Dear Viewers/Listeners
Christ is Risen!
Come receive light
From unsetting Light
And glorify Christ
Risen from the dead!
Standing somewhere on earth, a certain Christian community is calling, chanting the theme of the Easter feast, the Resurrection of Christ from the dead, and the glorification of His human nature. By these events, all humanity is invited. Every human being is called. To come out, from the terrible darkness, from the ignorant and sinful state, regarding the nature and true end (destiny) of mankind. For, all over the earth, it is true end of mankind-the common good of mankind, that constitutes the number one puzzling question. Why am I existing? As a self and hetero conscious being? This is the foundational question of every person; to which, the Risen Christ from the dead and glorified is the international answer.
When we receive the light from Christ, the incarnate Word of God, then we certainly overcome all the accustomed mythical or heathen standards of living. That is to say, then we overcome all the alienate interests: i) just in the physical self-well-being (survival stage), or ii) in a mere social economic well-being (power stage), or iii) in the simply religious and scientific well-being (experience stage). It is only then when we go beyond all these stages (now dominant), to join the circle of citizens of the Kingdom of God, who are guided by the Spirit of God and the Lord Word of God, “through whom all things were made” (Jn 1:3).
In the light from Christ the risen and glorified, we examine all the acts (history) of our country-Uganda, as a dominantly Christian country. And we prophetically proclaim that, in the name of the Lord God, we disagree with the “Absolutism of Relatives” followed by Politics. Because, that is a system leading us not to the common good of mankind (THE UGANDA WE WANT), but towards individualism (selfishness Mk 8:36), with all its vices as observed in our society today. Brutality, defrauding, delusion, avarice, swindling, falsehood and all forms of disrespect to the human person, (debasement and killings), all these are vices generated by Political Absolutism of Relatives or Individualism.
Uganda is beautiful and rich country (pearl), both in physical and cultural riches. But if we insist developing her on the foundation of vices, without building virtues, then we clearly demonstrate that, we have no ability (free will!) of choosing the Kingdom of God, instead of the kingdom of the Evil-one. Building our country on the foundation of virtues is at the same time a struggle to eliminate all vices from our midst (Mt 6:10). However, to eliminate all vices from our midst is not simple work. It cannot be realized only by spreading guns everywhere and security personnel in every place. Yet, neither the production of codices of laws and rules upon every matter does not also eliminate vices from our midst (Ps 127:1). The most important requirement in the process is to cultivate diligently the “free will” power within the Ugandan citizens. All of us we may become free persons to choose the virtues leading to the common good for mankind, instead of choosing the evils.
Therefore, we call everyone and especially the leading actors in the Country, to come out from darkness and ignorance of the true end of mankind, the common good for mankind. Let us all come together for building the Uganda we want. We wish for all a transformative Easter, from vices to virtues, and from death to life eternal.
A blessed Resurrection to you all!
+ METROPOLITAN JONAH LWANGA
UGANDA ORTHODOX CHURCH