During the time when the late Speaker, Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanyah was hospitalized in the United States of America, tribal sentiments were unfortunately sparked off among Ugandans. When he sadly passed away, these sparks of tribalism were fanned into flame. Because oftentimes the condition of a nation depicts the condition of the Church, the ungodly divisions among Ugandan tribes can to a great degree be remedied by the Church if it gets its act together.

In the Bible, the kingdom of Israel comprised twelve tribes. Concerning worship and national security, the twelve tribes were to be united. They were all to worship only one God, and when any of the tribes was threatened or attacked by a foreign power, all the tribes would fight as a united force. But concerning other issues, the different tribes were to do as they pleased, as long as they did not violate their God-given constitution, the Law of Moses. Unfortunately, the era of a united Israel came to an end because of King Solomon who in the latter years of his reign went after foreign gods. Shortly after Solomon’s death, Israel was divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, and the once united tribes started fighting each other.

Like Israel, the Church in Uganda is supposed to be united in the worship of one God, and in the fight against Satan and evil. Unfortunately, the church is divided on these two important issues, and that division is reflected in the tribal divisions of the country. For example, a major sect of Christianity – Roman Catholicism – practices idol worship and does not preach the true gospel of salvation. Other sects are populated by hypocrites who behind the scenes worship ancestral spirits, just like many Roman Catholics. Then the Pentecostals who should know better have not only slept on the job and therefore been infiltrated by devil worshippers, but also witnessed some of their prominent ‘leaders’ willingly sell out to Satan. To make matters worse, many of the Pentecostal Church leaders who have not bowed the knee to Baal are so scared to expose the unfruitful works of darkness of the once ministers of light who are now angels of darkness. Little wonder then that tribalism is prevailing in the nation, for “as the Church goes, so does the nation.”

We the Church therefore have a major part to play in fostering the unity of our country Uganda. And it starts with you and me. If all of us Christians sincerely purposed to worship the only true God and Him alone, and together fought against the Devil and his emissaries within the Church, we would achieve the desired unity. And since “as the Church goes, so does the nation,” the spirit of togetherness would begin to come upon Uganda, causing the different tribes to live in harmony.

The Church must not put all the blame of tribalism on politicians. We too are to blame ‘big time’. Thankfully, we also have the solution to what ails our beloved country Uganda. By sincerely worshipping only one God and being united in the defense of the Church and the gospel, the salt and light that we are called to be will permeate our society.

God bless you.