A VISION FOR THE SCHOOL OF LAW CHRISTIAN UNION

Talk delivered by Daniel R. Ruhweza at the Makerere University School of Law Christian Union Reunion and Finalists’ Dinner,  May 3^rd 2014 at Piato Restaurant Kampala Uganda.

Thank you for inviting me.

As we celebrate today in which some of the students of the Faculty of Law are leaving, while others are continuing and yet some are just joining, I would like to ask this question,

What is your Vision?

There are two kinds of Vision: A vision can either be directly from God or inspired by God

Peter saw a vision of unclean animals descending from heaven and a voice telling him to kill and eat. He didn’t understand that this was a vision from God showing him that the gospel of Christ will now spread to the gentiles and not remain only with the Jews.  Another scenario is found in Daniel 5 when Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, ‘the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.  The Bible says that the King and is wise men could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation. This means that it is possible for one to have a Vision like Peter, without being visionary.

Therefore, let it not be said, that we missed God’s plan and purpose for our lives while at Law School. Woe unto us – whether as students or lecturers, if we miss this chance. For Queen Esther was told by her uncle Mordecai at the time when she doubted whether she could do anything to save the Jews from the hand of Haman, ‘Never know it was for a time like this that you became Queen.’ Taking on Mordecai’s cue, allow me to ask ‘What time is it at the Faculty of Law and in Uganda today?’

A Vision inspired by God starts with God:  For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jer 29:11) . It should be noted that a Vision inspired by God involves our own agency.  It has been described as a ‘‘vivid, imaginative conception or anticipation’’ or ‘‘an aspirational description of what we would like to achieve or accomplish in the mid-term or long-term future.’’ It is something we ‘‘ Imagine as a future possibility.’’ Something that is intended to ‘‘serve as a clear guide for choosing current and future courses of action.’’

We have reached a deadlock in Uganda today. We have developed a culture of nfunira wa? (What is my personal benefit out of every situation I am involved in?)

In Uganda today, we are selfish, corrupt and complacent. Remember Pastor Martin Niemoller’s poem?

            First they came for

Edmund Burke also said ‘ All that is necessary for evil to triumph is good men doing nothing’

In Uganda,

We sell expired drugs;

We build in Swamps and watch on as floods sweep our babies away;

We drive badly;

We blame the staff at the School of law for not cleaning away our urine in the toilets;

We cheat in exams;

We applaud corrupt leaders;

We envy thieves who steal Global Fund for Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria;

We preach reconciliation but practice tribalism;

We restrain from telling friends about their makeup gone wrong or zips undone only to gossip about it later;

We cow away from responsibility;

We fear to stand in the gap when there is need and instead blame others for seeking the limelight (bandabe);

We forget that we are watchmen over the city and blood is on our hands( Ezekiel 33). Remember what happened to Israel when they refused to attack when the Lord told them to do so?)

Our country (and the School of Law) needs us - I am reminded of my time at the Law development Centre when my friend Eric Hatanga gave his time to encourage those students who were doing their oral examinations how that helped many students. In spite of his situation, he gave of himself and time and was victorious in passing the exams too. Therefore,

We need magistrates who arrive on time in court;

We need lecturers who are humble enough to admit their failings;

We need lawyers who, far from quoting Latin phrases, will do justice, love mercy and walk humbly before God ( Micah 6:8);

We need Members of Parliament who will not give bribes under the guise of facilitation or abscond from duty to respond to the needs of their constituency because they are promoting the interests of one man;

We need land registrars who will not sign off land transfers because money has been placed between the transfer deeds yet they have not done due and reasonable diligence;

We need policemen who will not only enforce the law but also the spirit and breathe of the same. Policemen who will stand up to and not merely adhere to the whims of “Mr. Above” Police men who will be willing to pay the price for being conscientious objectors to unjust laws. I am reminded  of Martin Luther King Jr. who said ‘ one had the moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws’. St Augustine also said ‘ an unjust law is no law at all’;

We need prosecutors who will listen to their conscience and refuse to prosecute a case that they clearly know is intended to pervert the course of justice;

We need lawyers who will honestly recover the monies of their successful clients instead of using frivolous and vexatious arguments to retain more that they are due;

We need Judges who will not fear to arbitrate matters simply because their friends or relatives are on the wrong side of the law or because their bread is buttered by the person in the wrong

At the Law School,

We need diligent students who will be fair in their criticism of a lecturer or diligent in reading cases, carrying out research and actively participating in tutorials;

We need students who will not shun to clear up the rubbish in the class room; assist weaker students, help the disabled, and be positive influences socially, economically and positively around them;

Students who will visit legal practices and encourage and pray for lawyers and state Attorneys;

Students who will walk up to the Dean’s Office and pray for her to excel, persevere and administer well;

Students who will beautify the School of Law grounds instead of wait for the porters to do so;

Students who will adhere to the adage that “cleanliness is next to Godliness” and keep their rooms, classes and toilets clean;

That, my friends, is positive impact on Community not just spending time praying

So, I ask once again, what is your vision as you leave the School of Law? What is your Vision individually or as the Faculty of Law Christian Union?

We are not merely another Fellowship but a Fellowship if different denominations of Christians who are studying (and in my case teaching) the law at Makerere University. (emphasis mine)

We are specifically located at the oldest University in East Africa. We are a specific profession

We are a critical mass that is being prepared to bring Christian values to the diverse profession of law. Not any one else can do that – ideally- but God can always choose someone else and like Eli the High Priest, who failed to reign in his sons, we can also become irrelevant having lost our saltiness in bringing healing to the wounded in our societies

If we do not style up, God will make the trees and stones do it. He will yank the responsibility from us like He did to King Saul. Like I mentioned earlier, God has a remnant ready. A reserve army. Wow unto us if we are not par t of that reserve army. Like Esther, it is for a time like this that we are in Law School

Let it not be said of us as was said of Belshazzar, ‘‘Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin’’ Mene - God has numbered your Kingdom and finished it. Tekel - That we have been weighed, found wanting  and our Kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians. Let us not be found wanting or lacking in a ‘material particular.’

What therefore is our VISION?

We need this Vision/ purpose  so as to be guided in what we can do , what we can achieve and how we can achieve it. Habakkuk 2:2 : And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. In so doing, we steer clear away from controversy as can easily happen

Vision will make honest lawyers of us. Lawyers who are able to admit their failings and weaknesses but also work towards improving themselves

In so doing, we need to ask how do we relate or partner with other professional student fellowships to advance professionalism in Makerere , Uganda, East Africa, Africa and world over? Can we for example work with the Medical Fellowship to train on the legal rights, responsibilities and health care needs of female prisoners in Masindi Prison?

Let me end with two of my favourite quotes –

Martin Luther King Jr. said

If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say “Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job so well”  Somewhere it is mentioned that the world will make a beaten path to his door even is he is hidden deep in the forest

Philippians 4:8

Finally brethren, Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honourable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things

God bless you

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