When I first heard of this book, all I thought of was that this was another self help to add to the shelf. In fact, I missed the official launch held at Kati Kati on the 1st September 2015.
I usually take off time to follow the trends on the Uganda literary scene. And that includes which book is the talk of town.
On 5th September 2015, I attended the Transformers Conference 2015 organised by Worship Harvest Ministries in Naalya where the author of this book, Moses Mukisa, happens to be lead pastor.
I still maintain that that well organised conference, by selling tickets at UGX 30,000 was only a booking fee and so extremely undercharged. Why?
Every conference convener was given a copy of this book, Called To Greatness. And this, to me, summed up my UGX 30,000 payment before the event began.
The price at which I buy a book determines my expectation on reading it. And here I was with a literary ‘free book’. What did I have to expect?
Motivation stuff, I thought.
How wrong I was!
Before I read a book, I find a reason to familiarize with the text and I found one in this as well. I know the editor. (Buy a copy, you will find the editor’s name in the acknowledgment.)
Called To Greatness is not the usual christian book that grooms you for heaven without emphasising your work on earth. The author invests a great wealth of time explaining and juxtaposing the story of David in the book of Samuel (in the Bible) to the contemporary life.
“The story of your life is being written every day, it only depends on who has the pen,” Moses Mukisa
You cannot avoid the leadership call Moses Mukisa burdens himself with in the book. He talks of family, partnerships, entrepreneurship, and your role in societal transformation.
“Someone else had better qualifications, more connections, better appearance, greater charisma, a higher IQ, fairer features, name it and yet the call to lead fell on you,” Moses Mukisa.
The book ends with an appeal to all the pursuers of greatness not to live for today or tomorrow (which we do a lot in our lives) but to struggle for true greatness that surpasses the days on earth.
This book is an improved version of Ugandan literature which is usually produced in a rush. It is one book that every Ugandan identifies with, given the examples used.
The language is very inclusive and illustrative but you may need not to read it at one go if you’re to fully dig out the wealth in it.
However, the authorial intrusion on opinion is one to watch out for in the entire text.
This is a book all the 2016 leaders should buy along with their voters to step up their call to responsibility in the pursuit of their greatness.
The book is sale in bookshops at UGX 30,000.
Buy it. Read it. Be Great.
Kangye