Show love to those perceived as enemies – Archbishop Banda

By NATION REPORTER

We should be available to those that cannot make informed decisions because of their social and economic status; the detainees and prisoners, those incarcerated because they are perceived as enemies of the establishment or simply it is payback time, Archbishop Alick Banda has said.

Archbishop Banda in a Christmas message said there was need to be available to those distressed, abused, humiliated, embarrassed, tortured, and cheated almost all the time just like Jesus Christ did.

He said Christ in his nativity, had identified Himself with the hungry, those that hunger not only for bread, but also for love, care, and friendship.

He said Christ identified himself with the naked, not only those who lack clothing but also those that are abused, maligned, cheated, used for political expediency.

He said Jesus also identified himself with the sick not only those with a medical condition or those lacking medicines in hospitals but also those who were disillusioned and bitter.

Archbishop Banda also said Jesus had identified himself with those whose dignity had been robbed through falsehood, accusation, innuendoes, and insinuations. He identified Himself with the homeless – homelessness not only of shelter made of stone, but also that homelessness that comes from having no one to call your own (e.g., single parents, widows, widowers, orphans, the poor, and the misfits of our society.

“Jesus identifies Himself with all those who are overburdened, those that cannot make ends meet and have lost hope and faith in life, those that have forgotten to laugh and smile; those that have lost the sensibility of a warm handshake of love and friendship – and now wallow in depression. Jesus identifies Himself with the needy of all kinds of our own society today,” he said.

He comes and especially in the lives of the lonely, those that long for love and compassion. He comes into the lives of those that are seeking, the abused, the hurting, and the ignored. Jesus comes also to you and me, and often than not – we pass Him by; we don’t recognise Him, for we are too busy with our daily chores.”

He therefore said Christmas calls everyone to be available and accessible to others especially those that were on the periphery of society and those that could make ends meet because of the biting economy; the aged and the sick who could not access medication and care because there was none, the unemployed, sex workers and substance addicts who cannot find employment.

“Christmas calls us to be part of that liberating process. It is about working to remove from our world the shameful blot of poverty, discrimination, abuse of power, authority, and institutions; arrogance and exploitation of too many in our environment,” he said.