Religious leaders have issued varying messages of hope to the Rwandan community as the country celebrated the festive season in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. Antoine Rutayisire, the Pastor of Remera Anglican Church said; “Glory to God and peace to the people He loves”. He sent out a message of comfort, strength as well as discipline as the world faces difficult times. “We should remember that Christmas is not about eating and drinking and merry making. It is the time of honouring God and remembering Him. We should also keep alert because Covid-19 is still around,” he said. “It’s not the time to go for merry making because out there, you’ll be putting your life in danger. So, everybody should be telling everybody else that this is not the time to just go easy. It is the time to celebrate but also be cautious about what we do.” Pastor Gedeon Jules Manishimwe from Goshen Holy Life Church in Northern Province stresses that: “I urge all Christians to comply with Covid-19 guidelines. Jesus said that a holy soul lives in a healthy body and so if we don’t nurture a holy soul, Jesus cannot be born in us,” he said. “As Christians, we should first repent for our sins so that Jesus can be born in our hearts and find out that we have changed, leaving behind a lot of the bad things we have encountered this year. Let us have changes in what we do and how we live.” Manishimwe also revealed that at their churches, they are sensitizing all Christians to get vaccinated as well as take other doses for those who haven’t. He added: “On Christmas, before Christians enter the church, they will be asked to present Covid-19 vaccination certificates and be measured for body temperature. They will also wash their hands as usual.” In his tweet, The Archbishop of Kigali, Antoine Cardinal Kambanda, wished Merry Christmas to everyone, quoting Luke 2:10: “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” He also wished the public Happy New Year of comfort and peace from the Lord. Jered Kalimba, Bishop of Shyogwe Diocese in Anglican Church, said that Christmas should be an opportunity for Christians to re-evaluate and have enough time to think about themselves and the well-being of their families. “I wish every Christian a good time to think about their lives so that they live with clean and regenerated souls and be filled by the Holy Spirit,” he said. Kalimba encouraged believers to strive for healthy families, living holy life and raising well-educated children. On Christmas Eve, Apostle Alice Mignonne Kabanda from Women Foundation Ministries said “May peace of Jesus be to the people He loves.”, sending a message of hope to the public, declaring her hope that Covid-19 will end. She recited Isaiah Chapter 9: 6, which says “the son is born unto us. He was born for us. He died for us and He will come back for us.” Christmas should leave us with wisdom, she continued, so that we can be worshippers of all seasons whether bad or good and keep faith. She also urged Christians not to worship idols but God and to exchange gifts, declaring that Christmas is also a time to give gifts, thanking people.
