Christian Living Stories: Bring the Cattle Together

Cattle herding is part of their occupation. Livestock is one of the measures of their wealth. They use oxen to draw carts and plows. The Lozi people of Western Province in Zambia also use cattle in their language to express proverbial wisdom.

A wise Lozi lover might say to his beloved bride: “Wele yange uende na ng’ombe ufuno ulingane.” This can be translated, “My loved one, when we get married, bring your cattle so that our riches can add up and we prosper together.”

When a bride and groom bring their cattle into one kraal, there is an immediate difference in their influence and social standing. Wealth doubles or triples. The couple together is wealthier than either of them was before adding together their cattle.

In Matthew 18:20, Jesus said, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

In Christian community, our spiritual resources are strengthened as we come together in support of one another. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:16: “From [Jesus] the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” In Christ, we are strong, and together in Christ, we are even stronger than we can be alone.

That’s why “wele yange uende na ng’ombe ufuno ulingane” is a good reminder of our admonition in Hebrews 10:25 to value assembling together as the children of God. We might not be many, but together in Christ, we are strong.

Author: Kalengule Kaoma