HOMILY

ACTS 5:17-26

JOHN 3:16-21 

Shalom children of God. Hope you're well and strong amidst pains caused by selfish nations.

This term lockdown has become a cliche,so famous that even little children will well you "its lockdown". Recently when I was leaving home for Parish, my nephew told me , " Deacon, where are you going yet there's lockdown?". But who locked us in/ out?

Often We lock ourselves in our own world and we lock out others from coming into our lives.  We lock out God; especially for fear that He will mess up our lives and make our lives difficult. This we see among the "secularised youths", anytime you engage them on religious issues, they will definitely say they are busy or simply " unatukazi" ( you're not fr our good).

Today's Gospel assures us how God was not locked-in in Himself.  He came out of Himself into the world so that the world might share in His life and love. Jesus came into the world and became locked-in permanently to the world by His incarnation.  This is the heart of God’s love.  One who is not locked-in is always going out to share His life and love with others.

Should this not be the Spirit of the true image of a resurrected man?  When we share in the life of the Risen Christ, we will also be outgoing.  In fact after Easter we ought to go out and proclaim as the disciples did. For them after being set free from their guilt, fear and anxiety, they proclaimed courageously that Jesus is the Lord and Saviour of all humanity.  They were not fearful even of the authorities or of torture, imprisonment and death.

This ought to be the Spirit of true pilgrim Church. But most of you will ask me, How is it possible Deacon? Do you think we can transcend this? My dear friends, Indeed, the gospel cannot be locked-in.  The gospel must continue to spread even when there are oppositions like what we experience currently. The UN has always been on forefront in debating world issues, but why not prioritising this pandemic like what we've seen them doing before this? Have they left everything for us? For sure because many have realised it's beyond them, but if we now lock God from the World, how will this work?

In embracing love and joy, the Apostles wanted to set the Jewish leaders from being locked-in in their guilt for killing the Lord and to be set free to find life in Him.  The Jewish leaders were jealous and insecure in seeing miracles happening in the name of Christ. That's what the world has turned out today. If Parliament sitting is ON, why is it painful for 5 people even in their homes praying together as a family that they are arrested?

We must not allow the world to lock us in or lock the gospel out.  We must proclaim the gospel, welcomed or unwelcomed from our homes. Let the Father of the house lead the prayers,wife be the intercessor and children sing and shout to the Lord.

Dear friends, let us take courage in the risen Lord. Shalom.

@Deacon. Samuel Muhanji Nyonje ( +254708607911 / nyonjes146@gmail.com )