Moderator of Presbyterian Church of Ghana calls for peace

Accra, Dec. 1, GNA – The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, the Right Reverend Dr Yaw Frempong-Manso says there is the urgent need for unity and cohesiveness in the country “because the signals are not too good.

“Too many of us have gone astray and are taking things too much for granted. There is too much indiscipline, criminality, immorality and decadence in our society and this is in the face of proliferation of Christian churches in the country,” he said.

In his Christmas and New Year Message released in Accra on Friday, Rt. Rev Dr Fempong-Manso also stressed the need for peace saying Ghanaians must remove all that divides them as a people.

“Where there is division, we need to work for reconciliation; where there is hatred, let us show love; where there is division let us show unity and where there is pain, let us seek healing,”

Rt. Rev. Dr Frempong-Manso said true reconciliation did not come by sweeping problems under the carpet or by a mere shaking of hands in public places.

“We must find the root causes of our divisions and disagreements and deal with them in the spirit of love and peace at Christmas,” he said.

He noted that while the number of churches was growing everyday, the rate of crime was increasing in inverse proportion.

Rt. Rev. Dr Frempong-Manso pointed out that Christmas was about peace with God, saying Jesus Christ was born so that mankind could be reconciled to God through him.

“There can be no peace without God. His intervention is essential, for sin has so marred individuals and society that strife is our constant companion. The peace that Christmas brings is not a mere absence of strife but the active experience of a harmony with God that promoted total well-being regardless of the circumstances that we find ourselves in.”

Rt. Rev. Dr Frempong-Manso said since Christmas celebrations called for change of heart and attitude, political animosity, bickering and evil intentions should be replaced with love, peace and understanding.

He said Christians in the country should be concerned about the physical conditions of the people and the environment in which they lived because “a rotten or unhealthy body may not be a safe haven for the soul”.

Rt. Rev. Dr Frempong-Manso expressed concern about diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS, saying they destroyed families, whole communities and nations.

“For peace to prevail on our land we must seek to redress these dangers and threats to health with our understanding of the Gospel and principles of sound Christian living and also with our fervent prayers.”

Rt. Rev. Frempong-Manso noted that 2006 saw a lot of strikes, demonstrations and other negative tendencies such as the cocaine scandal, increase in domestic violence, accidents and armed robbery.

However, there were successes such as the performance of the Black Stars at their first World Cup, commissioning of infrastructural development projects, access to the Millennium Challenge Account and other contributions to national development.

Rt. Rev. Dr Frempong-Manso said Ghanaians should use the message of peace at Christmas to build a just and united society and work hard to earn better remunerations.

“The success of Ghana’s democracy depends on all of us, so let us work towards peace and a healthy democratic system and national development devoid of acrimony and greed,” he said.

“As we prepare to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of our independence as a nation next year, let us dedicate ourselves to the requirements of the Jubilee Year…and be reconciled to our neighbours and for the forgiveness of the sins of one another.”

Rt. Rev. Dr Frempong-Manso said the nation must use the occasion to forgive faults committed against each other in all spheres of life so that “after the celebration of the anniversary we can begin afresh to build our nation on love, forbearance, peace and unity”.

He urged political leaders to be responsible, truthful and sincere and to seek the welfare of the people instead of amassing wealth at the expense of the greater majority of the people.

GNA



 

	Web www.ghanadot.com