RELIGION AND LITERACY

Of late, there has been a rise of prophetic activities in Zambia. The influx of so called ‘prophets’, locally called ‘ma profita’ has brought in an ‘era of deception’. Some people have observed that all the magicians and witchdoctors have infiltrated the church. One of the most recent stories centered on members of a congregation being asked to place their bank account numbers on the ‘altar’ so that the prophet could ‘pray’ for miracle money to drop into each one’s account. Fascinating! Wouldn’t the country have been wealthy by now? The prophet would have just ‘prayed’ for gold and money to drop into the national treasury. But before we get carried away with a quick fix solution to our economic woes let’s get the facts right.

Religion is ra general term that refers to the belief in and worship of a superhuman, controlling power, especially a personal god. Christianity is the religion that is based on the person and teaching of Jesus Christ. A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ or is someone who follows the life and teachings of Christ and is connected to Him by making an open declaration. A prophet is said to be a proclaimer of the will of God. A miracle is an extraordinary and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore attributed to a divine agency. Magic is the power of influencing events by using mysterious or supernatural forces. Witchcraft is the practice of magic, especially black magic and the use of spells. A witchdoctor is a magician accredited with powers of healing, divination and protection against the magic of others. (Google Dictionary)

Photo credit: Kafula Mwila

 

Now that we are all on the same page with definitions we can ably agree that literacy has significant impact on the growth of religion and Christianity. One of the key things that religious leaders should endeavor to do is to invest in the development of the literacy of their congregants. Christianity is very strong in Zambia- more so that it is openly declared as a Christian nation.



Photo credit: Kafula Mwila

The question is with high illiteracy levels, how many of the church goers have a clear understanding of the various truths that are presented to them every week. In the major cities and in churches that are in the upper class areas, illiteracy would not come up as a hindrance to the success of religion. What about in the high density areas, the shanty compounds where most of the so called ‘prophets’ have strongholds? Do all the churches there preach significantly enough to sway their members away from the scourge that has hit the country in the recent past? For how is it that one cannot differentiate between miracle and magic? How is it that one cannot see that being asked to engage in sexual orgies in full view of a congregation is immoral? The hordes of people, especially women, taking part in these outrageous events is now alarming! If more people could read, write and understand the same scriptures that are abused by their manipulators, they would not for instance discontinue taking medication in favour of ‘miracle’ water. How can anyone be so naïve to believe that money can suddenly appear into one’s bank account without them making any effort?  

 

Photo credit: Kafula Mwila

As a nation, we must draw lessons from the preceding era of the prosperity gospel when people were duped into giving their last ngwee or even property. This era led to a lot of laziness among some people who thought that by giving to the man or woman of God, the good Lord would bring about miraculous riches. After this phase came the ‘prophetic’ era. Many woke up to the fact that they were being swindled, therefore, the style changed. The ‘prophets’ crawled from the shadows like phantoms and infiltrated the religious circles with all sorts of tricks to squeeze gullible followers. The gimmicks vary, short of being called magic or witchcraft, as long as there is a willing soul desperate enough to do anything to get out of dire situations.

For those who follow Christ and his teachings- there is need for them to have the ability to read and write the teachings in order for them to begin to understand how they can apply them in their day to day lives. The church therefore has a key role in not only building the moral fibre of the communities they operate in but also to lift up the literacy standards of their people. Someone who fully comprehends the scriptures will not be cheated. “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11. The scripture is self-explanatory and emphasizes that religion should define its role in the lives of the believers, beyond the four walls of the building where people meet to worship. It calls for the church to join in the efforts of government and civil society to lift the standards of the citizens through literacy. If we are to head ‘Toward a Zambian Genre’, all citizens must be able to read and understand the times that we live in, so that they do not get cheated.

Photo credit: Kafula Mwila

 

MAKE READING A LIFESTYLE

January is coming to an end. Officially we have been in the New Year for close to 31 days. How far have you gone in implementing your resolutions? Have you even started yet? As time lapses, the fervor and interest slowly wan, which is followed by excuses and before you know it, the plans are shelfed. Keeping promises is not easy. Sticking to plans is difficult if you do not write them. The effort of committing your idea to paper and referring back to it constantly keeps the initial passion alive. It compels one to eventually do something about it. If you decided to make reading a lifestyle, you need to know exactly what kind of books you wish to read, then list the titles. This way soon as you come across the book, you will get it and read it!

Plans should not be about the money but about succeeding, about achieving your goals, it is about breaking through to the next level that you planned for. Most plans have been parked because, when it comes to the budget, people get overwhelmed. They pay more attention to how they will obtain the money that is needed to execute the plan. When your emphasis is on the money rather than on what must be accomplished, it is easy to quit, because generally, money is hard to come by. By all means, include a budget but focus more on what must be achieved. Money is just one of the enablers. If you concentrate on what needs to be done, you will begin to implement the part of your plan that does not require finances. For example, if your resolution is to make reading a lifestyle, you must understand that not all books need to be bought. Join a book club, get library membership, exchange books with friends, use social media to connect with other readers so that you can exchange books and when you have the money, buy the book! By making the first steps, you will have completed 50% of the plans and the rest will fall into place. Resources get attracted to plans once there is commitment and when achievement is on the horizon.

Finally, avoid things, places or people that will sway you away from your plans.  Create the time for reading. For instance, television can take away the much needed time. Spend more hours with other readers, talk about your books and share ideas. A lifestyle is made by repeating actions that build into a recognizable pattern. Eventually others will identify you with that particular style, she or he is a reader. When you become rooted, you create a foundation upon which you can build. You could start recruiting other readers or could just start teaching others how to read. If we are to head ‘Toward a Zambian Genre’, then we need avid readers. In 2018, make reading your lifestyle!