Spotlight 8/2022: A motto that takes a lot of practice
Our 2022 motto “Together in Christ” comes with lots of learning objectives. District Apostle Kububa Soko from Zambia took a deep look at its contents and shares his insights with us. He reminds us of Jesus’ appeal: “Learn from Me!”
At the beginning of this year, our Chief Apostle announced the 2022 motto “Together in Christ”. This theme clearly shows that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is our common denominator. He is the focal point, our example, and we must emulate Him. The 2022 motto should trigger many thoughts in us as New Apostolic Christians. Here are some ideas.
Unity
Together in Christ means living together in unity. In the book of John 17: 20–21, our Lord Jesus Christ prayed for our unity, which is also a symbol of our solidarity with Him. The psalmist David summarises it by saying “behold how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133: 1).
Humbleness
Together in Christ means being humble. Our redeemer advises us to learn from Him because He is gentle and lowly in heart (Matthew 11: 29). Let us imitate Him and be tolerant. Being humble also means that out of the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we allow the Apostles to lead us and prepare us for the return our Lord Jesus Christ.
Following
To be together in Christ means we must exhibit our firm resolve to follow Christ without compromise. To achieve this, we need to exhibit vigilance, courage, sacrifice, and discipline. Let us also have unwavering faith and always focus our attention on following Christ in all circumstances.
Gratitude
Together in Christ means to be thankful. We are children of God through His grace and not because we worked for it. Jesus came to reconcile us with God and now we are in one body. Our fellowship with God was renewed through Jesus’ sacrificial death. Through his letter to the Colossians, Apostle Paul encourages us to be thankful (Colossians 3:15). Let us be thankful even when we are passing through the trials of this life.
Kindness
Being Together in Christ requires us to be kind and to be beacons of love to others. Jesus was kind to His contemporaries. We too must be kind to people around us, even if they may not be kind to us. Let us empathize and sympathize with those that are suffering and let us offer them help.
Prayer
To be together in Christ requires that we have a conversation with Him in prayer. This can be done individually and collectively. Individually, we pray to Him whenever and wherever we feel a need. Collectively, we pray together in the divine services. Let us consistently have conversations with Him through prayer—He is our strength and our guide. Just as we sing in one of the hymns, let us “take it to the Lord in prayer” (Hymnal 226).
Photo: Nathaniel Nate Lowa
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Author:
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Kububa Soko
16.05.2022
District Apostle,
motto,
Together in Christ
