By Henry Ngarar- Before polarisation, the original concept of Religion and its Leaders was good in the sense that, it encouraged humanity to be good, to help one another, to be tolerant, respectful and urged self restraint among other things.

Currently, religion has become a blessing and a curse to society. It has most often been a blessing when it has spread its arms around the most vulnerable, established hospitals and schools, sought justice for the oppressed, called for a fair sharing of the earth’s resources, given itself to the peaceful solution to war and sought to save the planet from environmental destruction.

Be that as it may, the Zimbabwe situation however, has been uniquely unfortunate, it called for religious leaders and bodies to speak out against rampant misgorvenance and unconstitutionalism.

To the surprise of many, the awaited voice has remained silent. Could it mean that the church is blind or deaf, Or that the church has had a share in the current prevailing situation? 

We come at this issue as Christians who finds believing doctrines about Jesus basically unhelpful, but who sees that following Jesus, and trying to emulate what he did with his life is worth our commitment. For us his life was the epitome of graciousness, the acceptance of the outsider, not only living peacefully but also offering a path to a peaceful society.

For Jesus every person was of worth, every encounter an act of acceptance and love, every story full of a gracious welcome. The only outsiders were the religionists of the vicinity, who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others. So the heart of religion may not be in holding to pure doctrinal orthodoxy, but living as if everyone you meet is of infinite worth.

One would have thought that the role of the church and its leaders is to speak the truth, to speak against injustices, corruption amongst other things. We thought the role of the church leaders is to be martyrdoms of truth and justice and not to be the Simon Peters of our time, who cowardice when the situation demands their presence.

A lot has happened, a lot is happening. If one is not killed by hunger, one is killed by disease, if one is not killed by disease, one is killed by our political sphere. Death, hunger and agony is hovering around the believers. Where are the religious leaders to instill faith to humanity as they have always claimed that it was their job to do so.

Today most political parties are aligned either to a certain clergy man or to a certain church. Has that become the role of the church now to form political parties and not to speak justice and feed the spiritual being of a person?

Where are the real religious leaders who stand by faith and not by silence, where are the church bodies who represent the people of God and not elitism?

-LEAD