Maravi

Rev Mwale calls for renewal

Rev Mwale calls for renewal
Written by Chibaula Silwamba and Masuzyo Chakwe
Friday, April 10, 2009 5:08:58 AM

COUNCIL of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) chairperson Reverend Moses Mwale has said Easter should be a period of renewal. And Roman Catholic Diocese of Mongu Bishop Paul Duffy has urged Zambians not to use the Easter holiday to get drunk but take it as a period for the Lord.

Rev Mwale, in an interview yesterday, asked people in the country to use the Easter celebrations to reunite.

"I want to invite the Zambia nation to reflect on the sacrifices that Jesus Christ himself gave on the cross of Calvary and use the celebrations to reunite us as a nation," Rev Mwale said.

He urged people to deeply reflect on their differences and come together again in an effort to live a life of reconciliation with one another.

"I think three weeks ago, I said there is something wrong with the way politics is practised in Zambia; I think this can be a time of renewal. Politics should be to the service of the people and politics should not antagonise us," Rev Mwale said. "For example, like what I read in your newspaper, the other time the Lusaka [Province] permanent secretary [Stephen Bwalya] walked away from church because [Patriotic Front leader] Michael Sata had attended a church service there. I think that cannot be tolerated in a nation like Zambia. Let Easter help us to reflect on these issues that we should not practice enmity and animosity because we are in politics, because we belong to this political grouping or that political grouping; let us reconcile and move together as a nation. Easter should provide such a forum for us."

He added that Easter reminded people about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

"According to scripture, all enmities were put to rest and new hope of life was brought in," Rev Mwale said

And in an Easter message to the people, Bishop Duffy said if Zambia considered itself a Christian nation, Zambians should then celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ and look forward to their own resurrections.

"It is a spiritual day and it's a holiday on Monday but what does Easter mean to Zambians? It is significant to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and apply it to our lives and see how we can live as Christians to the best of our ability," he said.

Bishop Duffy said some people took holidays as days to get drunk and miss the whole point of what they were celebrating.

Bishop Duffy said Easter was a time to celebrate Christ and his resurrection to give people a new life.

Labels: CCZ, MOSES MWALE

posted by MrK @ 4:10 AM