The government is incapacitated to address or undo what it caused to exist. The process of sanity restoration appears arduous, but can be simplified by recognizing the following three key elements, inherent with all human beings.
- True identity
The identity of an individual is not necessarily nationalistic or tribalistic. Each individual was created in God’s image, with features designed to suit that particular individual. If I am a sports person, it may be possible that my son becomes a sportsperson as well. But that may not always be the case, as my son may pursue a different activity. This is in line with the fact that God created humans to be as different as denoted in humanity’s respective finger prints.
The awareness of this reality is as essential as appreciating that Zimbabwe belongs to people of diverse backgrounds. The appreciation of respective individual uniqueness, brings order in any environment. What prevails is that juveniles seek to please parents, politicians, church ministers or peers, thereby despising their own respective vocations. While this appears innocent, problems arise when failing to appreciate respective individual diversities.
a) Parents These are responsible for bringing up their children in awareness of basic moral values. But the responsibility that guides children’s destiny is in God’s province. In other words the parents could help their children to appreciate Christ, but leaving Jesus to decide their individual destiny. The parents may be in the faith as well, but not necessarily guided by the doctrines that inspire their children. An adult child becomes a free moral agent. What the children decide to do in life is dependent upon their godly calling, designed to benefit humanity.
b) The politicians The youths should appreciate that politicians have got no role in youths’ destiny. The wicked thing has always been to manipulate the youths according to the politician’s wishes. There are those who suppose that the likes of “Boder Gezi” youth brigades serve to instill desirable discipline among youths. Nothing can be further from the truth. Such brigades take away the responsibility from the youths, making them dependent on politicians, whose value cease at their death. From that point on, would be a hollow state on future generations. Those youths may be adjudged as obedient by the politician concerned. However, their immediate future would be empty. Their ability to understand the tenet of responsibility that comes with discovery of true identity determines their future. Each of those youths is a free moral agent, with the ability to address what one is gifted or talented in, to benefit others.
c) Church Pastors Like parents, church pastors ought to be facilitators only. They should not take over the responsibility bestowed on youths’ convictions. The pastor may believe in some set doctrines, not attending to the youth’s personal convictions. As a free moral agent, any youth should be allowed to pursue what identifies with his/her convictions. Pastors can lead the youths to Christ. But the understanding of scriptures about Christ rests with the youth concerned. This may not necessarily be according to how the pastor feels. Christ is the ultimate authority.
Youths should have liberty to evaluate what the pastor says, against Jesus’ actual words. Deception is always through the inability to independently analyze between what the pastor says against the authenticity of scriptures. We live under the authoritarian society. Anything said by those in authority, like pastors, is always accepted without questioning. But Jesus is the only authority under the sun (Matthew 28:18). In Christianity we are all equal as brethren (Matthew 23:8-11).
d) Peers We often hear of the term peer pressure. People get influenced by others, when lacking integrity. It takes a person of virtue to stand up against what everyone else says, if not identifying with the person’s convictions. God was pleased with Caleb and Joshua who stood up against the entire Israelite nation (Numbers 14). The issue of conviction has got nothing to do with what everyone else says. It amounts to the understanding of what God says to that particular individual.
This does not necessarily grant the person with the right to despise those failing to understand as one does. Judging others against what one understands is wicked (Matthew 7:1-5). But a person should not be swayed to go along with what does not identify with one’s communication with God. When pursuing anything of virtue, one becomes a leader, so that naturally, others may follow suit. Jesus Christ is the best example in determining to go against world’s beliefs, as He stood by God’s Will on earth. We are called to be like Jesus.
- True Education
The current educational system is authoritarian in nature. True education helps a person discover his/her potential, as to become valuable to other people. True education has got nothing to do with the perceptions of the educators.
Students also manifest false education when choosing careers on the basis of how remunerating the career would be to the individual concerned. The value of an individual does not come from benefits accruing to him/her. The value of an individual is determined by how much others benefit from the person concerned.
We are all born different. Education becomes valuable, only when guiding a student to discover inborn potential. All subjects have a degree of utmost importance, based on scarcity of products that are desirable to the community at any given time. It is only a skewed society that promotes favoritism on educational curricula.
Each person has a potential to produce what is unique, if granted opportunity to tap on personal identity. The educational system that invalidates other careers, while uplifting others, is self-defeating. That behaviour actually, borders on stupidity, though given credence by authoritarians. It suppresses developmental programmes.
People should not be categorized according to class. Cleaners are generally viewed as inferior. But that is not true. As food prepared by the best chef in the world cannot entice anyone, where effluent smells stink, due to unavailability of efficient cleaners.
True education provides platform for each student to excel in their chosen career, according to their passion and abilities. Current societies despise cleaners, because the white settlers developed a culture that assumed cleaning to be for the despised black people. But just imagine a scenario where there would be cleaners with graduate certificates? That obviously leaves cities in awe-inspiring conditions.
The systematic study in any field ought to instill acceptable work ethics. In an ideal environment, each individual becomes valuable, in his/her own right. The Lazy ones should not necessarily be rewarded by manual labour, as to be miserly paid. Those with passion in manual labour should be encouraged to study and improve in such skills, to be rewarded appropriately.
Our society should be taught to appreciate value in each person, not according to class categorization. All humans should be treated equally, without under-valuing anyone. As they are all created in God’s image.
- True Value
Currently, most people value properties, minerals or anything that is convertible into cash, than valuing humanity. Even Christians fall into that trap, judging by pastors’ passionate plea for tithes and offerings, week after week. To those pastors cash is more important than humanity.
However, through the cross, Christ displayed how valuable humanity is, above all things created. Humans do not need discrimination or hatred, regardless of how deranged, at any given time. As created in God’s image, humans ought to be treated equally. In other words, in God’s eyes, a criminal in prison is the same as a pastor that leads the largest church congregation in the world. This reality can be fully understood when properly applying principles of communication.
The declaration to love Jesus ought to be accompanied with the person’s ability to love humanity, without discrimination. Unfortunately, the unconditional love is foreign to most people. Most Christians love fellow Christians more than those of different religions, races or locations. This is just as other religions do the same. With unconditional love, denominationalism ceases to exist. That naturally brings order to society, for everyone’s benefit.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilization, laying down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from current state of economic depression into a model for other nations worldwide. A decaying tree provides an opportunity for a blossoming sprout. Written from a Christian perspective, the book is a product of inspiration, bringing reliefs to those having witnessed strings of unworkable solutions––leading to the current economic and social instability. In a simple conversational tone, most Zimbabweans should find the book as a long awaited providential oasis of hope.
The Print copy is now available at Amazon.com for $13.99
Also available as an e-copy at Lulu.com for $6.99