Why Health Reform is Imperative

I thought of asking simple questions concerning health reforms which as you know is necessary. The current campaign to stop these reforms is evil! It is a shame that the United States despite being so rich is the only country in the first world that does not provide health care to all its citizens. Unfortunately, many Americans do not know that.

It has now become fashionable to call those who are advocating for health reforms as socialists. Those who are still opposed to the election of Obama have taken this chance to call him all sorts of names, among them Hitler! They have called him Nazi! Yet these people are ignoring the fact that every American is entitled to health care!

For so many years, people have complained about insurance companies cutting health benefits for patients and the ever increasing premiums! We have watched with pain our beloved ones die due to lack of insurance! We have seen young people denied care because they can harldy afford! Others have been denied insurance because of pre-existing conditions.

How come these companies can claim to be advocating for patient rights? Is the world changing? How on earth can insurance companies continue to spend more than 1.4 million dollars a day on stopping health reform? Or since when did health insurance companies that have continued to pocket billions of dollars become advocates for patient rights? And when are we going to stand up to these companies? In short, whom are they fooling? Please stand and be counted! Health reforms are necessary and Obama is right!!

On the Death of Dr. George Tiller

The Death of Dr. George Tiller left me wondering, why on earth would somebody go to that extent? Why shoot somebody in the Church? Where are we all heading?
I know that we all hold different views on abortion. But to shoot somebody in the Church, simply because I do not agree with them is evil at its worst.

All because she was Gay

On my visit to one African country, I shared tea with one woman. She was a lovely woman who lives in "hell." I literary mean "hell," as you know it. I sensed that the poor woman did not trust anybody in the Hotel. So I inquired about her fears. "I am an African woman who is gay," she told while looking around. I developed interest in her answer. As a researcher, I inquired, "how is homosexuality conceived in your country?" Her answer, "To be gay in this country is like living in hell. My parents have accepted me, but the community does not. I can't go to school, to the market, to the hospital and even walk freely in the streets."

After she realized that I am a priest, the woman was bold enough to challenge me to start seeing gays and lesbians as human beings with rights. So she invited me to witness one of the worst form of human rights abuse promoted by Christians in our time.
"Do you want to see how I live my life and preach about it?" She asked, as she stood up and headed to the door. At this time, I followed her at a distance, like Peter did to Jesus!

From nowhere, she was surrounded by men who started harassing her for shaming her country. As though that was not enough, they started slapping her and hell broke up. The poor woman could not defend herself! Thanks be to God, the police did not take time to arrive on the crime scene. To my shock, those criminals were left and the poor woman was arrested for being gay.

I am ashamed that I did not stand up for her. After sometime, I caught up with her! In tears, she narrated her ordeal and informed me that all her money was taken. "I am tired of living in fear. I love this country but I am gay! "

I was later informed that the people behind the demonization of that woman were Deacons, priests, Bishops and Archbishops of my faith! As a priest, who is highly concerned with how Christian minorities are mistreated, beaten, imprisoned and even killed in some Islamic states, I am ashamed that we are mistreating homosexuals in the same manner.

When I shared her plight to some Christian pastors and priests, they told me openly that homosexuals should be shot! Friends, I we all have different views on homosexuality but I cannot accept denying others their rights because of their sexuality! Call them Hindus, Mormons, racists, Muslims and worse still, homosexuals! I believe as long as we are humans, we all have rights to be advocated and protected!

Father John's whereabout

I am sure many of you have been wondering as to what happened to my blog. I ran away from the cold of Boston and lost all my coats not knowing that I will need them very soon. I wanted to come back with a story about great weather we are enjoying across Africa. But before I tell you about Zambia, Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria, I have something to share with you.

My trip across Africa has taught me so much. I have realized that I have all the reasons to be thankful. If you think I am saying this because I am a pastor, just wait. I have met so many people who have nothing and I mean, nothing!

One little girl by the name of Siimwe Betty comes to mind. I met this beautiful girl on the streets of Kampala. She is very religious and well mannered. She was walking the hills of Kampala at a very slow pace. It was one of those hot days and I could tell that the little girl was thirsty and hungry. As I walked passed her, I realized that something was wrong with her. So I stopped to inquire about her well-being. She told me she was doing her hairdressing course at one of the church run-centers. However, she was just about giving up. When I inquired why, here is her answer.

"Imagine sir, a girl of my age, walking more than 12 miles a day! I don't have breakfast because I wake up about 5 am in order to get to school at 9 am. I don't have lunch because I can't afford! I still have to walk back home until 10 PM when I take my supper! It takes me 3 hours to school and another 3 back home! I have no father or mother! Nobody knows me! But as a Christian, I know that Jesus is aware of all my struggles!" I asked about how much it would cost her to get a bus to school! Only 500 Ugandan Shillings (less then 25 cents). I paused for a while before encouraging her not give up. I told her that she has the power to change her life once and for all.

Well, I suffered during my childhood but when I meet people like Siimwe, I realize how fortunate I have been. The difference between Siimwe and myself is that I had a mother and she does not! I had brothers and she does not. Yet we both have one thing in common. We had Jesus on our side. For sure, nobody knows our pains and fears, our joys and sorrows better than Jesus. I am reminded of the hymn, "What a friend we have in Jesus!" For that little girl, the only person she can trust to come to her aid is Jesus! Maybe, you are that Jesus who will give her 25 cents for her transport! What a lesson to all of us who are paining!

Why I am not a Christian

Have you ever tried to invite your neighbor to Church? Well, I did. It was a Sunday morning after attending two services that I thought of buying something from a convenience store. Since I in my collar, I invited my friend who was attending me. "I am the priest of the Church across the road and I inviting you to Church." Anxious to convince, I continued, "We are your neighbors just across the road."

The man told me that he works 7 days a week and would not be able to make it. As an Episcopalian and Anglican, I took this time to sell my religion. "Well, we meet Sundays from 10-11:30. There after we have coffee hour. Please try and visit us one Sunday."

As I was speaking to him, the owner of the Shop showed up. A very kind woman, whose presence in that shop tells a lot about her spirituality. As she walked towards the counter, she recognized me. A spiritual woman she is, she extended her greeting to me and said, "Happy New Year." I responded back with similar words but added, "I am inviting him to Church".
"When do you worship?," she asked with great humility.

Thinking she was interested in joining us, I proudly marketed my Church, "We worship on Sundays at 10- 11:30 and we have bible study on Wednesday at 6:30. You can join us on these two days for fellowship."

To my disappointment, she responded with a great smile on her face, "That is the reason why I am not a Christian. I do not believe in worshiping God once or twice a week. My God should be worshiped every day. At least five times a day."

Trying to justify myself, I responded that our Sunday meetings do not replace our daily devotions. But the woman responded, "You are not the only Christian to tell me that! All Christians who come to this shop point to worshiping on Sundays only. When are you going to learn to worship God daily."

Knowing I was on a losing end, I gave up with the words, I told her that we have a lot to learn from her religion. As I drove back home, I reflected on the woman's wise words. It was like Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well. This time, however, the woman told me everything I had done! She was a prophet only that this time she was a Muslim. Muslims worship God everyday we Christians worship God on Sundays only.

If there is something to learn from our friends of the Islamic faith, it is their devotion to Allah. If our God is real as we claim, we should learn to worship God daily. Our duty is to love and worship God for the rest of our lives. As the woman said, we need to learn to worship God every day.

Living to the Name? Jesus did

Yesterday we celebrated the naming of the Christ. He was named Jesus, the name given by the angel Gabriel even before he was conceived as an indication that he was to save the world.

I come from a culture which names a child after eight days. Between the time of birth and naming, very little is done as people await the naming ceremony. Between the time of birth and naming, the parents would consult with elders and other family members to find out which name would be given. After the name has been identified, the child is named and then celebrations start.

The name ceremony is very important in my culture. We all look forward to the day of naming with great expectations. This is because the name will identify the character of the new member of the family. In fact it is expected that the original owner of the name given to the new born would influence and protect the baby from evils attacks and somehow live to fulfill the role of that name. Should s/he fail to live to that name, it would be regarded as disgrace to the original owner of the name. It is this aspect that made naming a sacred event.

In this regard, my culture shares much with the tradition from which Jesus came from. Nobody could be named outside the established norms. To carry the name also meant to fulfill community expectations. Of course, so many people were called Jesus in his time! But this our Jesus was named after the directions of an Angel. In line with his name, he lived his mission of saving the world from all sorts of evils. This mission made him to suffer and die a shameful death but God raised him from the dead. You wonder why he did not give it up? Well, he was the Messiah, the savior, as the Angel Gabriel had said.

How about us, what is our name? We are called Christians because we are followers of the Christ. I wonder whether we are living to the expectations of our name. In the world were injustice is a norm, we should show the world that we children of the living God. In fact we were made children of God by the man named Jesus, the savior of the world. Let us not bring shame on the Lord's name but live our lives worthy of our calling. Happy New Year.

Oops! How Old is God

In order for something new to come, there must be an old one. How old is old? Last night, I did not spend time counting down to 2009 as most of you did but chose to sleep and wake up in the New Year. I did it and it worked. I slept for one year!

Sleeping it off, however, did not solve the problems that I did not address last year. Neither did your counting down to 2009. Last year challenges are still with us and we have to pray for proper wisdom to address them. Our God never grows old and for that reason, we have come with him into this New Year. Only if we are ready to pray to him day and night.

Speaking about prayer, I overhead a discussion between a five year old boy and his father. The boy was concerned about God and why we only go to Church on Sunday. So he walked to his father and asked, "Daddy, why do we worship a dead God?" Being a great theologian, his father responded that God is not dead but alive. The boy did not allow the theological training of his father intimidate him, so he asked, "But why is it that we cannot see him. We cannot see dead people therefore God is dead." His father told him that he will meet God when he grows up and know that God is alive and real. I am sure that was the best answer to give to a child but I promise you, I would not have done better.

The question of the dead God who cannot be seen has troubled theologians for so many years. I will not spend time telling you about what theologians enjoy doing; arguing about God.

What I can say, however, is that the boy's question was based on his experience of God. He goes to Church and hears people talk about God but when they leave the Church, God has no place in their lives. The God who is only visited in the Church on Sunday and locked in the sanctuary for the following Sunday is a dead God. Maybe the boy was right. We cannot claim to worship a living God on Sundays only, and Monday through Saturday we lock God in the Church. A living God should become part of our daily lives and must be able to direct our lives. A living God should live among us as Emmanuel and be experienced through our daily communion with each other and with God. Therefore, among this year's resolutions, let us not forget to be with God daily.