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GOOD
TIDINGS
As
opposed to those loud knocks on my door that alert one about the presence of a
visitor, today there was only a faint “hodie”.
I opened the door to find an old woman staring at me with those eyes that told a
not so good story. This was one poor old woman. After I prodded her to divulge
the reason for her visit, she had the following to say. “Last year I lost a
daughter who left behind three fatherless children. One of the three children
recently sat for her grade nine exams. Unfortunately, she has made it to grade
ten!” “Unfortunately”? At first
I thought I had not heard right. How could the fact that an orphaned child had
made it to grade ten be construed as bad news, as something “unfortunate”?
Well, it meant that the poor old grandmother now had to look for her school
fees!
“The
Lord has sent me to bring good news to the poor.” These are the words the
prophet Isaiah uses in the first reading this Sunday to describe his mission. In
today’s Zambia, what would comprise “good news” to the poor? This is a
question that begs an immediate answer, for we cannot continue in a situation
whereby even what is supposed to be good news to our people has become a source
of worry and anxiety. What good news do we have to announce to our
underprivileged brothers and sisters? One way of doing this is to ensure that
our Constitution becomes a vehicle of truly good news where the Bill of Rights
is clearly spelt out and enforced. This is because, as the Catholic bishops
pointed out in their 2004 Pastoral Letter, Let
My People Go!, “In the
Constitution, the Bill of Rights is the heart to the body made up of other
articles.”
The
Bill of Rights contains rights and freedoms that are to be enjoyed by each and
every citizen of Zambia. Let us quote here what the draft Constitution says
about the rights enshrined in this section of the document: “The rights and
freedoms set out in this part are inherent in each individual, and are not
granted by the State; and cannot lawfully be taken away by the State.”
What
are some of these rights that are so important that not even the State can
lawfully take away from any individual because they are inherent to the human
person? One such right states; “Every person has
the right to a basic education, including pre-primary, primary and secondary
education.” This and many other rights that individuals enjoy place a
corresponding responsibility on government to ensure its fulfilment; “The
State shall institute a programme to implement the right of every child to free
and compulsory primary education; and make post-secondary, technical and
vocational education progressively available and accessible.”
Wouldn’t
it be good news for that woman who couldn’t celebrate the fact that her
grandchild had made it to grade ten and many others to know that their
government was taking it upon itself to ensure their children really did access
education? Wouldn’t it be good news for all Zambians to know that their
government saw its responsibility not just in some theoretical articulation of
citizens’ right to education but really worked hard at providing the actual
means necessary to the enjoyment of such rights?
Means like trained and satisfied teachers, classrooms with desks, books
and other learning materials?
What
about an individual’s right to good health services? It is no use to keep
saying that people have a right to health care when there are no medicines in
the hospitals: it is of little consequence to talk about the right to quality
health care when there are only a few trained personnel in the hospitals and
clinics!
We
all know that Advent is a time to wait with ever-greater hope. This year, we
wait with hope that the coming Christ will gift us as a nation with a
Constitution that will seek not only to respect but to enhance all our God-given
rights. We wait, not with folded arms, but with minds and hearts at work to
ensure the birth of a Constitution that will respect and enhance the rights and
dignity of all citizens, especially the poor and disadvantaged...
Questions
for Reflection and sharing in Small Christian Communities
- Think of one poor person in your community. What would
be truly good news for that poor person today?
- What are you willing to do this Advent so as to be a
messenger of good news to someone poorer than you are?
- What grace do you wish for your family as Christmas
gets closer?
Sketch
Have
a Member of Parliament from a poor community come to visit the constituency. The
community has a lot of needs and the MP is busy thinking on how he/she can meet
the needs of the community. But he/she remains hopeful that a solution would
really be found. Then the MP receives constituency development funds. He/she
calls the whole community together and discusses with the people what must be
done. The community is hopeful of better things to come.
Community
prayers
·
Lord, grant us peace of mind and heart as we await the
birth of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, and may He bring unity and love to
all humanity. Lord, hear our prayer! Lord,
graciously hear us!
·
Lord, we pray that the coming of Christ at
Christmas this year will ring as truly good news for all our people, especially
for the poor among us. Lord, hear our prayer!
Lord, graciously hear us!
·
Lord, may the new Republican Constitution help all us
Zambians to be one so that we all will work for the development of our beloved
country. Lord, hear our prayer! Lord,
graciously hear us!
[Jesuit
Centre for Theological Reflection, P.O. Box 37774, 10101 Lusaka, Zambia]
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