Zimbabwe Council of Churches Pastoral Letter to the Nation July 2013

A call for peace to the nation during the election season Introduction We as the Zimbabwe Council of Churches heads of churches meeting on 19 June 2013 issued this pastoral letter which is borne out of our compelling mission as the Shepherds of God’s flock through Jesus’ message to Peter in John 21 that says “If you love me, tend my sheep”. This is a mission that derives its legitimacy from God Himself as manifested in his Son our Lord Jesus Christ, the Chief Shepherd and eternal Head of the Church. We have a God given Biblical and theological mandate to guide the nation and all leaders in making God’s voice to be heard at particular times when He chooses to speak to His people on issues of justice, peace, reconciliation, poverty and the liberation of the oppressed (Luke 4:18-19). As the custodians and facilitators of God’s mission, we are obliged to “stand up and proclaim” the will of God, whenever His people are faced with difficult situations that threaten or deny them fullness of life (John 10:10). In the same way we applaud and encourage positive actions and developments. We continue to do so in conformity with our calling through preaching the Gospel of truth, justice, peace, reconciliation, unity and love as entrusted to us by the Lord Jesus Christ. New constitution We welcome and celebrate with pride, the new constitution that His Excellency President Robert Mugabe signed into law on 22 May 2013 following the overwhelming public endorsement in the 16 March referendum. We salute the determination, commitment and patience shown by the political leaders and the people of Zimbabwe in concluding this important process. The support of Zimbabwe’s neighbours in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was crucial towards the achievement of this milestone. This new constitution marks a new chapter in the continuing struggle for democracy, good governance, rule of law and economic development. These are ideals that began with the national liberation struggles against colonialism and oppression. We remind the nation that having a new constitution is just the beginning. Zimbabweans must internalize all the values enshrined in the new constitution and live by them if the supreme law is to make a difference in our lives. Our collective task as the nation of Zimbabwe, is to make our new constitution a living document that shapes our conduct, guides our actions, and that constantly reminds all of us to cherish freedom, equality, peace, justice, tolerance, prosperity, patriotism and unity in our rich diversity. May this, our new constitution be the glue that binds us together as one nation, as we march towards our common destiny. May our new-found values of peace, tolerance, respect for human rights and the rule of law enshrined in our new constitution guide us in the lead up to, during and after the coming harmonised elections. We encourage those who will be elected as Councillors, Parliamentarians and Senators to make sure that the new constitution will reach their constituencies and is explained in the language that people understand to avoid wrong interpretations. Harmonized elections: a “KAIROS” moment Today the nation of Zimbabwe is at cross-roads; a decisive moment, commonly called KAIROS in theological terms, when God’s people are faced with making life-changing choices as they seek God’s guidance. Such times call for pragmatic reflection, looking back and forth. Once again, we reiterate our message of peace and tolerance to all political parties and their leaders as they campaign for votes in the General Elections. Men and women of faith should play a positive role in maintaining sanity in all political processes. We must avoid blood-shed, abductions and other forms of violence that characterized the June 2008 elections. Our prayer is that even those who suffered this trauma will still see the value of voting. Our campaign must instill confidence to people who are living in fear because of memories of the last elections. We also encourage the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to continue to strive for transparency, honesty and excellence so that those who lose the election will not pinpoint to the electoral systems which results in disputed elections. It is our hope and prayer that this election will not result in a controversial outcome that will lead into another negotiated settlement to create a unity government. Let us accept and respect the people’s choices. When the time comes, let us pray first, and then go to the polls, hoping and trusting God to use that process to choose the next generation of leaders and government. Zimbabwe needs God fearing and peace-loving leaders: not corrupt and evil rulers. Our pastoral message to political leaders is that it is possible to have peaceful elections in Zimbabwe. This is evidenced by the peace that prevailed on 16 March 2013 during the referendum. It is possible to win an election without engaging in violence, intimidation and vote buying. Our message to those in authority is that they should put in place transparent electoral and political processes that are also sensitive to special groups such as children, the disabled and those living positively with HIV/AIDS. We emphasize that peace is only possible where there is justice and fairness. As the church, we are reminding the nation that justice to the underprivileged is one of God’s demands to those in authority. Our message to all Zimbabweans is that as we approach the elections, let the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: “You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world”, (Matthew 5:13) ring in the mind of every citizen. Consistent with this message and inspired by “…faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6), let us all seek and work together to offer the fruits of that love, which are, among others: transparency, reconciliation, tolerance, peace, justice and fairness (Galatians 5:22). We demand these virtues from leaders of: all political parties, security services, the media, ZEC, Civil Society Organisations, and other relevant government departments, some of whom are part of our flock. As we make these demands we should continue to admonish and pray for these institutions so that they are inspired to do what is right in the discharge of their duties. We emphasize that reconciliation; tolerance and justice are essential ingredients in the process of building a peaceful Zimbabwe. Therefore we should cherish these virtues. Violence during campaigns and elections worsens the situation. Let us put Zimbabwe first and our personal interests last. We also condemn hate language with a strong voice in both private and public media. First and foremost we are Zimbabweans before we become political leaders. This pastoral letter is a trumpet call to Christians in Zimbabwe to dedicate Sunday 21 July for the Cathedral or pulpit call for peace in Zimbabwe. All churches are requested to focus on peace during their worship services. Church leaders are invited to lead their flock in a special pledge and covenant of peace with God. The rallying text on this day is John 14:27a: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you”. Issued by, African Independent Church African Methodist Church in Zimbabwe African Methodist Episcopal Church African Reformed Church Anglican Diocese of Harare Anglican Diocese of Central Zimbabwe Anglican Diocese of Matabeleland Anglican Diocese of Manicaland Anglican Diocese of Masvingo Baptist Convention of Zimbabwe Christian Marching Church Church of Christ in Zimbabwe Church of Central Africa Presbyterian ELCZ Central Diocese ELCZ Western Diocese ELCZ Eastern Diocese Independent African Church (Mushakata) Methodist Church in Zimbabwe United Church of Christ in Zimbabwe Reformed Church in Zimbabwe Salvation Army Presbyterian Church of Africa Uniting Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa United Congregational Church (SA) United Methodist Church Ziwezano Church

Statement by Southern African religious leaders at the conclusion of a solidarity visit to Zimbabwe

16July 2013 In solidarity with the churches and the people of Zimbabwe, we as religious leaders from the Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa (FOCCISA) have been in Zimbabwe from the 7th of July to the 10th of July on a solidary visit ahead of elections. During the solidarity visit our delegation of 12, which was in the country at the invitation of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches(ZCC) visited Chinhoyi, Bindura, Harare, Masvingo, Mutare, Gweru, and Bulawayo. We met with Zimbabwean church leaders, civic leaders and officials in government departments responsible for the conduct of elections and we were able to convey the message of unity. We were able to hear from them, the country’s state of preparedness for the polls, assess and gain greater understanding of the situation in the country. We had come to share, learn and pray with Zimbabweans and offer support for them to find solutions that will allow the country to arrive at reconciliation and rebuild the nation. We urge Zimbabweans to set aside denominational and personal differences as the country goes through what is potentially a divisive election period when political tensions are heightened. We implore them not to engage in utterances or actions that may threaten the rule of law, peace and security. We would like to see a free and fair election which is held according to the laws of the country, reflects the will of the people of Zimbabwe and meets international standards for democratic elections. We urge the church to speak out clearly on all issues that relate to the conduct of free and fair elections and the wellbeing of the country. Our observation as the Church informed by the recent visit is that there are difficulties sorrounding preparations for these Elections, a view shared by the leadership of the Church in Zimbabwe. We therefore call on the entire Church in the Sub-Region, Region and the World to pray for Peace, to be prophetic and exercise its pastoral responsibility and solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe. We request the Church throughout the world to join the Church in Zimbabwe on an Ecumenical Cathedral on the 21st July 2013, to pray for the Elections and Peace in Zimbabwe. Beloved of God, the God that we serve is a God of miracles and he is able to create something good out of chaos. Political violence There remain justifiable concerns about the threat of violence and the resurgence of political violence which has marred previous elections and which could threaten national peace and security. Civic society players and church leaders we met during the course of our visit spoke of the need for political commitment to the political parties’ code of conduct. which is aimed at minimizing political conflict and eradicating intimidation. They also said there were grave concerns in too many parts of the country about possible post-election retribution as happened in 2008 when certain sections of the population suffered for their choices. The unpredictability of what lies ahead has become a great source of concern for many. We urge the police and other security agents to stand aside and allow the vote to proceed without intimidation. We the churches of Southern Africa do not want to see a repeat of the political violence of 2008. We will continue to advocate for the observance of the rule of law, the respect and promotion of human rights. Disenfranchisement of voters We received with concern reports about delays in the registration process and the challenges faced by so called “aliens” in obtaining identity documents which would have allowed them to register to vote. There is a mismatch between the situation on the ground and the provisions of the new constitution in regard to these “aliens”. The process of renouncing their citizenship of other countries and trying to get new documentation was laborious and left many unable to register. Many Zimbabweans in rural areas we were told, found the distances they had to travel to registration centres long, while the registration requirements were an additional burden to this section of the population. More could have been done to inform the nation about the requirements for voter registration. All these issues have disenfranchised thousands of Zimbabweans and are likely compound voter apathy. The role of the church We noted with sadness that some political parties have divided the churches and have attempted to manipulate them for political gain. We therefore implore the church to remain united and not to be used to serve narrow political interests. Religious leaders were in some places being forced to attend political meetings. The churches have a critical role to play in reducing tensions. We encourage the church through its extended country-wide networks to use prayer meetings and civic education to openly campaign for peace. The church should take up the crucial role of intercession through mobilizing Zimbabweans to pray for a peaceful election process. Media access The churches and civic groups we met also bemoaned the lack of equal access by political parties to the media in particular the state owned media. Sadly media coverage in much of the press was tainted with glaring bias. All media is urged to refrain from using hate language and to ensure fair and accurate reporting of the entire electoral process from the campaigns to the tallying of votes. Participation of women, youth and Christians Sadly it was noted that there did not exist an enabling environment for the participation in politics of youth, women and Christians and as a result they remained at the periphery of politics. In some Christian quarters, the reason for this is that politics is regarded as dirty. We are also concerned about the distribution of beer at political meetings and rallies especially among young people as this was viewed as a way of buying youth votes. The role of observers Concerns were raised about the role of election observers who were too often quick to declare elections free and fair. Observers should be cautious in coming up with reports on the conduct of elections and are urged to include the views of as broad a section of the population as possible. The members of the ecumenical delegation wish to thank everyone they met for their openness and, in particular, ZCC for welcoming and accompanying the delegation round the country. By sharing their combined experience the ecumenical team will hopefully strengthen the capacity of religious communities and networks to observe the polls. They can share best practice and contribute to the observance of standards demanded by church for the holding of free elections. The church can bring together various players to enrich responses to challenges faced by Zimbabweans. We will continue to offer support in the seeking of solutions that will allow Zimbabweans to arrive at reconciliation and make recommendations that will help mitigate and prevent future conflict. We call on the leadership and citizens of Zimbabwe, to be tolerant and maintain Peace. All should put the country first, for Zimbabwe cannot afford the battering it received following the 2008 Elections. The Church will continue to engage the leadership of the Region under SADC and relevant stakeholders and alert them to the fears and aspirations of the people of Zimbabwe. Scripture declares and faith accepts that Peace is not an option but a Gospel imperative: “What does the Lord require of you? To do justice, love kindness & walk humbly with Him.” (Micah 6:6-8), “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives” (John 14:27). Our prayer is that Peace, Justice, Tolerance, Fairness, Reconciliation and all the other Values of the Kingdom of God may prevail in Zimbabwe during the upcoming Elections. The members of the ecumenical delegation were: Rev Mmachakga Mpho Moruakgomo- Botswana (Head of delegation),Rev. Lucas Amosse – Board Mozambique Council- Mozambique, Rev. Pearson Banda- Zambia, Rev. Chizason Chunda- Zambia, Rev. Suzanne Matale –Zambia, Rev. Gideon C. M. Dlamini- Swaziland, Mr Godfrey Mkandawire- Malawi, Rev. Rupert Isaac Hambira Botswana, Bishop Gilford Immanuel Matonga- Malawi, Rev. Gosiame Goodenough Chaobi- South Africa, Mrs Elma Dienda Namibia, Mrs Masara Idlette Mathaha -Lesotho

Facing electoral chaos, Zimbabwe churches unite to educate voters

Facing electoral chaos, Zimbabwe churches unite to educate voters Peter Kenny | Sunday, June 16 2013 A A A print Print email Email Tag: Southern Africa Crisis Management Agency, SACMA, Christian Action Trust Zimbabwe, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference, Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Council of Churches, Rev. Levee Kadenge chairman of CAT-Zim, Kubatana.net Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai (R) looks on as President Robert Mugabe signs Zimbabwe's new constitution into law in the capital Harare, May 22, 2013. The constitution, approved overwhelmingly in a referendum in March, clips the powers of the president and imposes a two-term limit. However, it does not apply retroactively so the 89-year-old Mugabe could extend his 33 years in power by another decade.Photo: Reuters / Philimon Bulawayo The 15-country Southern Africa Development Community has called on Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to delay elections scheduled for July 31. At the same time civil society and church groups are scrambling to aid the electoral process which during the 21st century has always ended in conflict and violence. Related Major churches in Zimbabwe unite to form peace group Mugabe skirts EU travel ban to attend papal inauguration Zimbabwean Priest Defends Harassed Anglicans "There is a need for the government of Zimbabwe to engage the constitutional court to request more time beyond the 31st of July," SADC secretary general Tomaz Salomao said at the close of a summit of regional leaders in Maputo on Saturday. Zimbabwe's highest court had ruled that elections must take place before that date and it did not take into consideration there is not enough time to enact reforms agreed to through the peace process that would ensure the polls are free and fair. Mugabe's decision to press ahead with the election pushed Zimbabwe into another electoral crisis. Election crises have plagued the southern African country since 2000,Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and a poll without installing agreed-to reforms would favor Mugabe and his Zanu-PF party some of whose leaders believe only they can rule as they have in effect done since 1980. Follow us ELECTION VETO Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who has been in a government of unity with Mugabe recently, had said he would veto any election date that comes before media, security and electoral reforms are implemented. Southern Africa Crisis Management Agency, a non-governmental agency and Christian Action Trust Zimbabwe (CAT-Zim) had come together early in June to launch a grassroots anchored peace initiative when elections take place in Zimbabwe later this year. To lay the groundwork, the organizations are training church pastors and spiritual leaders in electoral processes and monitoring of political violence across the country which has taken place in the country often stirred by agents of the Zanu-PF, the party that won independence elections in 1979. They will also be responsible for escalating the incidences with relevant authorities, following incidents reported. The scheme has trained more than 200 church leaders, including pastors and bishops, kubatana.net has reported. On completion the programme is expected to reach 5,000 church leaders across Zimbabwe. "We are part of a broader group of organisations affiliated to the Zimbabwe Council of Churches who have embarked on various strategies to minimise violence and torture as part of our normal pastoral work in Zimbabwe. ECUMENICAL PROGRAM "This program seeks to compliment the efforts already underway by three Zimbabwe main church organisations: the Catholic Bishops Conference, Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Council of Churches to address Zimbabwe's perennial legacy of violence before, during and after elections," said Rev. Levee Kadenge, chairman of CAT-Zim. Kadenge who had led the ecumenical Zimbabwe Christian Alliance since 2008, noted at that time the country's main grouping of traditional Protestant churches and the African and global umbrella church organizations with which it is affiliated had been notable for their silence on what was happening in his country. On October 28, 2008 Kadenge told Geneva-based ENInews, "The Zimbabwe Council of Churches has done nothing. The churches should have been speaking without fear of favour, just speaking on behalf of suffering masses of Zimbabwe. Their absenteeism is so pronounced." Robert Mugabe's policy of mass confiscation of land held by minority white settlers who owned most of the productive land and who had held political power until 1979, turned Zimbabwe in the words of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu, from the bread-basket of Africa into a "basket case." In 2002, Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth of Nations due to the reckless farm seizures and blatant election tampering and the following year the country voluntarily terminated its Commonwealth membership as its rhetoric against foreign powers escalated. Elections held in the country in 2005 were found to be fraudulent by international monitors. On March 29, 2008, Zimbabwe held a presidential election along with a parliamentary election. The three major candidates were Robert Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change–Tsvangirai (MDC-T), and Simba Makoni, an independent. MUGABE REFUSES TO ACCEPT RESULTS The results of this election were withheld for two weeks, after which it was generally acknowledged that the opposition MDC had achieved a majority in the lower house of parliament, but Mugabe refused to accept the result. A blog called The Patriot currently supports the ZANU-PF party of President Robert Mugabe, who has ruled with an iron fist since 1980 headlined a piece, "NGOs using churches to carry out election sabotage." The Patriot who does not sign his name on the blog wrote, "I do not support these trainings as I smell the hand of the pink [white] men. The church is being used and must stand up to these colonial powers." Churches that have spoken out on issues of justice over the past 14 years in Zimbabwe have been attacked by the ruling party and security forces. The Zimbabwe Council of Churches and CCJP (Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace) launched the election program aimed at bringing peace in the country and urged churches to pursue peace initiatives in view of the pending elections. Speaking after the pastors training in the eastern city of Mutare near Mozambique on June 3, SACMA Zimbabwe Coordinator Tichanzii Gandanga said, "SACMA in partnership with CAT-Zim is training pastors in electoral processes and monitoring of political violence, equipping them with various skills like terrain scanning, event diarising, incident recording as well as peace building. PROGRAMME BASED ON KENYAN HISTORY "The initiative aims to finally set up a Zimbabwean own version of Ushahidi where incidences of violence are fed onto an online database in real time with church leaders as Community focal persons in scanning, detecting, verifying and feeding our call centre." The Ushahidi initiative is an online mapping tool that started in Kenya in 2008 to track and map political violence there. Ushahidi means witness or testimony in Swahili, and it developed using an online mapping system, used around the world to report and track issues like violence and corruption. The technology is already used in Zimbabwe to map and report corruption through the 'I paid a bribe' anonymous reporting website. A political violence map was also started using Ushahidi in 2011 by a blog called 3rdLiberation. The Mutare workshop was attended by over 40 pastors from different denominations. When asked to comment about the training Rev. Jonathan Memory Chindewere of Kingdom Faith Ministries Church said, "As pastors our job is to shepherd all people and to bring and maintain peace; as such this training will go a long way in helping to make the church a safety sanctuary to all peoples without regard to political affiliations." Zimbabweans are hoping for harmonised elections this year as a precarious Government of National Unity sees its mandate brought about by the Southern African Development Community-brokered Global Political Agreement comes to an end in June. That agreement signed in September 2008 was facilitated by South African President Thabo Mbeki led to a coalition government for Zimbabwe that hammered out a new constitution with electoral reforms that Mubabe's party has often resisted. Kubatana reported that violence always rears its ugly head during and after elections with allegations of partisan policing levelled against Zimbabwe Republic Police and security forces. It said the country remains polarised and the likelihood of a violent poll is high given the stakes. Copyright © 2013 Ecumenical News

NGOs using churches to sabotage election

While the writer of the article which follows begins with facts and figures that are correct he proceeds to make spurious allegations that because of what we are doing as CAT Zim we intend to sabotage elections. That is far from the truth. I am a patriot in my own right. The fact that we are doing what we are doing shows that we are very patriotic. We love everyone across party divide. No one should claim to be more patriotic than others as if patriotism is only for the few who chose themselves to be so. Levee Kadenge===================================================================================== By Nondumiso Sibanda in The Patriot===. WE have been telling you for a long time dear readers that elections will be held this year no matter what. I am glad that this is happening and the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are finding themselves in a very precarious position. They wanted to stall elections as much as possible to 2015 even, but this time around, their stalling tactics have failed. Now we are hearing of a new buzz word from the NGO sector. They are now calling for ‘credible’ elections and have moved from calling them ‘free and fair’. In this calling for ‘credible’ elections which in their lingo means violent free and rigging free, we are finding the churches being entangled in this Western agenda mess. The Southern Africa Crisis Management Agency (SACMA) and Christian Action Trust Zimbabwe (CAT-Zim) have come together to launch a grassroots anchored peace initiative ahead of Zimbabwe’s watershed elections this year. To lay the groundwork, the organisations are training church pastors and spiritual leaders in electoral processes and monitoring of political violence across the country. They will also be responsible for escalating the incidences with relevant authorities, making follow-ups on incidents reported. A total of 200 church leaders comprising pastors, reverends, apostles and bishops have so far been trained to date. On completion, the programme is expected to reach 5 000 church leaders across Zimbabwe. “We are part of a broader group of organisations affiliated to the Zimbabwe Council of Churches, who have embarked on various strategies to minimise violence and torture as part of our normal pastoral work in Zimbabwe,” said Reverend Kadenge, chairman of CAT-Zimbabwe. “This programme seeks to compliment the efforts already underway by three Zimbabwe main church organisations, The Catholic Bishops Conference, Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Council of Churches to address Zimbabwe’s perennial legacy of violence before, during and after elections. “SACMA in partnership with CAT-Zim is training pastors in electoral processes and monitoring of political violence, equipping them with various skills like terrain scanning, event diarising, incident recording as well as peace building. “The initiative aims to finally set up a Zimbabwean own version of Ushahidi, where incidences of violence are fed onto an online database in real time with church leaders as community focal persons in scanning, detecting, verifying and feeding our call centre.” The above snippet of what these two organisations are planning on doing was taken from the Kubatana website. SACMA and CAT-Zim are busy advertising and looking for more churches to work with. We will remember that not too long ago, Jestina Mukoko of ZPP had started the same programme with the mobile phones that were then taken from her. Now we are finding the NGOs using churches to complete this unfinished work. This strategy sounds all too familiar. The West is using the church to have its own agenda of regime change fulfilled. Remember dear readers how the church was the backdrop for colonialism. The church is at the centre and was used to propagate racism. Just imagine how many innocent individuals attend church and the majority of them listen to everything that their pastors say as bible. This is something that the NGOs have realised and because of this influence that churches wield, they are now being used. Why should NGOs want to come in and compliment the efforts of the church? The various denominations have been calling for and praying for peace and that is the role of the church. Now we hear of trainings for pastors, reverends, apostles and bishops and one wonders why these trainings are being carried out? The answer is very simple; the idea is to discredit the elections since everyone in the world can never discredit the men of the cloth. This whole online depiction of violence in Zimbabwe is absurd. Why the police are not part of these trainings if there really is any truth to what these NGOs are saying and doing is something worth asking. The NGOs as I always say, are there to compliment the efforts by the Government. In this case if there is any violence taking place anywhere in Zimbabwe, the police ought to be the first port of call. Where is the church coming in honestly!! Like I said, this is a new strategy to ensure that the elections are discredited. Why is the Government not involved in this exercise? The church once again is finding itself at the centre of controversy. May the men of the cloth please stick to their calling and may the relevant Government authorities be involved in this so-called exercise. I do not support these trainings as I smell the hand of the pink men. The church is being used and must stand up to these colonial powers. Zimbabwe will have free and fair elections and the ball has already started rolling. No NGO can stand in the way of that. Forward ever as a nation and backward never!

We are not amused

The goings on in our politics Zimbabwe is so confusing that most Zimbabweans are now looking up to the Lord for His intervention. It seems we have been left to fate by our politicians. Those who are supposed to be giving direction are themselves fighting for dear life in the primary elections. The proverbial 'chicken running around without its head' can best sum up what is happening in this beautiful land left to us by our ancestors. Our hope is now in the hands of our church elders if they can knock some sense in our dear leaders. Unfortunately the church is divided by political parties between those who are supporting the chaos blindly and those who are trying to interrogate the situation critically and calling for consensus. Some friends are saying leader or no leader they will approach the Maker for intervention. It seems divine intervention is what the whole nation is looking forward to. As a nation in turmoil we look up to the skies/mountain from whence our salvation will come from. Indeed, we are not amused. God bless.

LOVE, a powerful tool

The developments that are taking place are calling us to outdo each other. There is a lot of competition around and we are not getting enough time for each other. Families are the most affected. Mother and father are out working and children are left alone with child minders. In all this we find it hard to locate LOVE. Love demands that you sacrifice not only your money or goods but your personal touch, your being there. As it is, the missing link, LOVE has to come back to its proper place for communities to find each other. Once love is back we are guaranteed a good present and a promising future. When things are bad then we have a powerful force to use, that is love. Surely challenges will arise and they have to be met head on. Using love as a tool to solve problems we will not go wrong. Real and imagined enemies can be dealt with using the power of love. Love will dissempower your enemies and empower you. At the end of it all you actually empower each other. Life should not be a tragedy but have a happy ending always. God bless.

You are your brother's keeper!

God created us because he is love. Because He is love so He created us. We in turn should love Him. The best way we can show God that we love Him is to love the man and woman He created in his own image. No one has seen God. We have and will continue to see each other and in one another we see God's image. After Cain had killed his brother he was asked "Where is your brother?" The reply was, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Indeed he was his brother's keeper, hence the question in the first place. Whatever we do let us not hurt the sister/brother for we hurt God. Loving everyone will earn us special love from God Himself. God bless.

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