Any problem cannot be a problem, unless it contains a lie. The Christian Bible reveals that Satan is the originator of all lies. The effects of lie-driven problems are manifest in the whole world. Even a million-page book cannot exhaust the evidence of all problems, as emanating from lies.
In the event that an automobile salesman convinces me of how a particular model, with features that make it special, performs to my satisfaction, I pay the price after evaluating against what goes elsewhere. I become happy, as long as that car meets or exceeds my expectations. I become disappointed when its performance does not live up to my expectations, leaving me in serious problems. However, in this installment I dwell on two major falsehoods that have contributed highly in our country’s conundrums.
Falsehood #1: The topmost value of any country lies in its mineral resources.
This is a lie, regardless of how many arguments can be advanced to support it. The topmost value of any country lies in its human resources, not mineral resources, currency or any other materials, envied by others elsewhere. Any country is as valuable as its people know who they are and how they add value on other people.
Most people value money more than they value themselves. For instance, a prostitute exchanging her body with money, values that reward more than her own body. While most people view prostitution as criminal, it is not. There is nothing criminal about prostitution, except that it dehumanizes the person concerned, without necessarily infringing on other people’s liberties.
The reason why prostitutes are despised, the world over, is because there is no exchange of value in prostitution except the dehumanization of those concerned. One may be hooked in pleasures of such sexual activities, but without exchange of value, except dehumanization.
The dehumanization in prostitution is different from what comes with pursuance of any noble cause. The topmost example is that of Jesus Christ, whose body was dehumanized for the benefit of humanity. A human being was created in the image of God, whose value cannot be compared with anything that is material.
A prostitute values what is material more than what is of Godly image—spiritual. She may dress well and use expensive makeup, but she remains dehumanized, as her profession does not add value or maintain the dignity of humanity.
I apologize, for using prostitution as an example. It is not the only misdemeanor that dehumanizes people. Anything that causes dehumanization of humanity, created in the image of God, ought to be seen in the light of misdemeanor like prostitution.
In my book Dimensions of a New Civilization I used the term self-centredness to describe what dehumanizes humanity. This is contrasted with altruism, a term describing what adds value to humanity.
While self-centredness is manifest in government circles, it is also manifest in Christian churches and many other groupings of social interests, including marital relationships and educational institutions. Those vying for political positions in government, are mostly driven by what they get, not what they give as benefiting other people.
All these misdemeanors emanate from the falsehood of valuing material things ahead of the dignity of humanity. The reversal of behaviour, where most people value themselves and other people—more than material resources—restores the dignity of any country, even though considered lacking in enviable material resources.
Falsehood #2: The value of any person is measured by what the person is dressed in, the car he/she drives and his/her place of residence.
This is false, as this cannot always be the criteria to describe the value of a person. People with material possessions may be valuable, but that cannot always be the measure of value consideration.
The Christian Bible describes this viewpoint as emanating from evil thoughts (James 2:1-4). This kind of falsehood leads some to steal, or commit any other known crime, as nobody likes being evaluated in degraded light. Unfortunately, the more the person seeks human approval, the more he/she sinks into the degraded condition. The most significant problem with falsehood is that it provides the opposite of what the person desires, instead of what it promises.
Many people desire to get, in order to enhance their worth, so as to secure respect from those wrongly evaluating on the basis of such luxurious conditions. They value what they seek to acquire, more than their dignity. For approval by other people, the person spends time looking for money and other material resources, instead of the money or such resources looking for him. The smart ones, not desiring to engage in unethical activities, work sleepless nights, on chores of no interest to them. They accumulate as much wealth as possible, but without attaining the esteemed happiness.
Others spend more time pursuing studies, graduating in professions that are not of their calling, except that in the past others were respected, when holding such positions. They become imitators. But imitators cannot be original or genuine. Such people are as valueless as fake material. There is no dignity that comes with valuing money, other people or any other material things, more than self worth. Such people die in misery, whether having attained anything through such activities or not.
In the advent of colonialism, the colonized sought to adopt the culture of their colonizers because of the comfort that the colonizers appeared as enjoying. This highlights one of the curses of Zimbabwe, as covered in one of my previous posts. The value of any individual comes from what one gives, not necessarily what one receives as benefit to self.
Andrew Masuku is the author of Dimensions of a New Civilization, which lays down standards for uplifting Zimbabwe from the current state of economic depression into becoming a model to other countries 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 the strings of unworkable solutions––leading to the current economic and social instability. In a simple conversational tone, most Zimbabwean readers 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
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