Christian scandal: Why we should pray for each other to become holy

By Dr. Josue Okoth

News media are full of scandalous stories about the people of God: both the laity and the clergy. The drama of 22^nd September 2016, in which the Catholic faithful in Arua made the news when they demonstrated against their Bishop is the most recent. Recently in Ankole Christians of Church of Uganda rejected their bishop.

These incidences are scandalous and should never happen. Lack of adequate religious education in schools is the root cause of these scandalous behavior. Priests are the most respected people in society since time immemorial. Government should give enabling environment for religious education in schools. It is not enough just to send Policemen to put out ‘fire' - people must receive both body and spiritual education; because man is made up of body and soul. It would appear that Uganda is blessed with many mushrooming Christian sects, but they have a very poor Christian education structures. They are actually prayer groups, senso stricto, with no institutional structure of a Church; they do not conduct catechism classes.

On 14^th August 2016, the Anglican Bishop of Lango Diocese, Rev. John Odur Kami cautioned Christians against joining the mushrooming religious cults whose followers he described as devil worshippers who join expecting miracles, wealth and good jobs. Recently, the Catholic Church suspended some priests for various reasons and the battle continues in the press. In the Catholic Church, it is the Pope who appoints a Bishop; in the Church of Uganda, it is the House of Bishops. Rejection of the appointees by the faithful demoralizes the Appointing Authority. I belief that there are procedures in place within these Institutions to handle issues of indiscipline of the clergy instead of doing to the press or rioting.

St. Paul in his letter to the Philippians 2:3, says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves". St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians 4:1-6, says, "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received…..Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is  one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to one hope when you were - one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is  over all and through all and in all". Disobeying lawful orders is a sin. In John 8: 31 Jesus said, " If you obey my teaching you are really my disciples, you will  know  the  truth and  the truth will set you free", then he  added  in John 8:34 while addressing the Pharisees, " I am  telling you  the  truth: everyone who sins is  a slave of sin". The more physical authority we have over another's  life, the  more Spiritual power our words carry for that person; in this  case bishop, priest and laity.

We must pray for the clergy and for ourselves because we are all human. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are given to the Church - and you as a member is part of the Body of Christ, the Church. When you leave the Church, which is the source of your inspiration, or when you disobey, you lose the gifts; but the devil takes them over as false gifts. You are now caught up with the spirit of pride and materialism. 1Cor 14:33 says, "For God is not a God of disorder but of Peace". The Gospel teaches us that "Whoever can be trusted with little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will be dishonest with much" (Lk 16:10). And in Lk 16:3 he said, "No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other". 

Let me comment more on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Many priests/pastors who claim to have gifts of healing have become very rich through offertory and this is not the will of the donors (the faithful). Many of them under the disguise of charity ministries have set up lucrative businesses outside the Church. I do not believe that this is correct and is in line with the teaching of the Gospel. The Christians who give this money to be prayed for would want charity done but within the Church. That is what the Missionaries did when they put up hospitals and schools from money donated from Christians abroad!

They bought cars and built Churches and houses for parishes not for personal use because they no longer belong to themselves but to the Church, the Body of Christ.  If the gifts of the Holy Spirit were to be used for personal gain, then the  priests who have been given the gifts of healing would have an advantage over the ones with gifts of preaching and yet the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for the same purpose: "…Everything must be of help to the Church" (1Cor 14:26).

We should not understand vocation as a search to fix the world or to settle down in the world, it is not the result of a human project or an organizational strategy. Vocation is love, received and given: is not a choice, "You did not choose me, I chose you" (John 15:16). When Jesus send the 72 others (Luke 10:1-20) he told them to carry no bag, no sack, no sandals…..and say to whatever house you enter first, ‘Peace to this household…stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you…'.

When Jesus explained how hard it is for a rich man to enter heaven comparing it with a camel entering the eye of a needle, Peter asked, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us? He answered, "I tell you the truth….And everyone who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life (Mat. 19:27-30; Mark 10:28-31). In Luke 14:26, he included "wife" among those to be left.

In conclusion, let us pray for everyone, priests as well. St.  Mother Tereza said, "Pray much for priests, because we need holy priests. The holier the priests are the more holy we religious will be…the more holy will be the families of God … and have many holy vocations".  

Dr. Okoth is a concerned Christian 

okothjosue@yahoo.com