A Former General Secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), Rev. Dr Setri Nyomi, has urged Christians to fall on the Bible as a source of hope as the country faces challenging times.
He said the Bible, which is the embodiment of God’s word, was tailor-made to strengthen believers through turbulence and thus gave clear directives on how to mitigate tough times.
“This is what gives us hope and it is what is important for our nation’s life if we are going to walk and survive in these difficult times when circumstances and changes had led us to despair,” he said.
Rev. Nyomi said that yesterday when he spoke on the theme: “God’s Unchanging Word: Hope for All”, at the Bible Week Symposium organised by the Bible Society of Ghana (BSG).
The Unchanging Word
Rev. Nyomi, who is a District Pastor of the Bethel Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Ghana, said the Bible stories about how some nations overcame problems such as oppression and wars still held some significance in contemporary times.
He explained that the reality of Bible stories in the lives of all was an indication that God’s word remained unchanged and urged Christians to become beacons of hope that the nation would look up to.
“These are not ancient words that are true of some people of ancient past and we hold on to them by way of something called faith; they are things we have experienced in our own lives so we can talk about them,” he said.
The Church and Crisis
The Head of Psychology Dept., University of Ghana Psychology Department, Rev. Prof. Joseph Osafo Adu, said it was time for the presence of the Church to be felt with regard to national issues and help mitigate national crises.
“The Church will not stay in the church, it is time for us to take the Bible to the people, to the market places so that the presence of the Church and God will be felt,”
Rev. Adu, who is also the Minister of the East Legon Worship Centre of the Church of Pentecost, charged Christians to be living testaments of the hope the Bible gives them.
Chairperson’s response
A Retired Judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Professor Akua Kuenyehia, who chaired the event, said the theme was extremely significant because of the changing nature of the world.
She said as a result of all the hardships faced in recent times, many people had lost hope and were living in despair.
“His word will make us navigate the problems of the world, and everyone is welcome to use this word to guide themselves as long as they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour,” she said.
The bible should always be our reference point.
