Monday of 4th Week of Easter: Reflection

Theme: SAY NO TO DISCRIMINATION

Reading: Acts 11:1–18

One of the important lessons from today’s first reading is that all of us who lay claims on Jesus as our Lord and Saviour should say no to the vice called discrimination in all its manifestation, be it because of tribe, religion, culture, language, colour, social/financial status, etc.

To get Peter to grasp this lesson, a vision was shown to him in this reading and God instructed him that what He has cleansed must not be called unclean, because at the heart of every discrimination is the feeling of superiority over others.

Discrimination is one of the factors undermining our beloved country right now. It is a tool our politicians frequently use to divide, manipulate and rule us, holding us captive. After squandering our resources for four or eight years and having nothing good in their records to convince us to vote for them again, they quickly pitch us against ourselves by playing the card of discrimination based on religion or tribe in order to gain our support and sympathy, and many people blindly fall for it.

Discrimination based on caste systems has also deprived many people the good relationship they should enjoy with others, especially in the case of marriage.

Dear friends, by His death, Christ has destroyed the barriers that separated all peoples, freed us from slavery to evil cultures and, then, united us in love, peace and harmony. Thus, whoever is erecting new walls of discrimination/separation is working against the spirit of Christ, and enslaving himself/herself once again. Let us, therefore, eschew all forms of discrimination.

May God bless your activities this new week. Amen

Fr Isaac Chima