By Christopher Miti
CHIPATA Diocese priest Mathias Mchona Phiri says the difficult life situation that is currently obtaining is not a justification for people to become unfair to one another.
In his sermon during mass at St Atanazio Parish, Fr Phiri, who is also a chaplain at Chipata Central Hospital, said people should continue doing works of mercy during this Lenten season.
“Surely, life is becoming very difficult. Some of the difficulties we face are because of the economic hardships,” he noted. “[But] these are not a justification that we should become dangerous and unfair to others. It is not a justification that because you are going through hardships that you start judging everybody.”
Fr Phiri said some people would hike the prices of various commodities without any justification because of the increase in fuel prices.
“People are going to hike prices without justice and without mercy in the name of upwards adjustment of fuel thereby making it difficult for people to get help,” he said. “It is not good for people to be unjust to other people because of high fuel prices. The price of bread will go high and the prices of food will become very expensive. Why? Is that mercy?”
Fr Phiri said people should judge themselves before they judge others.
“Think about it, what am I going to do to help other people to survive, to persevere and to pull through? People spend sleepless nights to think about what they would do the following day,” he said.
Fr Phiri, who narrated the biblical story of a woman who was taken to Jesus after she was caught committing adultery and Jesus told anyone who has never sinned to cast a stone at the woman but they all disappeared, also said there was moral failure in society because some people do not receive fair justice.
“Jesus is saying look into your heart, look into yourself, not the other one to judge you. I am not here to judge others. I am equally imperfect. Human judgment is full of error,” he said. “Now, in this story of a woman who are you? Are you the lady, do you feel equally mistreated by society? Do you feel equally condemned now and then by society?”
Fr Phiri said there was capital punishment for people who commit certain offences but wondered whether human beings have a right to judge others.