Dear Brethren, Peace Be with you all.
It is Christmas again and by the Grace of God we have a privilege to celebrate. “An Angel of the Lord appeared to [the shepherds], and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:9-11)
Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the ultimate gift to humanity. It is a time for families to come together, reflect on their blessings, and spread love to those around them. This celebration presents an excellent opportunity for reflection, a time to consider all that God has done in our lives in 2024—both the joyful moments and the trials. The experiences of 2024 shape our prayers and aspirations for the upcoming year 2025.
In the past year we were guided to focus on the words of Paul to the Romans 12:1-2 that provided our theme “Do not conform to the standards of this world but be transformed by the truth of God’s word”.
The importance of focusing on God’s word for a Christian cannot be overemphasized because His word is a lamp for our feet, and a light to our path. (Psalms 119:105). We shall need the Word even more in 2025.
As we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace, I wish to express my appreciation to all our faith leaders and Christians for the effort to keep our province together and supporting many development projects in our dioceses so that the Church remains relevant in the lives of the ordinary Christians.
We are stronger together as we prepare to launch a new strategic plan that will guide our journey to a Fast-Growing Christ Like Church. My prayer is that support our leaders and the faithful to make a church a relevant institution for people of Uganda.
My Catechism teacher taught me that God is Love. This is drawn from1 Jn 4:16, which reads, “God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him”. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
The provincial Theme for 2025 is therefore about love. We are being challenged to *“Imitating God’s goodness in doing good”.* Abraham Lincoln once said “Next to creating a life, the finest thing a man (or woman) can do is save one”. Saving a life or simply bettering someone else’s life is one of the most beautiful things a person can do.
This Christmas, let’s commit to embracing the joy of togetherness, expressing gratitude, and sharing the love of Christ with those around us. No matter what challenges we may face, we can find strength and encouragement in God’s Word.
The year 2025 will be highly charged because of the political competition. As Ugandans, we should take keen interest in choosing leaders for the next season. Any indifference in this will be costly for us and we shall have no one to blame.
As we pray for good leadership, we should remember that we have a role in choosing the leaders we shall end up with. Even in politics, please remember to imitate God’s goodness in doing good. A peaceful and prosperous Uganda is good for all of us, and even better for those to come after us. We all need a country where citizens are better and not bitter.
On behalf of my family and on my own behalf, I wish you a holiday season filled with peace, love, and joy and a happy New year 2025
John Tereraho
*Provincial Head of Laity*
