Summer has ended, But we are not saved.
Lawrence Temfwe April 10th, 2007
Our heroic fathers and mothers fought and liberated our nation from the colonial rulers so that our copper would not go to develop Salisbury and London as was the case then. For some us who can remember we know that we did experience a brief bliss of Independence. However, since 1975, Zambia has been receding to the margins of world affairs, such that even the celebrated achievement of reaching Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) completing point has provided no relief for people living in poverty.
We are a nation with bountiful natural resources and a people with faith in God. A combination of these two things should create a nation that is great, good, just and strong economy. Yet, what we have is a tragedy! We got tired of developing London we now developing Peking, Johannesburg, Melbourne and Amsterdam (Zambia National Commercial Bank). With Independence and bountiful natural resources in our hands we hoped for clean drinking water, beautiful roads, job creation, public swimming pools, mutual global partnership, quality education and medical care, but little good has come. Instead of being healed we are being devastated by HIV/AIDS, malaria and poverty.
Jeremiah responded to the plight of Judah by making a heartfelt cry to God (8:18ff). He asked God to listen to the cry of the people who had been deported from their own land. The people were perplexed that their city could have fallen since God’s temple was there. In anguish the people were taken aback and wondered if God was no longer there. But God responded that it was not that He was absent, but it was their sin that caused their captivity. God gave Judah every opportunity to repent, but she continued to rebel. Jeremiah 8:20
portray the mournful cry of those who learned the consequences of sin too late.
This Easter the nation is faced with the same challenge as Judah. But our summer has not yet passed. Jesus by His death and resurrection reminds us again of his offer of God’s love to every person. When we embrace this love and repent of our evils that have shattered our dreams of prosperity – corruption, greedy, tribalism and nepotism and grow in living a life that reflect Jesus justice and righteousness we will then harvest our copper and have fruit in our barn for the winter.
It is unthinkable that, Zambia, a nation with thousands of brilliant people, abundant natural resources, a thriving church that has not been compromised by moderation and is filled with people with faith in God who answers by fire, is mostly known for its HIV/AIDS pandemic poverty and orphans. The harvest is not passed and summer is not ended. Let us to repent and begin to reflect lives of justice and righteousness that our nation be known for its greatness, justice, goodness and strong economy.
