BOYCOTTING THE BROKEN: WHEN MALAWIAN CHURCHES FORGET THE GOSPEL

Great scholars and philosophers in history often challenged societal norms. Today, our social systems operate in consideration of such sideways thinking, but with little change. It took only a few noble people to rise up and challenge the norms that were legal but inhumane. Who decides what is legal and what is not? Even though we question other systems, we can at least agree that we are able to read and write because of changes influenced by those unsung heroes.

In the Saabali (Patience) song, Damian Marley and Nas ask whether we are growing wiser or just growing taller. They ask this while acknowledging that we are born without the knowledge we possess, which society later fashions into us as we grow older. As important as this question is—we should try to understand how the song relates to our communities. It talks about colonialists, the self-appeasing lifestyle of politicians, and the cruelty done by some journalists and religious leaders.

In my early years as a young citizen of a civilised Malawi, I noticed a trend where some communities often boycott funerals and weddings. The most vocal community being Christians (Old Traditional churches) followed by traditional chiefs. Let me ignore the traditional chiefs for a moment—my focus is on Christian community, especially their designated leaders. Growing up in a Christian family, I was often pushed hard to attend Sunday schools and church. Later, Christianity and religion in general, were never my favourite cup of tea. I only denounced religion in private, but kept going to church—I was too young to make independent decisions under Malawian laws and family expectations. Of course, I rejoined it later, but that is reserved for another day.

A preacher's affirmation of only preaching to the sinless | Credits: @RufaroAfrika

As a young member of the church, I went through different lessons about love, Ten Commandments and creation — concluding with Jesus Christ Himself. I never had the courage to question decisions by churches when I heard they had refused to conduct funeral services. I was always shocked when I heard of such decisions. Maybe I often got shocked because Christ said children are innocent in the eyes of God—that innocence triggered such reactions. Further enhancing my logic, I later understood that Christian groups often rely more on their own constitutions than on the Bible. Some use the Bible only when they want to be heard through a single verse, which may often give a different meaning to their claims when the whole chapter is read out.

Some churches have the tendency of collecting tithes from congregants like loan sharks, and congregants happily pay—yet they go on to ignore God’s commands. They neglect the love for God and justice like how Jesus Christ criticises them as quoted in Matthew chapter 23. Congregants may be struggling financially, but they are pushed to pay. Some happily pay, then commute back to violate God’s commandments. Congregants who fall behind on tithe payments risk having their funeral or a child’s being boycotted by the church. I often wonder, is this the love Christ asked people to preach around the world before He departed for heaven?

How will they spread the gospel if they cannot preach God’s word to the broken-hearted? Christ never despised people’s situations; He saved a woman who was on the verge of being stoned to death by people in accordance to the Mosaic laws as recorded in John 8:2-11. The woman who was caught in adultery deserved death for the sin, but Christ asked the mob to stone the woman if they were holy—none of them could withstand such scrutiny. This relates well to the behavioural patterns of the religious groups, who act all mighty and holy simply because they have not been caught. They boycott funerals which is one of the very important places where the gospel of Christ should be proclaimed.

A modern depiction of Christ's stance on love | Credits: Random Facebook Theology Communities

I recall the story of the good Samaritan which Christ used to teach about loving a neighbour as oneself (Ref. Luke 10:25-33). A quick reflection; a man was beaten by robbers, stripped of his clothes, and left half dead. A priest who was passing by, neglected him. A Levite did not care about him either. The man’s safety was guaranteed later when a Samaritan took pity on him by taking him to an inn and treating his wounds. This was Christ’s response to an expert of the law who was not sure of who his neighbour was. As you can note in the parable, people who were deemed religious failed to help a person in need. Unfortunately, this is how religious communities operate nowadays as well. They ignore people in need of Christ’s gospel for the sake of their church’s image, disregarding the assigned purpose like the two religious men.

Similarly; there was a rich man who ignored a beggar (Lazarus) until they both died. After dying, the beggar was comforted while the rich man faced torment. He asked Abraham for the chance to have Lazarus resurrected, and let him tell his siblings to repent. His request was denied; Abraham cited other living preachers as the responsible individuals for that—else they were going to perish like him for not listening (Ref. Luke 16:19-31). In this parable Christ was enlightening those with bad intentions that God is not about money or poverty, but how we treat people and respond to Him.

God is not pleased with religious people who mistreat people in need of His message. It may be the deceased’s family, friends, community members or others within the church setup. In this parable it is clear that those who are dead have no effect of this life, unlike the living. In Christian settings, where will people get the courage to spread Christ’s gospel if the senior teachers are not filling this gap? Judgement is God’s no matter how we view the sinful nature of others. It happened with the woman caught in adultery and one of the criminals nailed to the cross beside Him. He also forgave a woman who was merely branded sinful, who wet his feet with tears, dried them with hair before pouring expensive perfume on them. He alone has authority of condemning and washing away the sins. No preacher should undermine God’s command to show love—to proclaim His kingdom and show compassion to one another.

As people who follow, and have knowledge of Christ’s teachings; Why have literate congregants not condemned this false portrayal of God’s ministry? Christ Himself condemned Pharisees, Levites, the rich and others for lives of false pretence. Perhaps you agree with atheists that religion is just a business, and they simply lacked the opportunity to revise the Bible for commercial gains?

I will go back to Sabali by Damian Marley and Nas; some lines in the first verse criticise evangelists who instead of helping, use visuals of suffering children to earn more through donations etc.

Evangelists making a living on the videos
Of ribs of the little kids
Stereotyping the image of the images
And this is what the image is

As I go, I should leave you with a question for your mind; Are you ready to confront these bad acts of those in authority of the church? If not, then you may be in the same class as the priest and Levite who ignored the traveller—worse, the robbers who initially inflicted pain on the traveller. Yes, if you smile when evangelism’s mandate is not being fulfilled, you are in the same boat with the angry mob that wanted an adulterous woman stoned to death.

We are born without knowledge until society feeds us various data. Reading and listening are the skills that have proved to be vital in day-to-day lives. Do we learn from reading and listening? Have we managed to use logic on things affecting our lives? If funerals are for the living, why do some evangelists show bitterness towards the dead?

Ecclesiastes 12:7 NIV

[7] and the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

“It does not matter how you are buried. What matters most is your relationship with God.” – Anonymous pastor said.

"Love the Lord, your God with everything you have,

            but

Examine the churches!" - I said it

 

 

THE DARK JUSTICE —WHEN GOVERNING SYSTEMS OPPRESS THE POOR (GOO-GOO)

Years ago, when I was pursuing my journalism academic certificate, I crossed paths with a fisherman in Mangochi. He narrated how inhumanely the laws were being enforced by patrolling teams designated to patrol around Lake Malawi National Park. The fisherman stressed that cases involving residents surrounding the lake were mostly dead upon arrival in courts; as such, they proceeded to pay fines just to be free. This was before the two parties had mediators, and as we talked, he also explained that they reached a common goal later. Women were told to pay one thousand Kwacha (K1,000.00) if they had to pick dead wood, and fishermen were enlightened on where to fish and what species they were restricted from catching. This sounded like a big deal then, as the park authority understood the needs and literacy levels of its neighbours. Aside from other things that may have occurred, the consensus showed progress and care. A decade later, there have also been others at loggerheads with governing bodies, but at a trading site this time. Instead of enlightening people, they first came with a notice to let them away from the place. Some scholars argue that ignorance of the law is no excuse; they forget that infants commit many mistakes due to a lack of knowledge, and we say they should be forgiven because they are still learning. By the same token, we should understand that Malawi has high illiteracy levels, and only a few can boast of advancing their education. Of course some laws are common, but some are ambiguous and hard for a common citizen. How many people is the country going to convict in the name of “Ignorance of the law is not an excuse?” The whole country struggles with this — things that should be condemned are still happening; some even shield corruption and other wrongdoing with supposed legal knowledge. We should always bear in mind that learning never stops.

The Pillars of unchecked Malawi | Credits: Rufaro Afrika

“Anawauza ndi amakani saamamva. Anapatsidwa chenjezo kangapo koma kusamva.” As people struggle with the economy here in Malawi, some politicians alongside their counterparts, thought it wise to enforce the laws on poor Malawians. Small-scale traders have recently been warned to move from places that serve as hubs for business in the name of safety and the guidelines of central government’s administrating bodies. In light of recent events, I woke up to news that Goo-goo market — which, per the law, is deemed illegal, had been demolished. The government’s security forces did not spare anything or anyone; even livestock met their fate, leaving wrecked steel roofing and cabbages strewn on the spot.

Poor native's small scale business destroyed in a night | Credits: Rufaro Afrika

Years have passed since the issue came to light, and poor citizens thought the matter had been buried — perhaps the relevant bodies and owners of such places had reached an agreement. Business operators kept on trading, and even the ‘haves’ often left their gated communities to shop here due to the availability of fresh agricultural produce. Rumours have it that the governing body responsible for city where Goo-goo is located grew frustrated since they gained nothing from the market.

“Goal, goal!” As the name sounds, a few selfish individuals never scored at all. The frustration mounted: “They are operating illegally and we are gaining nothing from it? Let the guidelines our former colonial masters left us be used.” Oh, before I go further — it is becoming an undeniable fact that in the land of the fresh waters, individuals love power and use it to frustrate others. I will not go too deep, but we saw it from the country’s first leader after Western colonialism: he enjoyed three decades of a privileged lifestyle while using a whip to discipline the very same people he had once stood beside to fight the oppressor. Then came another, who feasted as well, and then another. The cycle is never-ending; their juniors operate in the same fashion. Perhaps the coloniser was right to fear that if given power, the native land owners would take each other’s lives. Today, when we see the law enforced, it is mostly against the poor and sometimes against political rivals. These legal injustices may well be proven by arbitrators and judicial officers to be full of substance. Right in books and concepts developed by a few, to keep their interests align or just control so they enjoy alone at the top.

Cartoon of  exposed Indians who sold fake medicine in a deal with corrupt Malawian officials | Credits: Rufaro Afrika

Goo-goo — they did not score. We both lost, and the powerful won: that is the message portrayed today. Someone confidently said they were warned and did not comply. Let me ask you a question: how many times have you been warned about flouting other guidelines? We see minibuses exceeding capacity, then using ‘general receipts’ to avoid further sanctions while committing the same offences. Even politicians spend years answering cases of corruption and other misconduct against the nation. Some continue to enjoy life outside bars, with court orders as shields against jail for years. The part of the governing body that ought to be conversant with the economy and relevant laws never thought it wise to engage differently, hence they instead chose to use brutal means in their quest to enforce the rules.

A Rastaman arrested for cannabis, a politician roaming freely after stealing public funds — calling friends to root it | Credits: Rufaro Afrika

Quoting part of Marvel’s The Punisher: “There are people who bend the laws, make the rules work in their favour. They may be fooling some, but they are not fooling me.” The Punisher is a vigilante character whose family was murdered in cold blood; the judicial system then convicted him when he tried to seek revenge. The very same law enforcers who hunted him never went after those who killed his family. This parallel is apt, the law applies only to the poor not to the rich or corrupt individuals who are already exposed by various media outlets. Goo-goo! They scored; the poor are being pushed out. Perhaps this tragedy will give rise to new forms of resistance. They have started something by taking away livelihoods. Aside from issuing summons, did the authorities lack other means to relocate the traders without demolishing their goods? Where was the idea of using the military merely to scare them away from the area before destroying their property at midnight? Dark justice works swiftly against the poor, but for politicians it is barely a headline of concern. The poor like the rich, also want business spaces where they can trade their farm produce — not just any space, but busy locations where trade can truly thrive.

Satire of how Laws are bend in Malawi in favour of the corrupt rich| Credits Rufaro Afrika

Pan-Africanists like to cite the slave trade, slavery, apartheid and other forms of abuse as practices that were once legally binding but were never morally right per human standards. By the same token, forcing people out of trading spaces deemed illegal, and using force to destroy what they trade — may be legally binding, but it is not right. Indeed, human beings are supposed to be exemplary and ought to conduct themselves in an organised manner. Humans are not bulls seeking to destroy everything in a fit of rage. We do not need to act harshly towards one another, and what has just happened, the destruction — this dark justice against the poor — needs to be condemned at all costs.

Rumours which suggest that livestock were killed during the operation are very disturbing. As noted, no knives were used per norm of dressing chicken which is alone a violation to the country's social constructs. The destruction of other properties caused that harm; creatures meant for trade died instead of being sold as intended. This also paved way for thieves who, after the destruction went to steal some few products that seemed to have survived the tragedy. Who will hold them accountable? As one can note, not all laws are just — some carry the very same elements of oppression, merely concealed behind a mask of legality.

The power of those in the ruling social class is felt very differently by the lower class. It has long been a norm that those in authority get away with almost everything like destroying property in the pursuit of their projects. Is that humane, or merely selfishness institutionalised by those in power? What happened to enlightening the other parties before resorting to destruction? Here is a quote that paints a vivid picture of this feeling:

“To gather green wood, one must rip it violently from the living tree. Yet gathering dead wood removes nothing from the property — only what is already separated is taken. Despite this essential difference, you call both acts theft and punish them as such. Montesquieu names two kinds of corruption: one when the people do not observe the laws, the other when the laws corrupt the people. You have erased the difference between theft and gathering wood. But you are wrong to believe it is in your interest. The people see the punishment, but not the crime. And, as they do not see a crime… when they are punished, you should fear them, for they will take revenge.” — The Young Karl Marx (film)

There is still hope, someday people will fight using formal means to win against injustice | Credits: Rufaro Afrika

As this suggests, not every person will retaliate; some will simply move on and start again elsewhere. We live in a land where laws can be corrupted or can corrupt many individuals, but the question remains: are these destructive measures any different from those of colonisers who denied our native people access to economic activity? We boast of being knowledgeable, but how different are we from those we once condemned? The small-scale business owners of Goo-goo market see only the destruction of their property — nothing about justice in any of this.