I hope I don’t end up sounding ‘arrivist’ I am writing this on the eve of my 34th birthday (yes, admit, I look younger)

Whereas my beard has no grey yet, I am considered an elder in this country, where about 70 Percent are below the age of 17.

But my demographical status is not the only reason I speak, I speak up because as a Christian, and I am concerned about the kind of country in which my siblings are growing up.

Well, before I start sounding like the politician you listened to last night, allow me illustrate what I mean.

Back in 2004, I was privileged to join one of Uganda’s largest University, the idea of ‘also studying at Makerere’ was probably the main motivation I ended up there. I can’t blame it on the best schools because I wasn’t in any.

Neither can I blame it on great marks because those too… well – why don’t we discuss that some other time?

Looking back now, one of the things I am most glad about my University days is that I got a rare opportunity to hear someone paint for me a moral vision of life, during an event that didn’t happen inside the lecture room, but inside a church.

For the first time, I had an opportunity to ponder the course of my adult life, the family I came from, the vices I was likely to carry on, and the virtues I was likely to ignore.

I remember enjoying the discovery of “quiet time” a pattern of spiritual discipline that allowed me to not only ponder Gods word, but the kind of human I was, shaped by family influences, experience and history.

Today, I have a gut feeling many young Ugandans do not have an opportunity like I had, hardly has anybody proclaimed to them a vision, a moral vision more enduring than a six digit salary job after campus, a booming business and maybe a 4 bedroomed house, at least the church hasn’t, or the last time it did, the young Ugandan missed the sermon, and were probably ‘catching a serie” ‘sleeping in’ that Sunday morning, or ‘playing FIFA.’

Well, it was in church the first time somebody soundly demystified marriage for me, in church I first mulled over the infidelity that wrecked my extended family, yeah, and it was in church that I met, pursued, and married my wife Rhionah, in church.

In Gods mercy, our daughter Mercedes, now comes to church with us too.

And I am no ‘standard’ just because most of my life decisions were aided in church, Iam only suggesting that maybe our young people could consider the church as central in terms of the kind of relationships they are to pursue, the priorities, convictions and values they are to hold, and the decisions they are to make.

Of course ‘church’ means a million things these days, but even then,
the church may consider grounding young people in biblical convictions that outlast soap operas, prayer lives that supersede our society’s trivia, and spiritual rigor fit to overcome the “vain philosophies of this world.”

Especially if our “faith is the victory that overcomes the world. ” 1 John 5:4.

Vision 2040 we’ve heard, youth interventions too, but what about your moral vision, young woman, young man?

Eh, allow me go catch my birthday cake you people.