June 23 2022

For a long time, Malawi-or a certain sector of the nation, has proclaimed itself to be a God-fearing nation. But, apparently, that is just a farce and mockery to hoodwink everyone else that whatever happens, especially the down side, is the will of God and not the making of men, especially those in leadership position.

There was a time a certain Cabinet minister refused to use the words: I swear that I shall truly…. As a ‘God-fearing people’, some called the minister either a pagan or an atheist. Yet, the Constitution outright says you can either ‘swear’ or ‘affirm’ your allegiance to serve the nation truly.

We were at it again when one Attorney General refused to hold any religious book when he was being sworn-in. In the eyes of the ‘God-fearing nation’, here was an unbeliever in the corridors of power.

It is absurd that those that are perceived to be God-fearing are the ones leading their people to heavy suffering. During the campaign period, we see leaders proclaiming themselves to be God-fearing, that they will do nothing but the will of God. But when they get to power, they expose the opposite of everything that anyone who proclaims to revere God can do.

Mind you, this is not a sermon. There is no moral right for me to infuse on anybody my religious believes as I know this to be self-evident that the religious notions I hold end where my nose begins.

The proclamation that we are a God-fearing nation is a fallacy. If it were so, how can our leaders be so clueless that their leadership gaffes leave the people at their mercy?  Today, Malawians are suffering the pangs of economic pains brought by leaders who today raise the price of fuel, the next they devalue the Kwacha and yet the following day raise the price of fuel, again!

In our hands are God-fearing people who tell you that raising a tax bar will result in reducing the gap between the have and the have nots, yet in the twinkling of the eye, the poor come to the sad reality that they will have to dig deeper to give Caesar what belongs to him.

Our God-fearing leaders told us some time back that they will not conduct  business as usual. Yet, once in power, those in leadership positions have been embroiled in a maze of corruption, fraud and utter theft.

Shall we talk about the lies the God-fearing leaders fed us about reducing the price of important commodities like fertilizer? Shall we talk about the religious leaders who told us that drugs will be in hospitals?

No. That Malawi is a God-fearing nation is a lie. It is a farce beyond comprehension.

We are led by a people, with religious connotations that are as empty as the souls that imbue them. They told us we are on the road to Canaan, promising milk and honey. Today, they say the journey to Canaan is rugged and hard. Today, it is appear a few from the ruling elite and their acolytes are already in the land of milk and honey while the majority are still waiting for the voice of God to tell stubborn Pharaoh: Let my people go.

For arguments’ sake, we are led by God-fearing people. Yes, they fear God. But they do not fear God as being in awe of his power and might. They fear God because they are guilty, like Adam who, when asked what he had done, responded in incomprehensible mumbles: “Lord, I am naked.”

This, brothers and sisters is not a sermon. It is a proclamation that we are not a God-fearing nation. We should not lie to ourselves.

If you think this is a lie, look at how many churches they built along to hoodwink the rest of us that their faith can move mountains, not the economy. Look at how our God-fearing leaders act at religious fund-raising events, filling God’s coffers with blood money. n

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