In Matthew 18:15 the Bible states “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.”
Quoting this biblical verse on reconciliation, we hail President Edgar Lungu for granting the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) access to incarcerated United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema to discuss matters of dialogue and reconciliation.
By this noble gesture, President Lungu has extended an olive branch to the denomination and also exhibited humanitarian attributes of allowing Mr Hichilema visits from such a high-profile ecclesiastical deputation.
The mere granting of Catholic bishops audience at State House is also highly commendable since a lesser leader would have blacked out the clergymen and women.
We are also heartened by the pronouncement from Bishop Mpundu who has stated that the bishops were emissaries of the Church and went to express good wishes to President Lungu and his Government.
It is also reassuring to note that Bishop Mpundu has announced that he deplores acts of violence shown by the torching of the City Market a few days.
The assurance from President  Lungu that he is committed to Constitutionalism, democracy and the rule of law is no mere verbal pronouncement.
We say this after noting that President Lungu has been consistent in stating that the state and the Church are co-operating partners in national development.
Speaking in 2015 at the National Heroes Stadium in Lusaka, where he officiated at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church celebrations marking the attainment of the church’s one million membership, President Lungu said the Church must continue to partner with Government so that development could be attained in the country.
It is also heartening that President Lungu has repeatedly reaffirmed that Zambia will remain a Christian nation and urged all Zambians to seek God so that He can continue to bless the nation.
We feel it is such steadfast belief that has made him allow Catholic bishops to visit the incarcerated opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema.
To quote an American actor and director Corbin Bernsen who once said I believe in the goodness of man, and I believe we’re all connected and that connection is through God. We have our differences. But if we will recognise that we like each other, that we are more common than uncommon, we will work toward what needs to be done to reconcile that.