Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference has emphasized the need to intensify spiritual practices, devoting more time to prayer, and helping people grow in their prayer life and, consequently, their relationship with God as a way of combating the deficit of hope.
In a Lenten letter issued on the 12th of February, themed Combating the Deficit of Hope, the Bishops recommended a special kind of prayer called Lectio Divina that they described as dialogical and holistic.
“It incorporates our yearning for God, listening to his Word, reflection, and a response to God’s Word. We, as it were, ‘listen’ to God speak to us in his Word, and having listened, we reflect on what has been said in the context of what has been said, and in our reflection, we respond. Our response to be complete has to be both an ascent to God and a call to action in the world in which we live”.
The ZCBC Lenten message for 2024 came at a time when Zimbabwe is grappling with numerous challenges, including political instability, a crippling economy, and experiencing communicable diseases.
They said prayer proposes another way of knowing conjures hope for our world, and has unwavering faith and trust in God’s promises, even when circumstances seem bleak or impossible though it transcends human understanding and relies solely on belief in God’s sovereignty will help Zimbabweans come up with wise solutions to their problems.
“As Christians in a country and in a world that is full of despair and is becoming hopeless, we can be beacons of hope. Ours is a stubborn faith that, even in the absence of visible signs of hope, continues to hope.
“This is not a denial of reality, nor is it some kind of optimism. Christian hope springs from God. We are convinced that the whole of history is in ‘God’s hands”.
The Bishops expressed their concern about how people are increasingly envisioning a world without God, focusing more on materialistic pursuits and scientific explanations for phenomena that were traditionally attributed to a higher power, they feel that the shift has led to a disconnect between individuals and their spiritual beliefs, with many relegating God to the periphery of their lives.
“The challenge with our modern society is that we have become so secular that we envision a world without God. We have relegated God to the fringes of our world. We worry about God’s world and its problems and we are seeking a solution to it that does not involve God. We now have more faith in the things of God and we have forgotten the one who gives us those things. As we celebrate the year of prayer, the challenge is that we discover the beauty of having a relationship with God. That relationship can be more revealing. It speaks of who God is and who we are
The call to yearning for a deeper connection with the divine highlights the intrinsic human need for spiritual fulfilment and guidance beyond what the material world can offer, through prayer and introspection, individuals can rediscover the beauty of having a personal relationship with God, helps provide solace, wisdom, and a sense of purpose in an increasingly secular world.
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