I have had the privilege of living and serving as a missionary in Karamoja for seven years. I spent
my first year (the only year that I had personally planned to spend in the region) at Iriiri between
Mt. Napak and Mt. Akisim. One of the communities I ministered to was at the foot of Mt. Napak,
called Lokwanamoru. My first visit to them was under tragic circumstances in February 2011,
when a fire that was meant to clear a bush was fanned by the wind into the dry sticks that formed the perimeter of the nearby Manyatta. The fire spread to burn down an entire homestead – including granaries! Many were left with no homes, and no food.

The local vicar, who was the Archdeacon and my host, took me with him to comfort and
encourage these people in their loss. It was shocking to see a whole homestead brought down to
ashes. When we arrived, there was a granary that was still burning, and I can never forget the
sight of young men trying to stop the fire. Someone brought them a jerry can of water to help,
but they wondered what it could help. So they drank the water. It was a very hot February
afternoon. The Archdeacon liaised with one of the local leaders and gathered the people so that
we could have a word of encouragement with them. It was at this point that one of the locals
made a comment that has stuck with me till this day. He said it in Ngakarimojong, but it
translated; “Pray and leave, after all that’s all the church can do!”

I couldn’t believe that this is what this man, and perhaps some others, thought about church! I
thought we were more, and did more than “pray”. Why and how did they come to such a
conclusion? Was it the frustration in the circumstances? Was it actually what the church had
shown them, especially in tough times? I didn’t get answers immediately, but I left that place
determined that, that man, and anyone else who had such a view of the church, would soon have
a different one.

Within two weeks, with support from friends in Stamford and Kampala, we had secured food
and household items to help the affected families to resettle. Even those who were contemplating
to migrate, citing bad omens around the place, were persuaded to stay. We had prayed, and been compelled to do that which was relevant and helpful to that community. Later we lobbied for a borehole to bring water closer to them. In that year, the biggest number of people who attended the Alpha course at our local church – St. John’s Iriiri – were from Lokwanamoru, and many gave their lives to Christ. One of the ladies gave birth to a baby boy in April 2011, and he was named after me (full name). I still have very good friends from Lokwanamoru.

Why do we prefer to Pray about bad and oppressive Leadership, instead of confronting it?
The church’s “silence” (quotes for emphasis) and inaction following the recent massacre in the
country that claimed over 100 lives, has left many wondering about its relevance in tough times.
Bear in mind that this is happening in the same year when Church leaders were not considered
among ‘Essential workers’ when the country underwent lockdown due to the COVID-19
pandemic. But several “prayer” meetings were held at the Statehouse, even a National one! In
the meantime, church buildings were closed and gatherings prohibited. We know how to pray.
At any function, if a church/religious leader happens to be present, they will be asked to pray.
And that’s it.

What exactly is this thing we call “Prayer”, though? Has it been redefined, modified, or
misunderstood, and hence misapplied by the church in our generation? Has the church always
been like this? Or are we faced with the kind of challenges that even require both “Prayer and
fasting”? Many Christian and church Whatsapp groups have been littered with “special prayers”
for Uganda, in response to the times. With so many calls of “It’s time to pray hard”, I’m left to
wonder what we have been doing all along! How much “prayer” is required to convince God to
act, or give us wisdom and direction for action? Maybe our prayers should be for boldness and
courage to act! When we pray, what exactly do we seek from God? That He intervenes by coming
himself and acting? Or that He shows us ways – through wisdom and direction – how we
ourselves should act?

Did Janani Luwum pray about his meeting and conversation with Amin in 1974? Did he pray for
God to act or did he pray for the wisdom and direction to act himself, entering into the
conversation with Amin with boldness and courage?

When it comes to the recent massacre – and I will insist on calling it that – we quickly ran to
familiar territory. One wonders if it is genuine prayer, or we are using prayer to avoid action.
How come on matters moral, like homosexuality and church discipline, and financial
accountability – like most recently regarding the St. Peter’s Ndeeba COU – we “Pray” and then
swing into action quickly? In fact, when it comes to church buildings, we don’t waste time
“praying-praying fwaaa” – we go all out and do whatever it takes!
Yet when it comes to the injustices, like the recent blatant oppression of opposition presidential
candidates, the massacre of almost 100 Ugandans by our very own security forces, among others, we get stuck in the “Prayer closets” and on “Prayer mountains”! It’s possible that it has been God’s guidance in some cases, but at this rate, one wouldn’t be mistaken to infer that perhaps this is His approach when it comes to injustices. But then, if God is Just and opposed to injustice, is it God or is it the church that prefers the silent, careful, and cautious approach to those in power that abuse their authority?

Prayer is how we communicate with God, expressing our relationship, trust (faith), and
dependence on Him. Action is how we express our listening, understanding and obedience to
him. We cannot Pray and do nothing. And we cannot do anything without Praying. Prayer and
Action are not meant to substitute the other!

I am not personally convinced that all God has called us to do is pray and pray, and pray. We
cannot go back to normal like nothing really tragic just happened to the Pearl of Africa. When
the Chief of the Mbogo clan was teargassed, Buganda refused to go back to normal, until the
responsible force (the Police, on behalf of Government), went out to apologize, both to the chief
and the kingdom of Buganda. Yet in this case what we have seen so far, two weeks on, is blame
and labelling and “investigations”! Apparently, the victims were among hooligans. Who
apologises to hooligans, or their relatives? Who? It seems like they could shoot and kill them if
another opportunity presented itself.

And where is the Church? Hiding in the IRCU umbrella, calling for peaceful campaigns, levelled
ground for all candidates, requesting a toothless Byabakama EC to ‘”oba do what”. The church
is filled with platitudes and no action. “We shall continue to pray for you all”. Mbu they will
pray for Bobi Wine and Katumba and Museveni! Indeed, we MUST pray, but we must also act.

What Happens Beyond Prayer?
Jesus himself, when it came to the sorry state of the city of Jerusalem, asked his disciples to Pray;
“The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the
harvest, to send out labourers into the harvest” (Matt. 9:36-38). Those of us that are familiar with must have been something like this; “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations …” (Matt.
28:18-ff). Matthew also records for us that it wasn’t too long before the very disciples who were
taught to pray (Matt. 6:5-ff), now asked to pray, were being sent out to the harvest fields as the
answer to their prayers (Matt. 10:5-ff). They were sent out to ACT on their prayers. Putting their
faith and lessons from Jesus in practice. Prayer with words and Prayer with deeds.

Luke writes for us a whole Book in the Bible known as The Acts, not “The Prayers”, of the
Apostles. And of course, we see Prayer undergirding all they do. Because it is not just them, but
the Spirit of God who wills to work in them for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:12), and
hopefully, in us too today!

James cautions us from seeing a brother or sister in need, only to respond by committing them to God (prayer) as our “practice of faith” (James 2:14-ff). Faith (relationship with God), and Prayer
(communicating with God), should naturally lead to spiritually guided action in our world.

Uganda desperately needs Christians that are going to live out their faith obediently beyond
prayer. This is not to suggest that we stop praying, but rather, prayer continues alongside action. What would action look like in this case? If we are salt and light in Uganda, and in the world, there are some actions that won’t be seen, and some by which others will be seen. However, there must be actions that are seen, so that people will glorify our Father in heaven (Matt. 5:13-16).
The prophet Micah has some suggestions; “What does God require of us, but to Love mercy, Act
Justly, and Walk humbly before Him” (Micah 6:7-8).

In times of injustice and oppression, truth is very key, very important and powerful, even if some
(especially the perpetrators) would prefer otherwise. Beyond Prayer, instead of sitting back in
silence and claiming to be waiting on the Lord, shouldn’t the truth that we know guide our
prayers, as well as our love, and form action towards victims and perpetrators? It was Martin
Luther King the Civil Rights Activist who said that “I believe that, unarmed truth and
unconditional love will have the final word in reality”. If through Jesus we Pray, then in Jesus
we ought to be truthful as well, and act. We must say or do something. “I am the way, the truth,
and the life. No one comes to the father, except through me.” (John 14:6).

In our digital and age of relativism, truth can be distorted and relegated to preference. We need
to acquaint ourselves with the truth about the situation, to the point that we are able to see through any falsehoods from either side. With politics involved, you can be sure of propaganda machinery out there. Are we able to say the truth about the circumstances in the country without being thought to be seeing matters from the angle of the opposition (who happen to be on the receiving end of injustices and oppression)? Does our truth matter in matters political? In a politically charged atmosphere like ours right now, does the fact that we lost over 100 people count; or were they just another statistic? As the bereaved families grieve and bury their loved ones, are we called to mourn with them, or just get back to our businesses as normal? They fell as collateral perhaps. This could have been any of us, or our loved ones.

Some have argued that, since God is sovereign, in prayer we humbly and wholly surrender all to
Him, and back off. How dare I argue against God’s sovereignty? But isn’t it interesting that it is
“human responsibility” to put up magnificent church buildings, and carry out all sorts of projects,
but when it comes to confronting bad and oppressive governance, we invoke intensive prayer,
patience, and divine sovereignty? If Scripture and history are our teacher, we should be able to
trace where people of God have gone before God asking for a course of action in situations, even
war. And beyond the inquiry, the prayer, we must note where they have gone ahead to do as
instructed by God. Does God instruct us when we go to Him in prayer?

Others have argued that, as the Apostle Paul admonishes the church in Ephesus, we are not
dealing with flesh and blood, but powers and principalities, and spiritual forces in the heavenly
realm (Eph. 6:11-12). He calls us to take up the full armor of God; breastplate of righteousness,
belt of truth, shoes of readiness, shield of faith, helmet of Salvation, and the sword of the Spirit
– and praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayers and supplication (Eph. 6:13-18). But it
does look to me that the very Paul who recommends the sufficiency of God’s grace, also expects
us to be active, along with Prayer. Both in our lives, and in the world around us.

J. John in his book “Calling Out” (2004), talks about the pillars of Mission; the reason why God
keeps his church in the world, even though we are not of the world. 1.) Prayer (being the
foundation), 2.) Presence, 3.) Proclamation, 4.) Persuasion, 5.) Power, 6.) Praise, and 7.)
Patterning. Somehow, after Prayer, something has to be done as Kingdom business.

Imagine the pages of history books forty, or fifty years from now, they will talk about these
events. In the year 2020 there were Locusts, COVID-19, and a lockdown, scientific functions,
Dodoviko, and Cheptegei, Kyagulanyi and Tibuhaburwa , and Katumba (Amuriat’s missing
shoes might also feature). And a massacre of over 100 Ugandans. For those of us who will be
here, our grandchildren will ask us what role we played as church leaders. I want to be able to
account for my time here today, with what I did beyond Prayer.

It is not too late for us to do something, that even when we are done here and gone someday, this
time it won’t be about our names, like Janani Luwum, but rather about the Church. The true
church of God rose as the voice for the voiceless and the oppressed (Isaiah 58); we lived to our
task and served the purposes of God in our context, in our generation, as David and others did
before us (Acts 13:36).

It’s not too late to demand an official apology from the President (if he’s truly the fountain of
honour in this country), the Minister of Security (whose primary role is to secure lives of
Ugandans, yet he used such derogatory language), the Inspector General of Police (for repeated
brutality), the Electoral Commission (for failing to manage the Campaigning process) and the
Chief of Defense Forces (for the Army’s role).

We are still on schedule to mourn with those who mourn. Not from a distance, but right where
they are, since the Church is everywhere. Let’s trace their families, visit them, reassure them that
their children, their loved ones, were not mere “hooligans” (as branded by those who felt the
audacity to do so), but very valued citizens and members of the human race. Of course this won’t
bring any back to life, but it won’t be adding insult to injury as some have done on national
television. When we are done Praying, and filled with genuine love for God and neighbour, such
simple things will be waiting for us to do. Some of them at no cost at all. We need to join forces
with the Uganda Law Society, Uganda Human Rights Commission, and such others, in
advocating to bring all errant officers to book. We can’t only do funerals!

By “the Church”, I do not necessarily mean the leadership. Although it’s hard to imagine the
body of Christ hitting such frontlines without its human leadership, or at least its structural
blessing. But do we all – each one of us as members of the Body of Christ – yet have the depth
of conviction and sense of urgency that Janani Luwum had, to be the hands and feet of Christ?