As Christians all over the world celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ famously known as Christmas, Kenyans of different faithful have been urged to shun religious divisions amongst themselves especially in the wake of terrorism.
Speaking in different churches as they preached and gave their Christmas messages to their followers, the men of God urged Christians to use the festive season to remember and assist the needy in the society and unite the family.
In his message, Bishop Joseph Obanyi of the Kakamega diocese of the Catholic Church during the Christmas Mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral church in Kakamega town, he said that all people are equal before the eyes of God regardless of their faith hence they should not be divided due to their believes.
“As we celebrate the birth of Christ today it means that people come together and restore what has been lost and that is why I want to congratulate our brothers from the Muslim faithful who showed bravery and faced the Alshabaab attackers to protect their Christian colleagues when attacked in North Eastern region recently,” said Bishop Obanyi.
He said that the move was a gesture of unity and confirmation that despite believing in different faiths, people should know that they are one family before God.
The bishop added that the gesture as much as it might be seen as a small thing to the Muslims who confronted the attackers and offered to die alongside their Christian colleagues, it shall go in record to be remembered and emulated all over the world for their brave move that was echoed by many people from across the religious divide.
At the same time Bishop Obanyi urged Kenyans to keep peace during this festive season and emulate the life of Jesus Christ whom he said should not only be remembered during the mass but be born in the hearts of every Christian in order for them to practice what he believed in.
“Today as we celebrate the presence of God during the birth of Jesus Christ, we should not remain the same as we have been but we should change our ways and deeds to build a society that is peaceful, just and united,” added the man of the Clothe.
He called on Christians to be generous to the needy in the society and embrace unity regardless of their social status in the society.
Urged politicians not to divide Kenyans
The bishop further prevailed on politicians not to raise political temperatures among Kenyans as they eye different elective seats during the next general elections in 2017.
He said that as campaigns set off in the country, even Christians get involved and raise temperatures amongst each other due to what politicians plant in them.
“Let us not be divided by politicians, let us not be divided by rhetoric and because we all have our right to be respected with our divided views and positions and all of us should embrace politics of development,” he said.
“I know many of the politicians shall start campaigning to seek for votes from the New Year 2016 and therefore I urge them not to use divisive languages and hatred and your politics that has no meaning to the people yet we all know that even after the 2017 elections, live must continue,” the Bishop noted.
Elsewhere at the Nabongo Friends church on the other side of Kakamega town, pastor Elphas Ashiundu and the church’s presiding clerk Joseph Kefa gave a similar message to Kenyans to be united and assist the needy in the society.
“My message to Christians today as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ is that we should enhance our love to the needy in the society, visit the orphans, widows and the less fortunate in the society and above all as Kenyans we should be people who keep peace,” said pastor Ashiundu.
He further urged the government to be mindful of its people and be committed to fight corruption and enable the country to achieve development that has lagged behind due to the vice.
On terrorism he also lauded the incident where Muslims stood by the Christian colleagues in an attack and said that is the way to go and every Kenyan should emulate the spirit that the Muslims showed to their colleagues despite putting their lives on line.