In jungle life, lions take advantage of the inability of its prey to reason and appreciate that unity is a powerful fortress. A herd of buffaloes fails to reason that the other buffalo’s problem should be taken as their own. Those brute animals think in terms of individual survival—though moving collectively. They would rather let the unfortunate of their own perish—at the mercy of hungry lions.
Only on rare occasions do they come handy, to rescue the one having fallen victim to hungry lions. But the spectacle display of the herd’s inability to take advantage of their numerical advantage is disheartening to watch. Animals were not created with the ability to reason, as much as humans do. It is mysterious that in most cases, humans behave like these brute animals, on matters of survival.
Zimbabwe is currently in despicable economic condition. Fifteen million people are under the captivity of a few megalomaniacs—having been feasting on them, since 1980. The fifteen million people look helpless—even with their glaring numerical advantage. Like brute animals, they survive individually.
I suppose the megalomaniacs are also surprised when seeing the display of such kind of stupidity by their victims, since 1980? As long as one is able to feed and send his own children to school, everything is considered normal. The megalomaniacs can squander government resources, as much as they please, without anyone questioning.
An ordinary person sees wrongness in governance, but, chooses to ignore—so long as he, himself, has sufficient food for his own children. The problems encountered by their neighbors are none of their concern. This is disgusting—especially that this has gone on for approximately forty years, in our country.
Christianity is brought into the fray. The clerical leaders, specifically instruct their parishioners to avoid dabbling in politics. Theirs is to pay tithes and attend church services every Sunday, without observing what goes on in governance.
This is enforced with zeal, using Romans 13, a favorable scripture, for warped Christians, who take comfort in such kind of apathetic condition. Does that Scripture mean that one should pretend not to see wrongness in governance?
The truth is that a Christian is expected to think, as well as God thinks. Does God approve of disadvantaging poor people, for instance? The answer can only be a resounding no! If representing Christ, it ought to be impossible for Christians to allow improper governance and deliberate suppression of poor people.
In their numerical advantage, Christians could not allow the megalomaniacs to ever get into power. Yet the opposite is what prevails. Everything comes down to the question of whether we have true Christians, or pretenders in this country?
Most of our people boast of Zimbabwe being a Christian nation, but stiffly resisting questioning the prevailing improper governance. Since Gukurahundi massacres in the early eighties, Christians have been very comfortable.
The Roman Catholics were the only first Christian grouping to question activities of Gukurahundi. Other Christians preferred to talk secretly, about those atrocities, yet condemning the Roman Catholics for dabbling in politics. However, I have always doubted whether comfort and Christianity are synonymous?
Most Christians are comfortable, as long as they, themselves, are in good relationship with the governing authorities. Those killed—similarly to what happened in Matabeleland massacres—does not bother most Christians—assuming Zimbabwe to be a peaceful country. It seems most people use Christianity for the purpose of enhancing own personal survival.
But Christianity answers one simple question: How are other people benefitting, as a result of my existence? It is impossible for a true Christian to be comfortable when corruption is practiced openly, in governance. Such Christians could not have remained calm since 1980. God does not expect Christians to be cowards.
Christians are, actually, the light bearers. In other words, the standard of good and ethical conduct, ought to be found in Christianity. Where there is light, there is no room for darkness. It, therefore, becomes impossible for corrupt people to be found in positions of governance—with Christians being light-bearers.
There are those misusing scriptures—suggesting that the morally unacceptable politicians are in government by God’s will—causing God to be blamed. However, truth remains in that all problems of humanity are caused by carelessness. If you are a careless driver you get involved in an accident.
People fall into diverse problems due to failure to take responsibility on survival matters. Unlike animals, humans are equipped with superior minds to meet survival challenges. God is the author of goodness and order, but not responsible for people’s failure to take advantage of their superior mind provisions.
When choosing order, people survive well. But when choosing confusion, driven by self-centredness, people reap consequences. God equips some people with leadership skills. Individuals are born with peculiar talents and abilities.
Those equipped with leadership skills ought to be consciously aware of their knack to effectively address problems. Handling survival issues requires responsibly, for goodness’ sake. Instead of burying individual talents—each person is supposed to make a difference.
What is needed is the ability to discern, when taking responsibility to cause goodness in human societies. Granted, Satan was given authority to be the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4). Unfortunately, most governments are under Satan’s authority, yet being ignorantly labelled as “Godly”. People waste time and resources to produce constitutions, which are later blamed, when things go wrong.
But wickedness exists, only when wrong people are in authority. Even an attractively democratic constitution awfully goes wrong, when wrong leaders come to power. Remove self-centredness in any governing system––regardless of whether democratic or undemocratic––you have a near perfect government.
Africa is embarrassingly associated with poverty—yet being a continent with, possibly, more natural resources than any on the planet. It is not difficult to observe self-centredness being the cause, as manifesting in poverty.
The self-centered behaviour is understandable when observed in brute animals. But certainly disgusting when observing it being practiced by humans. Most African politicians succumb to corruption, yet blaming the considered privileged nations––instead of taking responsibility to address causes of corruption, for instance.
The more the so-called privileged nations are denigrated, the more the complainants sink deeper into poverty. This leaves the denigrated entities fortified—having been given responsibility, after all. A blamed entity becomes empowered whilst the complainant worsens in miserable condition––surviving at the mercy of the blamed entity.
The existence of such politicians reflects the caliber of those voting them into power. Or those not bothered to take responsibility to change status quos. Hosea prophesied Israel’s problems as emanating from lack of knowledge (Hos. 4:6). God’s laws are there to protect physical humans––only if such laws are adequately taken advantage of. This is what liberates people from unnecessary afflictions.
Christ brought liberty from such a state of confusion. However, since Christianity was hijacked by self-centered people—humanity continues wallowing in misery. Self-centered people are in Christianity, as well as in government. They evolve a system, uneasily dissolved, as complicated by cultural indebtedness.
All problems of humanity are as simple as being able to take responsibility. As long as each individual professionally commits to do what they know best, there is safety. God did not create valueless humans. Each individual needs to discover own talents to become valuable to other fellow humans.
When a group unites in one common cause, it becomes impossible for them to have survival challenges—caused by the syndrome of self-centeredness. As much as causing devastating effects to wild animals—sadly, this syndrome is also evident in humans—created in God’s image.
Relocating to other countries—supposedly for greener pastures—displays self-centeredness. The same applies to those remaining, but focusing on wealth-accumulation for own survival. Those linked with authorities in governance, cannot complain. Such evils exist in a country, gone to extreme excesses of corruption.
Good leaders are those encouraging and coordinating people with skills—aiming at benefitting the majority. These are leaders that Paul instructed, ought to be submitted to (Romans 13). They aim at ensuring that everyone benefits. However, bad leaders discourage and oppose those projecting beneficial skills over others.
Such bad leaders feel threatened by those displaying skills that benefit other people. They are so corrupt—as to conveniently use dubious Christians to oppose those, then falsely accused as dabbling in politics. These are leaders who aspire to be in politics for the sole reason of suppressing those with skills to benefit others.
True Christians cannot, therefore, be found to be supporting such leaders. True Christians are happy, only when seeing the optimization of the survival of the majority. This has got nothing to do with denominational background. It is to do with whether an individual is linked up with God or not.
This is what distinguishes whether a person is suppressive or is an exponent of goodness and order. Good people recognize that each individual was born a leader. A leader serves to co-ordinate the activities of other people, to enhance the survival of everyone. But those other people are leaders in their own activities.
What is wrong is to idolize others, while despising other humans. This is caused by that single sin of humanity—against which Christians should fight (John 1:29). Unfortunately, ordinary Christians seem proudly comfortable in denominational seclusions. They assume that kind of behaviour being what leads to heaven. Yet that is exactly what leads to hell. Heaven is for those taking interest in other people’s survival conditions.
A person experience heaven when doing unto others as one would like them do unto him. Doing the opposite, implies behaving like brute animals. This befits those perishing in this sinful world. Self-centeredness should be understood as being the opposite of Godliness. About fifteen million people surviving in our beloved country could, collectively, enhance goodness in their surroundings by adopting altruism.
Altruism implies that one cannot be comfortable, as long as other people are not comfortable. Practicing this philosophy ought to be initiated by Christians—before spreading to other corporate organizations. It takes some time before adopting such behaviour, as culture—to mould the behaviour of ordinary humans.
Good leaders recognize that each individual holds specific talents and capabilities to benefit others. They are not proud people who assume knowing everything—as to despise others. Good followers also appreciate and cooperate where leaders seek to coordinate diverse multiple skills for the benefit of everyone.
Bad leaders assume themselves as being the only ones accorded with skills to benefit everyone. They feel threatened, when others display having talents and abilities of their own. In politics, such talented people are regarded as enemies. To gain government support, such talented people are expected to support the leader even when doing what is wrong.
This is exactly what has caused the appalling economic conditions in our country. Such bad leaders were not planted by God, but came into existence through false Christianity. They thrive on people’s ignorance and stupidity.
Their existence confirms the existence of wickedness—where people behave like animals—minding their own survival, rather than caring also for the survival of others. Obviously, this is a behavior that is not different from the animal survival condition in jungle life.
Some people call it the survival of the fittest. But, like in jungle life, the survival of the fittest is a myth. The lion is king of the jungle, but the lion perishes, just as other animal species perish. The law of the jungle is codified in that everything survives at the expense of others.
With the mind faculty that resembles God, humans ought to behave differently. Their concern should enhance life—even in other species. Like God, their concern is for survival of everything created. Let alone the survival of fellow humans.
When God said, “Let us Create Man in our own image” (Genesis 1:26), He implied a mind-set that sees other fellow humans as self. Jesus stated that as summing up the Law and the Prophets: “So whatever you wish others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12) (ESV).
The creation of humanity in God’s image implies oneness in humanity, just as God is one. The state of sanity is drawn in the ability to care for other fellow humans, regardless of race, color or creed. One cannot close one’s eyes and ears when his neighbor is in desperate need of assistance.
The survival needs of humanity are actually catered for—as each human was created with peculiar talents to serve other humans. But, those talents become useless as long as humanity adopts self-centeredness, as culture—like the behavior of animals.
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
Also available as an e-copy at Lulu.com for $6.99