FOURTH DIMENSION : The acceptable mourning

The call for a season of mourning is very appropriate. It rhymes with Prophet Isaiah’s words: “Shout loudly! Don’t be quiet! Yell as loud as a trumpet! Confront my people with their rebellious deeds! ( Isaiah 58) It’s appropriate for the constituents to let their leaders know that they are aware of the breach of trust. Leaders need to remember it will take more than mere political rhetoric to rebuild that trust.

It demands deep commitment to doing what is right and respect to the laws of God. We cannot act unjustly on all fronts of life and expect to reap a beautiful harvest.
The unfortunate side to the call to mourning is that it comes from illegitimate leaders. These are self-appointed leaders filling in a vacuum created by the lethargy of the legitimate leaders. We may have a cause, but we need to have the right order of operation if we are going to see the blessing of God on our endeavors.

When it became obvious that Idi Amin was destroying the nation, the rallying call for change came from legitimate leaders in the nation. Though it cost the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda his life, the Church remained with the burden to call on the God to sort out the nation. This is part of our history of bringing change to the nation. We must all reach consensus that the nation is systematically undergoing destruction.

The daily reports of abuse of office and scandals of financial misconduct should not numb our feelings instead of stirring them to true mourning that leads to God’s intervention. When Uganda stops applauding the chaos and seeks deliverance, then the rescue from above will happen.

It’s also necessary for the legitimate leaders to stand against every form of corrupting laws and lead people in the right direction. The corrupting laws are hidden in what we have been made to believe are the privileges of the leaders. For certain, the leaders must be well facilitated. But when they accept exorbitant privileges, they open the door to abuse in other offices.

Whereas the Mayor needs a decent vehicle for his services, I want to think that his new official car is a snare that drains his capacity to demand for truth and justice in government ministries. Coupled with this snare is the Mayor’s angry and abusive reference to the Executive Director of the city. This animosity does not help the people, but rather wounds them further.

The prophet Isaiah explained why God stayed away from the cries of the people: “At the same time you fast, you satisfy your selfish desires, you oppress your workers. Your fasting is accompanied by arguments, brawls, and fistfights.” He clearly indicates that such behaviour is retrogressive.

His recommendations included the “removal of the sinful chains, and the burdensome yoke of oppression.” I suppose this calls for a national commitment of all people to cease from words and deeds of injustice. We cannot be perpetrators of injustice and expect others to act contrary to our very ways of life.