CAESAR’S SUNDAY THOUGHT
Deacon Julius Caesar Kamukama, a professional pharmacist is a clergy of the Archdiocese of Mbarara.
KAMPALA: At any given time, each of us is living in a specific context; whether social, political, physical, spiritual, economic or religious. Some of these contexts may not necessarily be directly supportive of one’s goals, they may not be favourable for one to flourish.
An example is when one is living under the rule of a despotic and brutal Caesar (who will most likely appoint an even more brutal local representative). The same may apply to the economic context when it seems to be a system of grabbing as much as possible for oneself.
Such contexts might demoralise some people. They look at their goals and wonder how they’ll ever achieve them in the given circumstances. They may even decide to reduce their input in terms of effort, because, after all, they reason, the odds are stacked against them.
Others, however, actually seem to be energised by the same difficult conditions. They realise they can do something to thrive even within the generally harsh conditions. They own their response.
When people choose to do something to further their goals even under harsh circumstances, they may decide to do as much as the system can possibly allow. They obey the just laws as much as they possibly can, for example. They simply focus on fulfilling their life missions.
Others may realise that to achieve their life missions requires that they improve the system itself. These, too, have their place. To all these, the context is no excuse for dodging the fulfillment of one’s divinely ordained mission. In the end, though, all recognise that authentic positive change demands personal conversion first.
I need to return to the Truth within before I can subsequently manifest the truth without.
May Jesus Christ grant us the grace of true conversion, of repentance. May our return to Truth heal our relationships with others.