Baptism

Each year before Christmas Sunday families gather on Saturday morning at the Church of Uganda to have their children dedicated and baptized. Although my convictions lay with believers’ baptism, I find the timing of this event impeccable: what better way to celebrate the dedication of God’s only son, than to dedicate our own children back to the Lord?

Following the baptism of nearly 40 children there was a time for sharing. Many parents and grandparents shared about the joy of children and the gift they are from God. However, one grandparent shared a reflection which has stuck with me since that day. He said, “When families create a mark for their cows everyone knows those cows belong to those people. When we baptize our children we pour water on them and put the sign of the cross on their forehead. The mark is there and it shows that the child belongs to the family of God.”

In a community that values cows as the highest form of wealth I believe this statement spoke above what I can understand, but the basic message is obvious for all of us. Personally, I find it immensely important to remember my own baby dedication, believers’ baptism, and place in the family of God. This week Kotido is celebrating a week of Christian unity; there have been services held at the Church of Uganda, the Catholic Cathedral, and the Orthodox Church. At these services the similarities of each denomination are drawn out, leadership is shared, and prayers and songs are raised to the same God. This is the family of God and I find great encouragement in the vast, global network, it encompasses.