Our unity is vital in fighting Covid-19

“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

These powerful words were spoken by Paul in Galatians 6:7-8.

In this chapter and the preceding one, Apostle Paul explains to his disciples how to live in God’s spirit. Christians who do so are instructed to use the power of God to treat each other right. When a brother or a sister in Christ gets tied up in a life of sin, other Christians should intervene and help them, instead of ignoring the sin.

We must all carry each other’s burdens, for we are all children of God. We cannot expect to reap the rewards of heaven if we are not behaving right to each other in this temporary place on earth. The spiritually mature Christians, Paul tells us, are gentle, they are humble. They have not come so far in life to judge, but to assist. Carrying a big load, a burden of sin, can get very heavy. We need to help each other carry that weight.

We are not meant to carry the power of God alone. His spirit is within each one of us and it is what connects us. We do not each take a fragment of the spirit and then live alone with it.

But just because we are helping our brothers and sisters does not mean we should judge them.

We need to be honest with ourselves sometimes too, and look deep inside our own inner world and think about our responsibilities.

We need to be sharing the good that we have, and working through our problems together in the way of Christ.

Now, in verses 7 and 8, what is Paul alluding to when he talks about sowing the flesh and reaping corruption?

One who tries to be righteous by enjoying the material things in life will harvest corruption.

But one who plants the seeds of spirituality, who gardens faith rather than money and sin, he will be the one to harvest eternal life. He is the one investing in his real future.

In the following verse, Paul encourages believers to continue with the good spirit. The harvest will come, and the crops will be worth it.

Ancient as it is, the Bible is a book that is relevant for all times. This parable can be understood even in the context of contemporary Kenya.

We have many elements of corruption in our nation. I am not only referring to the issue of financial graft, which is widespread and well known.

There also exists an issue of spiritual corruption, the lack of faith we have in one another. The suspicion. The deception. The judging looks.

Instead of spending time trying to heal, trying to weave together a family of brothers and sisters in the shadow of Christ, many of our politicians are working to stop the spirituality of togetherness, opting instead to seek the pleasures of this earth: Power, money and greed.

While President Uhuru Kenyatta invites people from across the political divide, from different tribes, communities and backgrounds to unite the country, others have a different idea. Others are looking out not for the nation, but for themselves.

The effects of the 2018 handshake between President Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga are beginning to bear fruits. Kenyans need unity to prosper as a nation. 

 Kenya is fortunate, especially during this crucial moment in history as a global pandemic flares around.