By AUSTIN KALUBA –

TRADITIONALLY, a halo above the head of a divine or sacred person represents divinity and suggests that the subject was in a mystical state.
Because of its shape and colour, the halo has always been associated with the sun and resurrection and by the fourth century, it became widely used in standard Christianity.
Essentially, it was used to mark a figure as being in the kingdom of light most commonly, Jesus and the Virgin Mary both who are shown with halos, along with the angels.
In fact, halos are found all over the world especially in the East, where they are used to symbolise holiness, innocence and spiritual power.
It was thus uplifting when a halo appeared around the sun during the National day of prayer and fasting that was called by President Edgar Lungu last year.
Hundreds of people flocked into the Show Grounds main arena where the prayers where conducted from 13 hours to the break of the fast at 18:00 hours.
Last Sunday, the halo again appeared around the sun just when President Lungu started delivering his speech on yet another National day of prayers.
It is clear Zambia has been freed from spiritual bondage resulting from the two national day of prayers and the first Republican President Dr. Kenneth Kaunda releasing the country spiritually.
After releasing the country spiritually last year Dr. Kaunda pronounced blessings of peace, prosperity and stability upon the nation, Presidency and the people of Zambia.
“I release the nation, its people and the presidency from every negative forces made against Zambia. I submit the souls now living and prosperity and also its presidency to the salvation and lordship of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father,” he said at the Africa Freedom Day investiture ceremony at State House.
Dr. Kaunda, the country’s Independence era leader further declared Zambia shall forever have tranquility and remain a united and peaceful nation.
Notable divine events also include President Lungu declaring October 18, 2015 as a day of repentance, fasting and prayer in response to the overwhelming requests that ordinary citizens and clergy from all denominations had made.
President Lungu observed a national day of prayer, repentance, fasting and reconciliation in response to challenges that had plagued the nation.
They included Zambia facing a serious power deficit that threatened to cripple the economy owing to reduced water levels in hydro-electricity generation plants that power the mines on the Copperbelt and industries that sustain the country.
Besides that, falling global demand for metals on the international market pushed down the prices of metals like copper, Zambia’s main foreign exchange earner, triggering a fall in the value of the local currency against international converting currencies, particularly the United States (US) dollar which was gaining in strength.
The falling value of the Kwacha pushed up prices of goods and services, resulting in a sharp rise in inflation which subsequently pushed up the cost of living.
Falling metal prices were also felt by the mines which experienced reduced incomes and profits and decided to shade off staff to survive.
That meant job losses in the mines on the Copper belt as a result of falling copper prices.
These external factors were compounded by another factor that Government had little control over; a looming drought which threatened food security as a result of poor rainfall in the 2015/2016 season.
Added to that was the hostile political environment that usually degenerates into violent skirmishes which leave people hurt or killed.
This threatened to compromise investor confidence.
All these problems prompted President Lungu, a professed Christian, to take the advice of many members of the clergy who requested that the nation seeks divine intervention.
The members of the clergy quoted the story of God appearing to King Solomon (2 Chronicles 7: 14) of Israel after the king finished building a temple dedicated to the worship of God.
In that story, God promised King Solomon of divine intervention and healing to any nation which humbled itself and sought God sincerely.
“If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn away from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land,” declared God.
The church leaders said Zambia, being a Christian nation, required divine intervention for the country to prevail over the many problems it faced.
During prayers attended by President Lungu at the Showground in Lusaka, a halo appeared in the sky, driving hundreds of Christians into frenzy as most said the celestial appearance was a symbolic demonstration of God’s response to the prayers that day.
Non-believing sceptics may have found the claim absurd.
Before we relate to the second halo that appeared last Sunday, it is important to remind atheists and agnostics that the prayers at the first National day of prayers were answered since Zambia recorded a surplus maize harvest in the 2015/2016 farming season.
This is despite a warning by the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) which indicated that some 14 million people would face hunger in southern Africa because of a drought that has been exacerbated by the El Nino weather phenomenon.
Scientists, agriculture experts and climate change specialists equally warned that southern African countries, among them Zambia, would be faced with hunger this year because of drought.
Truly Zambia is a Christian Nation since the days of David Livingstone who introduced the three Cs-Commerce, Civilisation and Christianity.
By officially declaring Zambia as a Christian nation, the second Republican President Frederick Chiluba was just endorsing the ecclesiastical crusade initiated by Livingstone.
In short Zambia is not a Christian nation by accident but by awesome divine intervention that has seen God’s Spirit guiding this country.
It is thus heartening to note that President Edgar Lungu is living up to the declaration by upholding Christian principles of challenging politicians to bury political differences and respect each other in order to curb political violence.
The head of state also needs hailing for assuring the nation that he would defend and uphold peace and unity as the country goes to the polls.
We also totally agree with President Lungu who has expressed confidence that God would prevail on all national matters because various prayer networks were petitioning God for divine intervention against political violence.
Livingstone’s prayer on 1st May ,1873 at Chitambo Village in Serenje when he prayed that “Lord, on this land where I rest my bended knees (Zambia), let it become a mighty Christian nation, a beacon of hope to the African continent and a light to the rest of the world” have had a positive aspect on the country.
President Edgar Lungu has also laid the foundation stone for the construction of the National house of Prayer in Lusaka’s Woodlands area.
All these petitions and ecclesiastical events are being guided by God’s divine hand since Zambia is blessed.
Zambians should note that to the contrary, countries like Haiti and Benin political leaders publicly honour voodoo!
Realising the importance of voodoo to his people, the former President Nicephore Soglo who was Prime Minister of Benin from 1990 to 1991 and President from 1991 to 1996 promulgated a law declaring Jan. 10 a public holiday in honour of voodoo which is a satanic religion.
Many Benin presidential candidates have banked solely on the voodoo priests’ support to give them the edge over their rivals.
However, no country that is blessed by God like Zambia has been free of challenges from the principalities of darkness that always fight the light.
As a Christian nation, we should remember the story of the Jews when they were fleeing from Pharaoh’s army and came upon the red sea.
They had two formidable enemies; Pharaoh’s ferocious army and the dreadful Red Sea. It had to take God’s intervention to assure Moses not to fear since they were protected by a divine being.
We can use this analogy to call on Zambians to rally around President Lungu to take us to the elusive but attainable political Canaan.