18.12.2024

May Christmas Challenge us to Love

As UEM Moderator, Bishop Dr Keshomshahara presides over the General Assembly, where all UEM member churches gather every four years, as well as the Council, which meets twice a year. Photo by: Martina Pauly, UEM

On the occasion of Christmas 2024, our Moderator greets all of you with a christmas message. You can watch it here on youtube. The Bishop says:

"Dear listeners and viewers of this 2024 chrismas greetings . I am Bishop Abednego Keshomshahara, Moderator of UEM since 2022 also Bishop of ELCT NWD Bukoba. UEM of which I am Moderator is a mission organisation which operates in three continents(Africa, Asia and Germany-Europe). It mainly deals with evangelism, advocacy, partnership, diaconia and development.

I bring to you all wherever you may be the christmas greetings by which we celebrate the incarnation of God whereby God became human so that humans may become children of God again. It is because of Jesus's birth by virgin Mary that God is with us as Emmanuel as we read from Matthew 1:23.

This reflects the grace of God, who, despite humans fall into sin deserving eternal death, he gave them another chance of salvation through Jesus Christ so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16).

Thus, chrismas challenges humanity to change and become a new creature (2 Cor 5:17) with hope of eternal life beyond exisitential limitations.

Being a new creature implies total negation of dehumanisation, racism, exploitation, abuse of religion, abuse of media, negation of hatred, prejudices, causing wars, imperialism, extremism of any kind, discrimination and destruction of planet earth which leads to ecological suicide in form of floods, drought, famine, destructive winds, dissappearance of islands, disappearance of animal and plant spices and increasing of temperatures worldwide.

May Christmas of this year challenge everyone of us to do something out of love that can make life possible and enjoyable by enabling access to renewable energy, education, health, freedom, transport infrastructure, shelter, food, employment, dignified life, etc.

May the peace of God which surpusses human understanding bless you, your family, your work, aspirations and plans, Now and forever.

Amen"

*ELCT/NWD = Evangelical Lutheran Church of Tanzania, North Western Diocese