By STEPHEN KAPAMBWE –
‘‘If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
This is the Bible passage in 2 Chronicles 7:14 where God promises to pardon sin and rid the land of characteristic vice, illness and strife which human beings tend to be prone to.
This is especially so in the case of Zambia which of late, has been caught up in a state of brokenness arising from human-inspired errors like divisive politics fanned by some political parties, especially in the run up to the  January 20,  2015 presidential election.
Tribalism, championed by divisive politics, often accompanied by political violence, has threatened the unity and oneness upon which the nation of Zambia, which is known for its multiplicity of tribes, was founded.
But other vices are also eating away at the core of society.
The ever worsening scourge of teenage pregnancies – especially among school girls, daily reports of defilements, gender based violence, lawlessness of  students in some of the higher learning institutions, the widespread joblessness among the young people, are among the  social ills the Government is grappling with.
News headlines like ‘Rapist cop cornered,’ and other recent stories in which Police officers have been linked to child defilements, rape of women in detention, point to the presence of undesirable elements even among those whose job is to protect society by keeping law and order.
These are but some of the issues that have weighed heavily on the conscious of President Edgar Lungu following his assumption of the presidency a month ago.
Believing that the country’s help ‘…comes from the Lord, who made the Heavens and the Earth (Psalms 121:1),’ President Lungu has turned to the Church for prayers to help unite and heal the land.

. Lungu

Mr Lungu recently requested for the hosting at the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Cross of a special thanks giving Church service where he appealed to the Church to play a leading  role in uniting and healing Zambia.
Addressing the inter-denomination service, Mr Lungu called on the Church to do more in challenging vices like tribalism and violence.
‘‘I believe strongly that it is possible for all of us to create a more just and caring society united in peaceful commerce, politics, religion and other spheres of life. But this is possible only when love rules, not hate, not vengeance…
‘‘Your (the Church’s) spiritual guidance is, therefore, ever so necessary to move this great country forward,’’ he told the gathering which included First Lady Esther Lungu, Vice President Inonge Wina, First Republican President Dr Kenneth Kaunda, Cabinet ministers, deputy ministers, senior Government officials and the clergy.
Opposition leaders Frank Bwalya of Alliance for a Better Zambia, Nevers Mumba of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) and representatives from National Restoration Party (NAREP) and UNIP also attended the service.
President Lungu paid tribute to the Church for encouraging unity and dialogue which helped resolve succession wrangles that rocked the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) prior to the 2015 election.
The internal problems which engulfed the party followed the demise of President Michael Sata. The wrangles left the PF teetering on the brink of disintegration and possible extinction when 10 candidates filed in their nomination papers to contest the presidential race.
The problems were quelled when the Church brokered reconciliation involving Mr Lungu, former Acting President Dr Guy Scott and some of the candidates that sought the presidency of the PF.
The successful reconciliation resulted in the healing of divisions after the lengthy succession process.
President Lungu scooped the PF presidency as well as the subsequent presidential election and proceeded to appoint into Government some of the people that ran against him for the party leadership.
‘‘We went through a very trying period. The rest is history. God Almighty saw us through. This would not have come about without the spiritual intervention of the church.
‘‘The men and women of God prayed for us to resolve what looked like an intractable challenge. Here we are, a united party, a party of true brotherhood, a party of true sisterhood,’’ said Mr Lungu.
He asked the church to take pride for the landmark 50 years of evangelism which has helped to enhance national cohesion.
The Church has on several occasions intervened in settling disputes that threaten national peace and tranquillity. The Church has also been at the helm of galvanising unity and oneness in times of tragedy as well as moments of national celebrations.
The church was critical in arresting the political unrest, including food riots, which stalked the country towards the end of the one party State under UNIP when multi-party democracy became inevitable.
It was the then televangelist Nevers Mumba, now the MMD President, who worked with the church to convince Dr Kaunda and late MMD founding president Frederick Chiluba to dialogue at Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka and end misunderstandings that threatened to lead the country into turmoil.
The impasse between the two made many churches to pray for a peaceful election process in 1991.
The transition of power from Dr Kaunda to Dr Chiluba saw various churches make probably their greatest contribution to a peaceful transition in which they actively joined in the process by forming the non-partisan Christian Churches Monitoring Group, which marked the genesis of the Zambia Elections Monitoring Coordinating Committee (ZEMEC).
By 1996, owing to the influence of faith based organisations, the term Christian nation had been included in the Zambian Constitution.
The Church, which has resisted involvement in partisan politics, has maintained a neutral position, but remains ever present to promote dialogue and advice in affairs of national importance.
‘‘For those of us in politics and in Government in particular, we are satisfied that we have a reliable partner in you (the church) as we advance our efforts at nation building.
‘‘On our part as the Governing party, I wish to state that within our broad vision articulated in or manifesto, we shall always cherish the partnership between Government and the church,’’ President Lungu said.
He reaffirmed that Zambia shall remain a Christian Nation tolerant to other religions and urged people to celebrate and encourage inter religious dialogue that had made it possible for Zambia to have a unique character as a peaceful country.
President Lungu challenged the opposition to join him in understanding that service is about dedication to God, family and country.
‘‘ Let us emphasise the collective core values that unite the country and not that which divides it. I invite you to the concept of being a loyal patriotic opposition, and I correspondingly promise you the same, because in the final analysis, there can only be One Zambia One Zambia,’’ he said.
Since his assumption of the presidency, President Lungu has moved towards attaining an inclusive Government underpinned by actions like the appointment of opposition members of Parliament as Cabinet ministers.
President Lungu has also tried to have a cabinet that is representative of all corners of the country, having had, among other things, appointed Nalolo Member of Parliament Ms Wina to the vice presidency even when the PF got meagre votes from her constituency in the January 20 election.
President Lungu has also won accolades for being the first Head of State since 1964 to appoint a woman to assume the office of republican vice president.
Trans-Africa Theological College Principal Adrian Chalwe asked President Lungu to seek God in his leadership and always know what God was saying for him to be successful.
He said Zambia is a blessed country that is very peaceful. He said people should love one another and have constructive arguments.
Dr Chalwe preached a message that was partly based on the book of Esther 4: 11-17 in which Esther, after much prayer and fasting, risked her life by seeking the presence of the king unannounced in order to save the Jewish nation.
The sermon was also partly based on the book of Romans 8: 28 which says, all things work together for good to people who love God and to people who are called by his (God’s) purpose.
According to the Bible, seeking God in prayer invokes divine intervention in restoration of society to a state of peace and wholesomeness as is indicated in  the book of 2 Chronicles 7:14 quoted at the beginning.
Failure to seek God attracts devastation, sudden destruction, wanton sin, illness, curses, confusion and death (Deuteronomy 28:15-62) associated with a nation that turns away from the face of God.
The cost of turning away from God is also portrayed in the Biblical narrative of plagues sent upon Egypt when Pharaoh – the king – refused to heed God’s command to release the children of Israel from servitude (Exodus).
In short, where God is absent, ‘The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).’