Hosea 4:6 My people perish for lack of knowledge.
Every weekend on either Saturday or Sunday any Kenyan TV station worth its salt will have a televangelist extolling the virtues of tithing,performing miracles or fasting.Most of these are geared towards making the regants feel good about their lives because let us face it, life is very hard for the average Kenyan.With rising fuel and food prices a little spiritual solace goes a long way towards mitigating the effects of the harsh economic times we are living in.
In August of this year it will be exactly one year since we passed the new constitution and it will be about another year before we have to face another general election.Politicians being the smart men and women they are have already seen the growing ignorance of the new constitution most Kenyans have and have launched into the usual games they play.Clerics on the other hand have been busy battling the adornment of earrings by certain constitutional office holders or their marital statuses .
Granted that most of the Christian clergy were against the passing of the document in the first place it is disappointing that they have failed to recognize the immense good it holds for most of the Kenyan citizenry.Despite the problems they had with the clauses on marriage and right to life it remains a great document, a huge leap from the one we had before.So it is still a puzzle that most of them have chosen to remain mum on its other contents.
Now as usual we have been waiting for civic education to start ,seeing that we will be having county governments and devolution is going to bring a whole new meaning to governance it only makes sense for the government to educate its people on how this is going to benefit them.This has not happened and if we do not do something we will see such confusion come next election we will wonder what hit us.The government is battling so many wars on other fronts that am sure carrying out civic education in hte counties is the last thing on its mind.
Maybe the church despite its lack of support for the new constitution should start educating its congregants on what the new constitution means for them.It needs to be telling peole that voting with their heads and not their tribes or stomachs will see them have a better life than they have right now.It will ensure that health care is available for all even for the ones who do not get the miracle cures.It will ensure that a family does not starve itself to death, in the name of tithing and that medicines are available in all government hospitals and that we do not have to rely on anointed oil.
It will also mean that instead of praying for our youth to surrender the guns and ammunition they have been using to rob and maim peole we will have them gainfully employed because we have elected leaders who have job creation in m ind.It will also mean that we do not have to have harambees(fundraisers) for everything from weddings to settling of medical bills because our economy will be growing thanks to forward thinking leaders.
Am sure the clergy will also be happy if they have to preside over fewer funeral services because fewer Kenyans will be dying on our roads as the rule of law will be respected.Husbands will honor their wives and grant them divorces instead of bludgeoning them to death,hospitals will be better equipped because corruption will be a thing of the past thanks to respect of public property.Justice will be swift as judgments will not be delayed and our prisons will not be overpopulated with petty offenders and other innocent or not so innocent people waiting for their day in court.What this means is that there will be fewer pastoral visits to prisons for the clergy and they can concentrate more on preaching the good news and nourishing the spiritual life of the faithful.
I would like to hear every Church,Mosque,Temple and Synagogue in the country extolling the virtues and the good that is in the new constitution.We cannot always wait for the government to do everything,the government need partners such as yourselves to be able to attain the Vision 2030 which we are all being called to be a part of.It needs foot soldiers and being leaders of faith in a country that is zealously religious you can help shape and build a heaven down here.
