Many people know that the New Testament refers to Jesus as a “friend of sinners”. This is what President Museveni told Religious leaders while addressing the 18th Annual National Prayer Breakfast organized by Parliament in Kampala on Saturday.
He went against Christians keeping to themselves instead of reaching out to sinful people that need spiritual guidance.
The President quoted Mark 2:17 which says, “On hearing this, Jesus said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners”
“If Jesus the son of God left heaven and came to earth to save the sinners, who are you to stay to yourself in Namirembe cathedral or Rubaga yet people need help. You need to lower yourselves to the sinners.” He remarked.
This is just about the same point he empathized on September 12 during the closure of a seven-day conference commemorating the 80th anniversary of East African Revival in Ankole, where he advised religious leaders not to preach to only those who go to church but find ways of reaching out to those who stay home.
The Prayer breakfast was graced by Jonathan William Aitken, a former British Minister of Defence, who was the guest speaker
Accompanied by his wife Janet Museveni, who also doubles as the Education and sports Minister, President Museveni used ethics and integrity minister Fr. Simon Lokodo as a case point, wondering why “religious leaders resort to coercive means to curtail immoral characters in society instead of deploying persuasion to attract the immoral for transformation.”
marvin@ugchristiannews.com
