Black Boxes and Decoders-Political and Pastoral Power

My...our Startimes decoder has a mind of its own. It chooses when to install and update itself and will often do so at the most inconvenient times. Say like when I am about to watch my favorite English soccer team? Not really!

The Americans are more farmiliar with the blackbox at least in regards to TV and even made a movie about it. Cable TV is rather costly but with a few extra bucks you can request the services of a 'helper'-the cable guy. This brings me back to the local scene where we are fast tracking the speed at which we switch from Analogue to Digital. Sometimes though, some of our 'channels' seem to be similar to someone who subscribes to something bigger and then lets you see what he thinks you will like after which he even lets you pay him a small fee to place your ad on his space. Once in a while this system fails which allows you to see him slip as the name of the real channel appears on the screen.

That said though, we are off and into the election season and someone has turned up the heat. A few months ago I wrote about how the pastoral space was slowly being transformed into a political space and how these changes were being expressed in stadia every years end. In short the pastoral teams in the city were making their credentials known by their unique ability to draw in crowds and fill these ancient roman inventions. I wrote with a little bit of concern given some of the history the early church had with the ancient romans. I guess I was puzzled that the church was gathering in a place where not too far back, converts were used for sport in crowd-filled theatres to entertain locals.

The growth of these churches has produced some unexpected results. These mega-churches have also decided to invade the media space. We've seen it done before with expert skill in the late seventies and early eighties with the growth of televangelism but our move here is a little different. One leader stands out in his approach and in a way expresses some aspects of the larger picture of our religious psyche.

Our preachers are not preachers in the strictest sense of the the term, what they are is life coaches. This makes sense and probably was the same in Paul's day. Maybe this is why he mentioned that we had “many  instructors but few Fathers”. On the local scene though, it is more common to find references from the preacher that attempts to assist his followers to deal with daily grind of life from business to family relations to moving to big cities to being street smart. As a result for some of these converts there is very rarely a complex conflict moment like what the apostle spoke of in which, the saint will feel the need to “resolve to know nothing amongst them except the message of Christ and him Crucified”.

There is a sense in which we have quickly replaced the words of the prayer we were taught into...your will be done in Uganda as it is in America. And maybe this is not a bad thing, the church leader quickly learns how to use the tools that are at his disposal to put out his message to many more followers and then creates a radio station and TV to expand his reach. With time he at least is able to hire some of his members (in a employment challenged nation) and pay with the money generated from ads on both audio and visual channels.   

If the ideas on the ground are as they seem, we are living in a largely religious community but with very strong communist leanings and ideologies. The people at the helm borrowed heavily from the ideas championed by people like Marx as well as historical accounts that favored the Revolution in France, Russia and China. The last two treated religion and faith with much scorn but we may have been a little luckier in this regard. Prior to this administration, we had a man who rose out of Obscurity and was aptly named after the Greek God. He did not seem to have any strong overt religious expressions but his conflicts with one of the larger tribes has him forever etched in a place of infamy with this one tribe. He was replaced by a seasoned shrewd army man who opened pandora box to the possibility of governance and usurpation by military force. So while certain forms of persecutions are not as overt as others, I argue that what we have seen and will see here will be more of an inflitration of the church and not a direct attack that shuts down and closes places of gathering as was the manner before.

While many of the men that brought a spark to the faith (Muwanguzi) have gone after clouds of controversy, we are left with words and phrases they coined and memories some sweet others not so sweet (we speak here of Kiwedde-a term used to signify an end or as the greeks put it-a financial term stating that the debt has been paid in full-a word said to have been used by the messiah as he hand on the cross and at the point of death proclaimed victory). Yes the shepherd has been struck and the sheep are scattering. But one prays and hopes for the few that are left. We have to bet that are is a man on the inside. We have to bet on Peter (not on his skill with the knife but on the conversion that was promised to him by his master. “I have prayed for you” ) and the other men in the upper room. We have to believe in the nature of the deposit and in heaven's invasion. We have to believe that if they wait, there will once again be a sound from heaven and a flame on the head to confirm a visit.

Another two have emerged both preaching healing and performing deliverance (controvertial but necessary and also existant in the Catholic Church). The first one displays quite a lot of skill in dealing with his members. He reminds the viewer of the King who sits on a throne and at day break has to deal with the questions that are presented to him. He uses a mixture of widsom, tact and faith as he deliberates and listens. In addition to the use faith, is able to capitalize on media by making the supplicants address directly those with whom they have grievance.

Recently though he has had a direct confrontation with other participants in the media space who have brought against him some charges. He contends as do some of his followers that these are direct attacks against his Station which (given the advances we have made in digitalization is pulling in a lot of crowds and therefore ad revenue).

The Second has made some bold attempts to cast his net wide across the religious landscape by making reference to the prayer. From what the figures tells us, they have made some inroads. What we have also noted though are under currents that demonstrate a slightly political angle to the pastoral move. Maybe this is the mastery of The consumate strategist. Use the naivete of the saints and their love for regligious things to endear yourself to them and once in a while to show favor or dislike for one against another. But it has worked. Give coverage to those who are not necessarily telling the truth and use the coverage and the success to make them think that the spirit is still with them. Which brings me back to Samson (“and Samson wist not that the spirit had left him”). Both main stream churches and members of the balokole movement have had a struggle fighting off the affections of the state. How can you publicly refuse to receive a gift given to you....     

Welcome to the World of Numbers

This week the Chinese Came calling, and so did the Indians and so did the Pope. We seldom think of this last example as a country but it really is and although its size is nothing compared to the league to which it belongs, it commands a whopping population of converts and faithfuls of about 1 billion people. So Xi Jing Ping and Naredra Modi are in good company. And even though on the surface, the Holy See has not made appearances in Silicon Valley or in Seattle with famous CEOs or chosen to fill stadiums with influential Eastern Immigrants, the man from the Vatican has a lot to offer. Interesting that he Chose to name himself after Saint Francis at time when the Golden Gate Bridge and its populace are making a mark on the global technology space and birthing a host of successful companies.  

What we also find interesting In the light of this visit, is that at at time when we have two siting popes present in some respect in Vatican City, one of the namesakes (in this case Joseph not Ratzinger but Biden) is yet to make a strategic move in his bid for the presidency maybe the visit is a good sign for the Vice President as America begins to grapple with the debate on religion-this time on a rather different but familiar front. One of the candidates (a well known Surgeon) managed to stir up quite a storm when he stated that a Muslim Presidency would in the current state of affairs be quite inappropriate. And so the debate about John Fitzgerald Kennedy and his Catholic religion and much more were all brought back to the surface. This as the Current Secretary of State John Kerry reopened the Cuban Embassy and yes was offered a chance to ride in one of those Sixties classics-but declined. Raising the flag was enough. Reliving History would be too much. Riding a convertible...i do not think so!
In the meantime Russia began to reassert itself in the political space overtly and sometimes not so overtly. Her moves to reclaim her pre-fall territory have moved unopposed and Europe through NATO is in no way keen to engage the newly revived soviet machine. The Chinese had a parade in which they too showed some of their muscle. I am certain that the Russians were perturbed and began to awaken to the reality of a new power in the region. If the Russians were still thinking of their ability to exercise authority and control based on their technology and military might, this was at least in some regard over. China was now privy to a host of useful technologies and could now sell to whoever she wanted. Russia in this regard could only claim over China Ideology but nothing more. The bear could argue that she was responsible for the ideas behind communism and revolutions but whether this would work to curtail China ability to move and exert her authority in the area would be a completely different question.

When China then went on to push north with a fleet of ships the Americans got uncomfortable. Diplomacy was getting interesting and for the first time in a long while, the Dragon was rising in the northern seas and causing a stir. Experts tell us the move was designed by the Chinese to urge the Americans to rethink their strategy in the East and maybe even assist the Americans to scale back some of their efforts for territory (and military presence) as well as encourage the Americans not to criticize the Chinese for developing controversial Islands and expanding the same much to the chagrin of their smaller neighbors. Now the Chinese were exercising their right to roam-Hegemony.       

Soul Thieves II

You are getting ready for the biggest and most important day of your
life. You've shared with all your friends those pictures of that amazing
rock that he bought for you. You even described his imaginative
proposal. So the day is finally here. There is a mixture of
emotions...you want the day to come and go so that you can move on. 

A friend hands you a copy of an old tale about a princes and her evil
aunt. You rush through it transfixed at the prospect of your own prince
charming. Your cultural upbringing means that you have to make one
crucial visit to grandma and the folks up in the village to present some
gifts and to receive the blessing. 

So you shuffle your way into the bus and make that long trip. 
The long trip is full of promise and thoughts. The scenery fills your
mind with hope. You finally arrive...some relatives gather. All except
for your drunken uncle. He is not pleased to see you. He cautions you
not to enter the hut with grandma. He is quickly dismissed and baptized
with a torrent of insults. As some of the cameras come alive with bright
flashes you are ushered into a a lonely space where you must receive a
secret potion and grandma's blessing. Its all rather innocent and so you
oblige. 

In a small space, grandma smiles and hands you the potion. Her old frame
is so frail but you are captivated by the life that seems to spring from
her eyes. For a brief moment she tells you a few secrets which you
become aware have been rehearsed and presented to many more young
brides. 

You hesitate as you take a sip from the sweet liquid. Then you turn your
back for a moment. Something catches your eye and you begin to wonder
why she shifts hurriedly behind you. In a strange and frightening shift
of events, she manages to move right into your body while pushing you
right into hers. 

You watch her walking out of the hat. Young and fresh and alive and on
her way to get married to your husband. 
She shuts the door on you. In that moment you look around and begin to
touch yourself. You are too shocked to take in what has happened. Your
movements are now restricted. You have the same sharp mind but you are
stuck in her older body. 

The nightmare has only just began.      

Spoiler Alert

The name and the promise

Some suggestions about the possibilities of the future and the local
church in Uganda. 
So a few weeks ago i attended a local church called Mavuno. 
Now most Swahili enthusiasts will tell you that the term means harvest.
I have not met the founders but i did get a taste of what they were
planning when the set up the church. 
There have been on and off visits to this place which has had 
its services in several places in the city. 
So for some reason, i was drawn to a New testament Dictionary to find
out a little more about Feasts in the bible (Published by Interversity
Press). So it turns out that i was attending the church at around the
time when the Feast of Harvest is celebrated (Sivan May-June) it comes
right after First Fruits (which kind of makes sense). In the search for
biblical principles, we find that of Sowing and Reaping right in place
with that of seasons. In short whether you are a faith person or not,
there are seasons assigned to the earth that will ensure that everyone
who sows in the right season will reap. This is a double edged sword
which means that those who sow good stuff are assured that in the right
time, they will reap good stuff and vice versa. So we find interesting
application of this where People who have done bad stuff start praying
for negative harvests! Now the experts say that Feast were times of Joy
and that sometimes older feasts were celebrations of ancient dieties(C H
Gordon's Ugartic Literature and T Gaster's Thepis). 

The suggestion. When you have to chose a church, please pay attention to
the name of the church. It will give you a rough idea what to expect and
will put you in the right place to get what you need for that season.

The link with Scripture

The book of Judges is important because it illustrates what it is like
when Kings cease to express their power. "In those days there was no
King and everyone did as he saw fit" Book Of Judges.  

Judges 6:1-6

A summary of the verse shows a group of People that were surrounded and
under siege to the extent that they were unable to harvest heir own
produce. It also shows a protagonist who finds himself too afraid to
carry out the right activity in the right place. He needed to be
affirmed and reminded that he was in the right place. 

Now a few days later i was drawn to the story of Gideon which was
brought to us by yet another preacher in the same place. He was teaching
about a time of crisis where the enemies of the People of God would show
up right at harvest time to jack from Gods People what they had planted.
So the champion rises in a time of distress to deal with an urgent
problem. I do not know how this works, but there are time when i have
thoughts and right before i process them, someone flies past and begins
to implement things that i have simply just thought about. Now this is
rather extreme but it does illustrate the point. Please note that While
David was waiting for his throne, he often used to move around with his
band of followers protecting the crops or harvest of the People or
groups he was meeting. 

1 Sam. 25:15-17 

He made himself useful to the citizens and those that were dwelling in
the land.
The chances are that on a practical level, farmers are going to need to
be protected from those who do not sow but are often very quick to
reap. 
Maybe that sounds like an endorsement for Big Hat and his drive to push
the army into the villages. Your guess us as good as mine!  

A Church Engaged beyond its borders-youth reject intermediaries.

Someone is beginning to awaken to the reality of an upsurge in Youth Population. The young people at one of our leading Christian Ministries have managed to bring the Head of State into a place where they can engage him directly. The idea dubbed V86 is described in the New 

Vision (some say the government's de facto paper) of Sunday 24th May. 

It is about giving a platform to the young group of people, who have grown up in the better part of the president's reign. In Kenya we called it the Nyayo Era and there were celebrations at...you guessed it Nyayo Stadium. I was born...much earlier than this so I missed a great opportunity to dress in white and sing and dance before the mammoth crowd. I did get to perform in the presence of his Excellency albeit in a less notable manner holding a tree...made of wood and participating in a poetry session on the subject of tree planting!

There are a few churches which have drawn the attention of the state. The first because of its massive drive to industrialize agriculture. The second because if it's attempt to deal directly and practically with some real needs in South Sudan. It is a natural outflow from this that younger people have emerged perhaps owing to the machinations of change and transition that have been forced to the fore. Rejecting the call to occupy the seats in the back for a spot in the front. 

How this process continues and plays out remains to be seen.

"To split or not to split" that is the Question.

While in Texas we spent Considerable amount of time studying what in those days were referred to as Church Splits. These were complex orchestrations caused by a combination of issues whose effects were often devastating to the leader and pastor of the church. 

Often the two sides tended to congregate around the pastor on one hand and the worship leader on the other as two people of influence who had the power to command vast portions of the congregation. 

In other situations, a young lady or young man of great influence had managed to charm his way into the congregation and by use of blackmail silenced the congregation and its leadership because of precious bits of compromising information he had accumulated over the years. In others it was the attempt by state to have a hand in church in an arranged marriage of sorts designed in some sense to curb the effects of the church over a weakened state (reeling over the indirect influence of the former on civil society).

The literature around some of these happenings (which i had read much earlier) was related to the desire to Control and Manipulate people and was therefore linked to famous characters like Jezebel and her Husband Ahab. The first book I read on this subject was called "Control a Powerful Force" (1997-1998) and dealt with the subject matter in a very comprehensive way. Riots, demonstrations, sits in, and more were clustered under this idea to control and manipulate leadership into bending to the desires of a few. 

Other experts chose to deal with the weaknesses of men, Juxtaposing these weaknesses across the strengths of Women. Still others myself included chose to think of these are simple manifestations of rifts in complex power struggle between families where the death on one member can upset the succession claims of another and a simple birth of a new heir can raise possibilities for often overlooked families. 

Much like the changes in rank that take place when field officers pass on. 

Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman represent an amazing portrayal of some of the forces that are at play when two leaders are confronted with some major challenges and one has to find the balance between the two. 

It appears that the character played by Washington is much younger, black and more scholarly in his approach. The much more aged character played by Hackman is older more experienced and medaled and is clearly basing the bulk of his arguments on time tested experience. 

These two are placed in positions of power in which they have at their control some of the nations most valued arsenal. 

Permit me to draw some parallels of these experiences to spiritual life. 

Maybe what makes this most difficult is the idea that the believer feels like he is dealing with Human Souls and fighting an Eternal battle hose effects he cannot truly fathom. The Minister is therefore In a sense dealing with similar arsenal-capable of defense and also of devastating consequences if it falls into the wrong hands. 

Ephesians 4:11-12

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Broadly speaking both men are called to serve and fulfill three major things, perfect the saints, do the work of the ministry and edifying the body of Christ.

The clash will take place based on the approach that each of these men chose in a time of crisis and on a ship whose rules can be very complex. 

Watch as two distinct sides emerge from a conflict on the Submarine and men are forced to chose between two opposing positions often at the risk of loosing their lives. You have elements of experience clashing over book knowledge as Washington's character makes full use of his knowledge to deal with his superior. There are ideas around age, transition and change. 

The succession idea also comes into play as a third group emerges whose role will prove vital in the restoration of order once the two bulls have clashed in the proverbial field. 

This third group will serve the role of executor of the will of the people and it is this group which we must watch and whose fight we must pay additional attention to. 

Perhaps the other notable idea about this masterpiece is the choice of setting and the complex manner in which conflict takes place in such close quarters and how these groups of men have to deal with it and other issues. Maybe these parallels exist in a similar manner and take the form of relationships that define how we love, live and work and how these fruitful relationships can also have disastrous consequences. 

Shepherds and Kings.

A few days ago, a friend on mine and I were talking about what it means to go after big companies. He cautioned me and rightly so about challenging large companies (names withheld). I responded that I had spent too much time with David and that as a result, I was now convinced that I could take on Giants. 

So I have come up with a few thoughts and ideas about what it means to be David and what possible gems we can derive from his life on what it takes to deal with really big people and groups which not only challenge us but also challenge others around us. 

1. Do what you do well. 

He was a shepherd and made progress in this position. Everything he learnt later was based to a large extent on personal victories which he achieved while in this state. Even if he moved to handle other tasks, he remained true to his core. There is therefore a possibility that even when he governed, he governed to a large extent as a shepherd and saw everything that he did in that context. Those who have study the bible tell us that to a great extent, God met people in their places and positions of work and dealt and spoke with them in these contexts. 

1 Samuel 17:15

But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

2. Be yourself.

Even if you have to be mindful of corporate culture when you make changes in your career, the chances are, that you will gain more respect if you stay true to yourself. There was an attempt by King Saul to dress David in his own Clothes but David Rejected this and kept his own clothes. I was important to him to face Goliath in his own garb. Trying to be like your Boss will be exhausting. When he tried on his Kings armor, it did not fit and he had 'not proved it'. 

1 Samuel 17:38-39

And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.

3. Use your Experience and document it.

Conventional wisdom points to the value of CV and resumes as tools that help employers find the right employees. Think not only of that as a valuable tool but think also on these as personal maps into your future and record books that could help you track your progress. The shepherd by was able to make connection between the Bear and the Lion and eventually the Giant. 

1 Samuel 17:34-35

And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth:and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

4. Rewards matter.

If the reward is big enough give it a try but make sure that you have the skill to match the challenge or you might lose your life (maybe not literally). These challenges will give you an opportunity to interact with people who are also involved in your field of experience and who will be useful in sharpening your skill level. Use these experiences to learn in less traditional settings. 

1 Samuel 17:24-25

And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up:and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.

5. Readiness to leave to achieve more.

There is a part of your life that might require you to temporarily leave one place in favor of another place and position. If you must, make sure that you have taken the time to raise up someone to take your place or that you have ensured a simple transition process. 

1 Samuel 17:20

And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle.

6. Filial challenges.

Try to serve your brothers and save a place for yourself in their hearts.

The same scenario is repeated in earlier texts and in a rather different context. Joseph is clearly the Father's favorite and was doing very little to hide it. The father in this case deploys one of his favored sons to spy on the others knowing full well the possibility to negative outcomes. Contrast this story with the story in which David is sent out to feed his bothers too and has similar attitudes towards their fears. In this case though, it is not very obvious that David is favored by his Father. He is still the errand boy and shepherd. 

Genesis 37:14

And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.