By Prayer
After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn't we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” (Mark 9:28-29)
The question asked by Jesus’ disciples in the Scripture above can as well be asked today, regarding many situations around us: The persistent strikes, the endemic corruption, the incessant immorality, the deep rooted idolatry – and the list goes on; yet there are disciples of Jesus Christ around even today. Why couldn’t we drive it out? I recently had a meeting with guild leaders and we enlisted the challenges facing our University, and the counter efforts from different quarters.
Injustices on students: Some Lecturers come to class rarely or not at all, do not return coursework and test papers, and finally many students fail – this injustice can incite negative response! Some students are targeted for favours by Lecturers, to the point of being threatened with retakes if they do not give in; the favours range from sex to money; others are targeted and threatened because they speak up (as leaders) and demand for justice on behalf of others. The inadequate facilities which force large classes to be split end up stretching inadequate teaching personnel who try to combine the classes again – a scuffle that is difficult to solve! When it comes to government sponsored students, apart from some receiving less allowance than others, even getting what has been agreed becomes a hassle.
Injustices on staff and community: On the other hand, some Lecturers (especially part time) have not been paid for many months running; the distribution of responsibilities and promotions is often said to be met with some injustices. Other service providers cry similarly about delayed payments. Some processing and paying officers are said to be so hungry for kickbacks that vouchers that do not leave ‘something’ behind are put at the bottom of the queue and could go unpaid for months or even years! Space does not allow me to list more injustices, yet I do not claim to know it all in adequate depth. There is so much, the result of which are perennial strikes that cripple otherwise growing institutions of higher learning – not only Kyambogo. Makerere University seems to be suffering the greatest blows, requiring our ardent prayers in this season.
Why couldn’t we drive it out? The place of concerted prayer with fasting is paramount in the struggle, in the fight against the above injustices and their effects. Perfect peace and justice come from the Lord. Like that stubborn demon in Mark 9, some of the violent responses are catalyzed by evil spirits stirred up by the idolatries prevalent in our land from historic times. We need justice, yes! Yet to seek justice without fighting the spiritual battle is to seek in vain. The Lord has called us to prayer and we have seen good results. We can do more and see our nation change for the better bit by bit to full transformation.
God bless you as you all.