In setting the tone for the 61st Independence Day Celebrations, religious leaders yesterday called for the need to build the country’s future on divine values instead of only focussing on politics and the economy.
The clergy made the sentiments at the National Worship of Service held at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe, which President Lazarus Chakwera also attended as the nation reflects on 61 years of independence.
Held under the theme ‘Restoring Broken Foundations: Taking Malawi Forward’, the interdenominational prayers brought together religious and political leaders, citizens and the diplomatic community.
In his sermon, Bishop of Dedza Catholic Diocese who is also vice-chairperson of the Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops (MCCB), the Right Reverend Peter Adrian Chifukwa, based his message on Matthew 7:9–12, which speaks about the Golden Rule: treating others as one would like to be treated.
He emphasised that Malawi’s future should also be built on divine values.
“There is no reasonable future for us if we don’t prepare for it; our future rather is a reflection of all well-meaning efforts, small and great, from each one of us.
“There is no future that can be prepared without the values of the kingdom of God because that is the real foundation of this nation. It is God who helped our founders, who gave them the courage to achieve the independence we celebrate today,” he said.
He also called for spiritual dependence on God and a renewed spirit of patriotism.
“We stand together today to seek dependency from God, and our future should be regarded as our light into the hands of the rightful people. We should celebrate our interdependency by being patriotic with our country,” he said.
President Chakwera read from Zechariah 8:18–23, a passage that envisions a nation transformed by truth, justice, and peace, one that attracts others by its godliness and integrity.
Delivering a sermon based on the reading from Zechariah, Right Reverend Biswick Nkhoma, Moderator of the CCAP General Assembly, emphasised the importance of God’s presence in national transformation:
“When God is among us, mountains turn into valleys. What seems difficult becomes easy. This is because His grace is given by the Lord. That is why rebuilding Malawi does not depend on weapons or strength, but on the Spirit of the Lord who will be given, because with God, all things are possible.”
Muslim Association of Malawi national chairperson Sheikh Idrissah Muhammad warned the nation about the moral crises that have eroded its foundations.
“The foundations of Malawi have been weakened by envy, greed, gossiping and mudslinging. If we want to move forward as a country, we must uproot these vices from our hearts and communities,” he said.
The service included intercessory prayers for the country’s leadership, economic resilience, peace and the youth.
President Chakwera is today expected to lead the nation in commemorating its 61 years of independence at Bingu Stadium in the Capital City.
