilt and fear. He died for our sins. As a consequence, Zambians must relate to God and people around them with love, compassion, and humility. Healing and reconciliation will automatically follow. There are so many challenges that can spell doom for the country if citizens do not embrace healing and reconciliation. Therefore, Zambians must hold together in peace, love and tolerance while at the same time promoting social and economic growth. Squabbles and petty debates are retrogressive. The country has just survived another round of serious cholera outbreak and battled with abhorrent acts of serial killing. For once, political leaders must heed calls for genuine national dialogue that are resonating in public domain. One wonders the real reason why some politicians are working hard to muddle the process. Politicians are in fact expected to lead initiatives aimed at uniting the nation rather than relegating the delicate function to the Commonwealth. Clearly, the political space has become highly contaminated to the extent that politicians cannot agree to meet on a round-table to iron out contentious issues and also discuss development programmes. As a result, the governed recoil to safety and watch in awe the political circus panning out while international media spring forward to feast on negativity that excites their audience. This must be resolved. Instead, Zambia must focus on consolidating the economic fundamentals so that tangible benefits can trickle down to the ordinary citizens. Inflation is still at single digit for March at 7.1 per cent with February trade surplus of K694.6 million, exchange rate at K9.70 while copper prices are hovering around US$ 6,500. With such attractive economic indicators, politicians from both sides must devote their time discussing the best way to accelerate economic diversification from dependency on mining to improved agriculture and tourism. The energy sector too needs expansion to comfortably accommodate the rapidly growing industrial base. Demand for power has increased tremendously. Indeed, in Christ we heal!