People talk passionately about preservation of human life in this world. But what difference does it make when a person lives purposelessly? When existing today, only to be forgotten about, later, because of one’s life having been valueless, what difference does it make? This may sound crude, but a fact that can be observed as truthful. In despair, the preacher lamented over this reality:
“I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeking that I must leave it to the man who will come after me, and who knows where he will be wise or a fool? Yet he will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun. This also is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 2:18-19) (ESV).
Solomon stated the reality of what currently sustains the meaninglessness of the state of humanity. However, life becomes meaningful, only when aligning the order of one’s existence according to be, do and having. It is futile to do anything before appreciating one’s beingness. Footballers do not get into the pitch against a formidable opposing team, without knowing what position each player would assume. That can be possible in boozers’ football—but for comical purposes.
To win, in any game that involves teamwork, there has to be clarity of which role each player would take. For instance, in football you have eleven players, each with some designated position, based on individual talent and abilities. In other words, the team cannot expect to win, when randomly reversing such positions. When designated to be a goal-keeper, one cannot be expected to leave the goal posts unattended, doing a striker’s function.
The coach coordinates any need for changing roles, when found necessary. Everything is done systematically, so that confusion is avoided, if that team can expect to win. The word team, implies cooperation, among those taking part towards achieving the intended positive results. Imagine what this world would be like, if each person assumed his/her own role in life?
A well-coordinated team wins as a team and loses as a team. The blame game can therefore not have room in good teams. When altruistic in life, each person exists to be supportive of the other team-members. The question each has to ask is: What was I born to be, to make a difference among my fellows? It is that beingness which enables doing only what the person was born to be.
The confusion arises from failure to appreciate that there is no-one born into this world without a purpose. We exist in situations similar to how a player designated to be a goal-keeper, leaves the goal-posts unattended—to assume the striker’s role. The midfielder suddenly bellowing instructions, while the actual coach would invariably be doing the same, everything in an uncoordinated manner.
Such condition, as illustrated above, can be perceived as making it impossible for intended results to ever be achieved. We can stretch this illustration further. How can it be possible to survive longer, if body limbs strangely behaved not according to their designated functions? The apostle Paul majestically portrayed this viewpoint—dedicating the entire Chapter—teaching the Corinthians:
“For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body, I do not belong to the body.’ If the whole body were an eye where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose” (1 Corinthians 12:14-18) (ESV).
The only reason why the survival of humanity is unconvincing, is failure to adopt the simple logic, as portrayed in this passage. Focus is always on self, without seeking to understand the purpose of individual survival. Failure implies the confusion of the terms be, do and have. For instance, by focusing on receiving through begging, a beggar forfeits dignity, thereby, losing his beingness—let alone the doingness. The value of such a person would, therefore, have been lost.
Establishing one’s beingness is most fundamental in real life. As created in God’s image, no human should ever doubt his/her beingness. When seeking to apply the doingness, before establishing one’s beingness a person gets frustrated as unable to produce anything admirable. A person can spend the entire duration of his life-time training to play football like Cristiano Ronaldo. But that is futile, as impersonating another person can never make one the other person.
This is just as desiring to have, without first establishing one’s beingness, before engaging in doingness reduces any person to the state of poverty. Only when conforming to the order of beingness—leading to doingness—can one expect to acquire havingness. God never created valueless humans—unless one assumes God to be valueless?
Currently, humanity exists under the most serious deception, embroiled in the confusion of education. The so-called educational authorities are the ones bestowed with granting beingness to others. But no-one can grant beingness on other fellow humans. God granted beingness to anyone living in this world. Each individual is peculiar. As long as not tailor-made to help one discover his/her beingness, that education is useless.
The doingness and havingness naturally follow, after discovering one’s beingness. That discovery enables one to be motivated—doing what the person was created to be. Life becomes meaningful, as punctuated with joy that comes with adulations from others—facilitating hefty remunerations. This is as the person contributes towards causes of human survival.
All humans, created in God’s image, have the potential to add value on others. What prevails is that most of those people live other people’s lives, rather than living their own. Yet impossible for them to ever become productive. Attempting to transform our educational system appears as herculean, but achievable when appreciating the workability of this datum of be, do, have.
Zimbabwe is currently among the failed states. Pointing fingers at any other person is unnecessary, except applying this datum. Since 1980 the Zimbabwean nation sought havingness without first establishing beingness. Authorities desired to improve the lives of ordinary people, yet invalidating their beingness. They assumed that leadership implies being more intelligent than everyone. Unfortunately, the ordinary people also believed, as they idolized such leaders.
The late former president Mugabe is credited for passionately promoting education. But that education left people without knowing their beingness. Such graduates could not produce anything—except impersonating other people. A tortoise cannot be a bird and vice versa. Money spent on such education is money flushed in drainage system.
Education is more than the ability to read and write—as ought to help an individual discover his/her potential in life. That potential is about enhancing other people’s lives. A person can possess the most admirable properties. But as long as not benefitting others, he remains in the category of being poverty-stricken.
Jesus came to enlighten this darkened world—yet His information is not appealing to those taking comfort in sinfulness. The reason why the teachings of Jesus are rejected is the underestimated impact of pride—the only sin of the world. Suppressive people cannot value information that enables granting beingness to those considered as ordinary people.
The suppressive people, are generally proud, as feeling threatened when the despised are granted beingness. What makes them uncomfortable is observing the despised people becoming more capable of greater achievements than them. Unfortunately, it appears as impossible for them to consider such behavior as coming from the real seed of all evil—pride. To them it is normal that other people should remain suppressed in their ignorance. This is wicked, but viewed as normal, even by the suppressed people, themselves.
What is totally unbelievable though, is that the suppressed appear as more comfortable when treated as inferior to the suppressive people. They would rather fight at the corner of those who suppress them. This brings us to the reasons why most of them could not see wrongness in badly treating Jesus on the cross. Possibly, most of those suppressed people, actually, contributed more in mocking Jesus on the cross? See [Where to Zimbabwe? It’s time to distinguish the oppressor].
At Zimbabwean independence in 1980, most people assumed that the removal of Ian Smith from power, marked the beginning of a new era. However, they surrendered the beingness of the entire country to one person, Robert Mugabe. The independence celebrations were conducted on April 18, 1980. But those celebrations did not take into account that it was the country and its people that had been granted beingness.
If reality had been taken into account, each person ought to have asked him/herself what his/her contribution would be in a new Zimbabwe. This was an issue of the elderly people still mentally colonized, yet then occupying a new Zimbabwe. This is how the former president and his co-rulers took advantage of them. Possibly, Mugabe assumed himself as the only one who appreciated the value of beingness?
Nevertheless, he appeared as having refused to grant beingness to others—as whipping everyone to think like him. Anyone thinking differently was considered an enemy of the state. The consequences of that were first displayed during the ruthless treatment of ZAPU and its leader Joshua Nkomo. This is how the entire population of Zimbabwe fell into a worse form of oppression, than had been the case during the rule by the white supremacists.
When taking away the beingness of those occupying the space, you have taken away the beingness of the space, itself. Zimbabwe, being a country that provides space for its citizens, has remained without the beingness, since independence. Whether some people choose to ignore this reality or not, it is nevertheless true. Regardless of how beautiful a mansion can be, its value is determined by the caliber of those occupying it.
The same applies to a fancy car. If driven by a reckless driver it takes little time before it is reduced to wreckage. Everything is determined by the law of cause and effect. But, when granted beingness, a human being is capable of improving situations. Without the beingness, descriptive of him, that person can be capable of reducing any situation into real chaos.
At this stage, the Zimbabwe nation is lying at a position of non-existence. The world map reveals it as one of the failed countries in Africa, as without any significance. The natural resources of a country, itself, do not count, in terms of revealing its beingness. Until those identifying themselves as Zimbabweans, recover their individual forms of beingness, Zimbabwe will continue in the condition of none-existence.
Each of those living in Zimbabwe need to first discover their individual beingness, which will then lead to doingness, before establishing havingness. How does a person value him/herself, in terms of the purpose for which he/she exists? What can one do—having a positive impact over other fellow humans? It does not take time for one to find him/herself establishing bountiful havingness. This leads to the obvious eventual resuscitation of the entire country from the doldrums.
This awakening is possible, as long as Zimbabwe could have a purposeful leader emerging from our midst, to steer the nation through such an awakening. Appreciably, many Christians have been advocating for prayers. This is commendable, but prayer alone, without discovering the beingness—leading to that person’s doingness, is useless. The beingness of a person enables him/her to reconnect with his/her Creator.
Only the person’s Creator knows the purpose for the existence of anyone existing in this world. It starts with one person discovering his/her beingness, enabling doing what the person was created to do. That leads to the havingness, as establishing the worthiness of that person. On a grand scale, Zimbabwe, becomes what it was meant to be, as able to do what benefits other nations.
For each person discovering their beingness, the beingness of a country is also enhanced. It is important and worth remembering that everyone ought also to grant beingness to other fellows, who then become productive, as well. This message is designed for those desiring positive development in our country. There is hope, even though, currently, the country is in ruins. This is time for very interesting developments, though starting from a position of none-existence. Blessed are those willing to take up the opportunity to be among the pioneers of this wonderful expedition.
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 decay. 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
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