If America puts God first, why not Uganda?
Oct 17, 2006
A few months ago, the First Lady and MP for Ruhaama County, Hon. Janet K. Museveni, moved a motion in Parliament for Uganda to have at least two days of national prayer annually to dedicate our country to God.
A few months ago, the First Lady and MP for Ruhaama County, Hon. Janet K. Museveni, moved a motion in Parliament for Uganda to have at least two days of national prayer annually to dedicate our country to God. The critics of the motion were saying that Uganda’s problems could not be put to God. Little did they know that Uganda places itself before God through its motto, “For God and my countryâ€. In implementing the Mrs. Museveni resolution, if I may call it so, the nation held a prayer on the first Saturday of October in recognition of God’s Grace of endowing us with oil. This was followed by the parliamentary Prayer Breakfast at Sheraton Hotel.
Uganda is not the only country that recognizes the importance of God in its midst. Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the US House of Representatives (1994-98), in his book; “Winning the Futureâ€, wrote that “America proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence that all people are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He further writes “For most Americans, prayer is real and we subordinate ourselves to God on whom we call for wisdom, salvation and guidanceâ€. Didn’t you hear President Museveni testify that prayer works? I am sure it has worked if each one of us were asked to testify.
For America to refer to God in their midst is not by surprise. Historically, America was a settler society. The immigrants, who came from Europe and other parts of the world, were running away from religious oppression during the time of feudalism. They went to America to exercise religious freedom during Reformation (14th-17th century). “Reformation was at its core a fight for freedom from religious oppression. By drawing a line of demarcation between polity and religion, it paved the way for the establishment of secular government†(Encyclopedia Encarta).
Many American presidents end their speeches with the phrase “God bless Americaâ€. If America puts God before everything, then what about Uganda which has a multitude of problems? How far have we gone in putting our motto into reality? During the prayers at Kololo on Independence Day, the Archbishop of Kampala Diocese, His Grace Kizito Lwanga, asked Ugandans in whatever they do to ask themselves whether they are doing it for God and their country. If Archbishop Lwanga’s advice were taken then we would have less problems to deal with because most of Uganda’s problems are related to immorality; deviation from God’s guidance.
The Mrs. Museveni motion was part of the realization of our motto. If we implemented it to the letter, we would achieve much. Those who were saying that Uganda shouldn’t look to God for solutions and wanted to put responsibility to the leaders forgot that the leaders get their leadership from God.
When you look at the fourth schedule of the Constitution of Uganda, all the oaths taken by various leaders; the President, Vice-President, Speaker/Deputy Speaker, Chief Justice and all Judicial Officers, ministers and MPs all start with a phrase “swear in the name of the Almighty God†and end with “so help me Godâ€. This shows how Uganda places God at the center of leadership. So Hon. Museveni was simply reminding Ugandans to praise God for the good things our country has achieved and to pray to God to give wisdom to the leaders chosen by God and who swore in the name of the Almighty, to solve Uganda’s problems. How else do you ask for the help of God other than through prayer?
Two Sundays ago, at All Saints Cathedral, His Grace the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, the Most Reverend Luke Orombi, elaborated this point that power at various levels of leadership comes from God. His Grace referred to the Epistle of the day that was taken from Paul’s letter to the Romans in which among others Paul explains the duty of Christians to the state and among themselves. He also referred to the Gospel of the day taken from Matt 22:15-22.
The Epistle; Romans13: 1-7 reads, “Everyone must obey the state authorities because no authority exists without God’s permission, and the existing authorities have been put there by God. Whoever opposes the existing authority opposes what God has ordered; and anyone who does so will bring judgment on himself. For rulers are not to be feared by those who do good, but by those who do evil. Would you like to be unafraid of those in authority? Then do what is good and they will praise you because they are God’s servants working for your own good. But if you do evil, then be afraid of them, because their power to punish is real. They are God’s servants and they carry out God’s punishment on those who do evilâ€. I stopped at verse four. Verse seven calls for citizens to pay their taxes.
According to His Grace, leadership starts at the family unit. He advised that if there are bad leaders, for example if at work places your boss mistreats you and only looks for mistakes in you in order to eventually get rid of you, simply pray for them. The power of prayer will reward you.
The writer is the presidential assistant for mobilisation
Uganda is not the only country that recognizes the importance of God in its midst. Newt Gingrich, Speaker of the US House of Representatives (1994-98), in his book; “Winning the Futureâ€, wrote that “America proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence that all people are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He further writes “For most Americans, prayer is real and we subordinate ourselves to God on whom we call for wisdom, salvation and guidanceâ€. Didn’t you hear President Museveni testify that prayer works? I am sure it has worked if each one of us were asked to testify.
For America to refer to God in their midst is not by surprise. Historically, America was a settler society. The immigrants, who came from Europe and other parts of the world, were running away from religious oppression during the time of feudalism. They went to America to exercise religious freedom during Reformation (14th-17th century). “Reformation was at its core a fight for freedom from religious oppression. By drawing a line of demarcation between polity and religion, it paved the way for the establishment of secular government†(Encyclopedia Encarta).
Many American presidents end their speeches with the phrase “God bless Americaâ€. If America puts God before everything, then what about Uganda which has a multitude of problems? How far have we gone in putting our motto into reality? During the prayers at Kololo on Independence Day, the Archbishop of Kampala Diocese, His Grace Kizito Lwanga, asked Ugandans in whatever they do to ask themselves whether they are doing it for God and their country. If Archbishop Lwanga’s advice were taken then we would have less problems to deal with because most of Uganda’s problems are related to immorality; deviation from God’s guidance.
The Mrs. Museveni motion was part of the realization of our motto. If we implemented it to the letter, we would achieve much. Those who were saying that Uganda shouldn’t look to God for solutions and wanted to put responsibility to the leaders forgot that the leaders get their leadership from God.
When you look at the fourth schedule of the Constitution of Uganda, all the oaths taken by various leaders; the President, Vice-President, Speaker/Deputy Speaker, Chief Justice and all Judicial Officers, ministers and MPs all start with a phrase “swear in the name of the Almighty God†and end with “so help me Godâ€. This shows how Uganda places God at the center of leadership. So Hon. Museveni was simply reminding Ugandans to praise God for the good things our country has achieved and to pray to God to give wisdom to the leaders chosen by God and who swore in the name of the Almighty, to solve Uganda’s problems. How else do you ask for the help of God other than through prayer?
Two Sundays ago, at All Saints Cathedral, His Grace the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, the Most Reverend Luke Orombi, elaborated this point that power at various levels of leadership comes from God. His Grace referred to the Epistle of the day that was taken from Paul’s letter to the Romans in which among others Paul explains the duty of Christians to the state and among themselves. He also referred to the Gospel of the day taken from Matt 22:15-22.
The Epistle; Romans13: 1-7 reads, “Everyone must obey the state authorities because no authority exists without God’s permission, and the existing authorities have been put there by God. Whoever opposes the existing authority opposes what God has ordered; and anyone who does so will bring judgment on himself. For rulers are not to be feared by those who do good, but by those who do evil. Would you like to be unafraid of those in authority? Then do what is good and they will praise you because they are God’s servants working for your own good. But if you do evil, then be afraid of them, because their power to punish is real. They are God’s servants and they carry out God’s punishment on those who do evilâ€. I stopped at verse four. Verse seven calls for citizens to pay their taxes.
According to His Grace, leadership starts at the family unit. He advised that if there are bad leaders, for example if at work places your boss mistreats you and only looks for mistakes in you in order to eventually get rid of you, simply pray for them. The power of prayer will reward you.
The writer is the presidential assistant for mobilisation