SEARCHING FOR TRUE GOD IN A FOREIGN CHURCH

Searching for God in a foreign church

By john Blanshe Musinguzi

On Sunday morning, I decided to visit my friend’s church, a month ago, he joined a new religious denomination. A debate had been under way among us as why he did so. I informed him about my desire and he welcomed me. We dressed up and began the journey. 

As we came closer to the church, music was dominating the background. At the gate we were checked by policemen.  At the entrance we received Sunday service program. We were late as praise and worship was going on. We took seats and began praising. I did not feel as I was in a holy place, tried to say my usual silent prayer but my heart and mind could take my body for it. I was saved by a second from making a sign of the cross our main symbol in the Catholic Church.

Then I began staring at the music instrument like a lost sheep, they were the best I have ever seen. It was as if we were at a music contest, it took me about twenty minutes to settle down and start dancing with other. I never knew how sing but I would open my mouth and move my lips as if I knew everything. Following the rhythm and dancing in the right way became a problem for me, the congregant would face west as I face east sometimes.

Time came for congregation prayer led by one of their pastor, he was not our usual priest. He took us through it as I continued to stare at the woman playing brass drums, she was as big as an elephant. After prayer, the pastor called servers, I never knew what they were going to serve but this was time for Holy Communion. We sat down to be served, as they started serving, I started thinking whether to take it or not but they reached me before making a decision and I took their holy communion. It was a small piece of bread and I small cup filled with soda. My worst blunder came at this moment when I swallowed the piece on bread a wrong time, all congregants were still holding their holy communion. Silent a dead body, I held my cup firmly waiting for the instructions, after serving, the pastor prayed for the bread reciting words of Jesus Christ, congregants ate the bread, he then played for the cup of soda also reciting words of Jesus Christ, they took their as I also took mine. I was ashamed at all.

Time came for the sermon and the pastor preached about kingdom of the kingdom. He cited examples of the cat and rat fights for land between Buganda and Bunyoro of long time ago. He called upon congregants to live exemplary life like departed African icon Nelson Mandela, a leader who the dumb can talk about, deaf can hear this great news about his death while the blind can watch once a portrait of Nelson. He also called us to play for traders whose merchandise perished in the Owino market. He ended the sermon by calling us to be disciple of nations as Jesus told his disciple.

The service ended with the announcements were new members, a group I was part of was recognized and welcomed in a jovial manner. Each of us was given a paper showing church routine program and called to the mission office after the service. In the mission house we were further welcomed and given refreshments. We introduced ourselves, and recorded our names and contacts in the visitor’s book. We were also asked about our opinion about service, to me it was interesting and entertaining. We were also asked whether we had been saved and here I had to be bright as a cat and lie. Yes was my response though they met for the first and last time. That is how my day ended.

Religion being a source of identification and solidarity has disunited us. We all have relatives friends as well as work mate whom do we differ with in terms of religion. That has an effect on the way we interact with them or socialize with them. Religious skepticism has always remained in our minds. On a broader term religious wars have been fought across the world in Egypt, CAR, Iran, Somalia, Pakistan, among other countries. Disunity it has created can be witnessed by everyone.

Religion has become a critical part of our communities and societies. I some instances Catholics employs Catholics, Muslims, employs Muslims and so on even one from another denomination is better trained. We are always identified by our religion.

We can put our religious cards behind in our daily life. A catholic should marry a Muslim freely and life can go on as usual. We can employ basing on one’s capacity without considering his or her religion.

We can only get back to our religion when faced with events that cannot be prepared for such as demise. No doubt religion has played a crucial role in our life when we lose our relatives. It promises us life after death and consoles us in such trying times. It relieves us from tension and frustrations that would disrupt our minds.

John Blanshe Musinguzi is a Journalism and Communication student at Makerere University

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