17 Sep 2018

Churches have been urged to continue helping to inculcate the fear of a higher being, God.

Assistant Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development Mr Dikgang Makgalemele made the appeal during St Cyprian’s Anglican Church revival in Seleka on September 16.

Mr Makgalemele said one of the key problems facing the country in recent times was the breakdown of basic social values such as respect for one another, for one’s elders and for society in general.

He said some youths had no idea how to relate to adults and seniors with respect.

He said a person who does not fear God can do anything that they want, which can open up possibilities of making cardinal mistakes, adding, ‘we need to teach our children and youth to fear and also to love God’.

Mr Makgalemele said if a person loves God, they will respect fellow human beings and will also be recognised as worthy of being part of them as a human being.

He said some commandments  such as ‘love your neighbour as you love yourself’ are taken for granted, but they are what cements Botho and make people worthy of being called human beings.

He said these values also build good citizenship in people and build a nation of people who understand what it means to be a Motswana, adding that it is only when people understand and respect each other that they can work closely together to build a good nation.

Mr Makgalemele said a church was a place where mankind could communicate with God in worship and prayer and a place of refuge, spiritual development and a place where people can find comfort.

He said the church had been playing a role in unifying nations since time immemorial, and its role is also to help governments and societies to fight moral ills of mankind.

He said the occasion was also an opportunity to renew the commitment of the faith-based sector to work with government to build a caring society, adding that religious leaders played a pivotal role in the development of the country, its nurturing and growth.

St Cyprian’s Anglican Church is a member of the Diocese of Botswana under Bishop Metlhaetsile Beleme. It was founded in 1960 by Mr Solomon Mpai after settling in Seleka from South Africa. ENDS