It is now sixty years since our country Uganda gained political independence from the British. The process towards national unity of our many tribes is ongoing but a lot still remains. We as Christians have a role to play in bringing about genuine unity amongst ourselves and our tribes. We must especially do so because it is in unity that we achieve peace and prosperity.
A few months ago, I painfully realized that my heart is not totally devoid of tribalism. This happened after a certain person who is very knowledgeable of my family history told me that one of my ancestors on my mother’s side was from a certain tribe. I immediately felt bad about this because that tribe is not among the esteemed and envied tribes of Uganda. Then just last week, I met an elderly lady who knew my father to some good extent. She told me that my clan is part of a certain sub-tribe, the implication being that I could historically be a member of that sub-tribe. The mere thought of that possibility was sweet to my psyche because that tribe is among the envied tribes of Uganda.
Both the good and bad feelings of the possibility that I am ethnically related to some tribal groups later made me feel very sinful because I realized that there were still pockets of tribalism in my heart. Here I was seeing myself as the model all-inclusive Ugandan, until God revealed to me that I had not yet overcome the sin of tribalism. Since that time, I have been praying to Him to cleanse my heart and to help me overcome that evil.
I am one hundred percent sure that I am not the only Christian harboring tribalism. This should not be so – tribalism should not reign in a heart of a child of God. If we are to achieve true national unity in Uganda, it will have to start with us Christians. We must genuinely be in unity at the heart level with all the people of Uganda irrespective of their ethnicity.
I believe that the many different tribes of Uganda are a creation of God, just as the twelve tribes of Israel. In Bible times, the tribes of Israel were united most of the time. So should the tribes of Uganda. Even if we are different, we can still achieve unity in our diversity, which will help bring about peace within our country and economic prosperity. It is like a husband and a wife. The two become one, and thereby succeed as a family, but still remain of two different genders, each enjoying the other’s God-given unique make-up.
We Christians in Uganda should be at the forefront of the pursuit of true national unity. First of all, there should not be tribalism among us most importantly because we are one in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior (see 1 Corinthians 12). We should also remember that all of us humans descend from one man Noah. As it is written, “He (God) has made from one blood every nation (ethnic group) of men to dwell on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26). The second way we can participate in uniting our tribes is by not being part of the trans-generational evils that characterize our tribes. These evils cause resentment from other tribes, and thus disunity. For example, I have heard of two tribes which are famed for dishonesty and lying. I have personal experience with one of them. Another tribe is known for arrogance. Some others are said to major in the sin of sexual promiscuity. All such sins should not be mentioned among us Christians primarily because they are sins, but also because they cause resentment and disunity.
Let us excel at the godly traits within our tribes. This will cause other tribes to be attracted to and interested in our tribes, thus fostering unity. I am reminded of a very dear Christian friend who is a pure Munyarwanda (a Ugandan tribe). He recently asked me whether I know of a young single Christian lady who is a mix of Itesot and Rwandan. He wants a girl to marry and he does not care whether the girl is from his tribe. All he wants is for one of her parents to be an Itesot, and the other a Munyarwanda. Although his reasons (which I cannot mention here) for wanting such a lady are carnal (but not evil), and laughable, you can at least see a Christian who has overcome tribalism to a certain extent primarily because something good in a tribe different from his is pulling him to that tribe.
Where there is unity there is peace and prosperity. Therefore let us pursue unity in Uganda for the sake of national peace and economic prosperity.
God bless you.