The world today is not like the one that God created in Genesis 1:31. Adam’s disobedience toward God brought about damning changes that affected not only each one of us but also creation itself.
From a garden of tranquillity where humans and animals coexisted in harmony, we were transitioned into a new world where we prey on each other. Furthermore, there is an increase in earthquakes and other natural disasters that continuously threaten life and property. But worst of it all is the animosity fueled by the differences in the cultures among the people of the world, which traces back to the story of the Tower of Babel in the Bible (Genesis 11:1-9).
This incredible story involves the people of Babel attempting to build a tower that would reach to heaven in direct contradiction to the command of God for them to multiply and fill the whole earth. To forestall this rebellion, God brought into existence multiple languages, thus, dividing humans into various linguistic groups that were unable to understand one another.
This is one of the saddest and yet most significant stories in the Bible. It is sad because it reveals the widespread rebellion in the human heart which resulted from the introduction of sin into our world. On the other hand, it also brought about the reshaping and development of all the cultures that highlights the differences among all the people of the world. Peace is, therefore, essential because it is the only means by which such different groups of people can coexist or cohabit in this world.
The question then becomes, how do you obtain peace in a world that is more opposed to good than evil, more divided than united, and more imperfect than perfect? It would, therefore, require a conscious effort of its inhabitants to pursue what is in the best interest of all. After all, we cannot do much about our differences, but we can make an effort to live in peace with each other when we value and appreciate our diversity.
In this regard, Ghana, a country that boasts more than seventy different ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language, has been a shining example since its independence in 1957. Aside from the many blessings of natural resources and vast arable lands, Ghana is generally blessed with peace-loving people. For many years now, we have rallied around our Ghana flag and remained a united nation earning us the enviable accolade as the beacon of democracy on the African continent.
However, this has not come on a silver platter, rather, by a conscious effort by all and sundry to commit to maintaining peace, especially during the past seven presidential and parliamentary elections, which we have successfully organised in a peaceful, fair, and free manner with very minor security concerns.
As we head to the December 7 polls, we must not rest on our oars, but continue to remind ourselves of the need to maintain the peace in the country and consolidate the gains made so far in our young democracy.
As a very religious country, with Christians forming the majority of her population, the leadership of the various religious bodies ought to preach peace to their followers and insist on it. This, among other reasons, led The Church of Pentecost to introduce the “Agent of Peace” campaign in 2016 to drum home the need for the citizenry to be agents of peace before, during, and after the elections. This year, the second edition of the campaign was launched at the Burma Camp Worship Centre to raise more awareness on the need for peaceful general elections in order to maintain the tranquillity and stability of the country.
In her address, the referee for the electoral process, Mrs. Jean Mensa (Electoral Commissioner), who was the Special Guest of Honour for the event, assured the citizenry of her commitment to presiding over a free and fair election and also called on the Christian community to continue bearing her up in prayer for the enormous task ahead.
The “Agent of Peace” campaign is under the theme: “Seek Peace and Pursue It” (Psalm 34:17) and has since been replicated at the various areas and districts of the church.
The Christian population must therefore not relent but continue to pray into the general elections; consistently calling on our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, to look favourably towards our nation during this sensitive period.
The electorates, especially the youth, are also advised to pursue peace and not to allow ourselves to be used to disturb the peace of the nation. We are all entitled to one vote and so let’s be content with it.
We must not forget that, in the end, it is only one candidate among the lot who would emerge victorious. This means that the likelihood that many would be disappointed after the results is a reality, however, it is important to stress that, it is not so much about having our preferred political party or candidate in power, but accepting the choice and will of God for our country.
In a nutshell, a peaceful general election requires all stakeholders – religious bodies, security agencies, political parties, the Electoral Commission, and the citizenry – contributing their quota towards the electoral process.
So, let us seek peace and pursue it, because a victory for Ghana, is a victory for all.