Ubuntungwa = Freedom

In Zambia, October 24th is a day marked by joy, music, dancing, and vibrant celebration. It’s Independence Day—the day in 1964 when Zambia became a free nation. Living there, we got to celebrate year after year. Our city would transform with energy and color. People wore Chitenge in the colors of the Zambian flag—red, black, green, and orange. Cars were wrapped, buildings were draped, and pennants hung from traffic lights, giving everything a fresh sense of excitement.

 In the Bemba language, Ubuntungwa means freedom. Every year, we held what we called the Ubuntungwa Party—a massive outreach and celebration that wasn’t just about political or national freedom. It was about the deepest freedom of all: 

freedom in Christ.  Freedom from fear.  Freedom from sadness and loneliness.  Freedom from sin and death!

These aren’t just Zambian hopes. They are human hopes—longings we all share, whether in Lusaka or Los Angeles, Ndola or New York.

Freedom matters — for nations — and for individuals.

When I think about freedom, I can’t help but picture lions. I’ve seen lions in the wild, and I’ve seen lions in the zoo—and the comparison is stark. A wild lion lives boldly—roaming, roaring, hunting, resting under the African sun on its own terms. A zoo lion might be safe, but it’s behind barriers. It’s controlled. It’s dependent. It doesn’t live like it was created to live.

Too many people are living caged by sin patterns, low self-belief, hurts, hangups, and unforgiven wounds. Maybe they’ve been told to sit quietly, or decided to stay small and to play it safe.

But Christ came to set us free so we could rise, run, and roar!  

This Zambian Independence Day—whether you’re in Zambia or America, or anywhere else—let it be more than fireworks and flags. Let it be a reminder that real freedom is found in Christ, and He didn’t free us to live small.

“So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free,

and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.” - ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬

He freed us to live wildly and boldly — like the lions we were meant to be!