As the year 2023 draws to an End: what concerns me the most?

As the year of our Lord 2023 draws to an end, I couldn’t help but meditate on things that worries me the most at this juncture. Ordinarily, people at this time of the year have their minds fixed on what is generally known as ‘New Year Resolutions’, often these are plans, desires and changes that they would like to see in their lives in the year ahead. Of cause many of these plans, desires and wishes are often based on their reflections on the year that has gone by, the year that is drawing to a close. Being one that has since resolved not to dwell much on resolutions of the ensuing year, but rather to proceed with life as if the year never ended and continue to march towards whatever life goals I may have, I have come to the conclusion that ‘whether I like it or not, the Gregorian calendar which we have come to accept at least for civil purposes, forces one to take stock of what has transpired in their life over the past twelve months and what ought to be done in the ensuing twelve months to bring about the desired change or improvements in life, meaning that New Year Resolutions for a normal thinking individual cannot be ignored or escaped’. However, this time around I felt it was more prudent to shift the mind and focus more on society and the world, as opposed to individual plans, goals and desires, reason why my reflections and future plans, goals and desires of 2023 are based on this pertinent question “as the year draws to a close, in no particular order I ask myself ‘what concerns me the most’?

 

As an African man that subscribe to African wisdom and way of life, I draw from many of our proverbs. At this juncture one that has brought serious pain and great concern is one that says ‘manong a ja ka tshika’, simply put ‘family takes care of their own before they could take care of outsiders’. As a Christian, this proverb seems to have been the same principle that Jesus used in a story narrated by Matthew, he tells us that “Jesus encountered a woman that was seeking help for her sick daughter, but because he was on foreign land he first indicated to her that ‘it was incorrect for him to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs, to which the woman replied that even the dogs were allowed to feed from the crumbs under the master’s table’ (Matthew 15:26-28), in other words he was alluding to the fact that ‘he needed to first address the challenges of his own people before attending to the outsiders, to which the woman fully agreed that indeed ‘manong a ja ka tshika’”. Therefore, as I took time during the Christmas weekend to visit members of my clan (maternal and paternal) in my place of birth Bloemfontein and surroundings, listening and observing the daily challenges faced by individual members and the different families in general, I came to realise how much of my time I have spent addressing issues of those that are not directly related to me than I have with those that are of my own. Many of these challenges were known to me throughout the year, but I realise that many a time ‘I kicked the can down the road’ with the hope that someone else in the family will take care of it, while I am busy fixing the world. Over the years my life has been about helping people of God in whichever way possible, especially in under privileged communities, fighting injustices perpetrated against the elderly, the less privileged, uneducated or those with little access to information, a ministry which I have come to accept as a revelation about my life. But when I reflect on the year that is drawing to a close, counting the number of times I have lent a helping hand to outsiders than I have to my own, the results left me bleeding with guilt, and I ask myself “have you done enough to live up to your own African proverb, what will you do differently in the ensuing year to balance the equation”?  

In the same breath, through my own family encounters and society in general, I am deeply concerned about the level of disunity among the people of God, the world is extremely divided. In my country of birth South Africa, leading up to the festive season, a season which is meant to symbolize love, reconciliation and unity among families and people in general, we saw a meme that continues to trend even beyond Christmas. This meme alluded that ‘many of the ensuing family gatherings over Christmas were nothing but pretense, and that many family members attending these gatherings were not doing so out of their own free will, that beyond these gatherings very little reconciliation and lasting love among families takes place’. As much as memes are generally meant to ignite the spirit of humour, laughter and fun, the reality is that it also speaks to the inward view of self, as a people. The reality that is revealed here is that the contemporary family environment has lost its grip on the basic principles of love and unity among clans. The same African proverb that says “manong a ja ka tshika” has evaded our people, because the extended version of this meme talks about ‘how some family members would rather spend Christmas with friends than being with fake family members’, leaving me wondering ‘have I done enough to unite and bring peace in my own clan’?

 

Equally concerning, is the divided world and the inability to stand up for each other as nations of the world. At one point I thought perhaps I am simply being emotionally immature when I speak about my deep concern over the massacre that is taking place in Palestine, but then it dawned me that in fact I am not, because I was equally saddened by the mass murdering of people in Ukraine, Dafur, the war in Northern Mozambique, including the injustices against the LGBTQIA+ communities in Uganda. The response by world leaders through statutory bodies such as the United Nations, European Union, African Union and the likes, is always the same indifference. In all the conflicts that the world is faced with, nations first calculate their socio-economic and political positioning before standing up on principle, while innocent civilians are being killed like flies. The Israel and Palestine conflict becomes an even heavier concern because of my Christian affiliation, particularly if you have to refer to Apartheid Israel as a South African, and its history of Apartheid injustices. Of cause it would have been much easier to look at the Israel and Palestine conflict as just another political matter, but as a Christian it is more than that, especially if I will have to continue to use Israel as the basis of my Biblical reference and belief. Given the indifferent response of the world, you cant help nut wonder if God is as indifferent on these matters. As a result, the most difficult and unavoidable question that arises is ‘whether the continued biblical reference to Israel is of any relevance to any contemporary Christian, when Apartheid Israel is relentlessly murdering the people of God or has the Bible simply become irrelevant’?

 

The latter concern gives rise to my next big concern, my Faith. It is a fact that the world is becoming more secular with each day that passes, with more and more people questioning religion. Christianity has never been at greater risk of extinction than it is today. Therefore, I ask myself if I have done enough to make my religion practical, attractive, most importantly have I represented my faith well enough to my immediate community and the world. Have I defended my faith through thought, words and deeds, have I lived and lead by example?. It is one thing to defend Christianity on the basis of faith and belief, it is another to defend it on the basis of pragmatism and reality, in other words 'is my faith in line with the realities of the world'?. In the year 2023 I have observed and encountered a Christianity that is overly cosmetic and far from reality, one that failed to defend the victims of its our contradictions and misinterpretations. Therefore, I have come to a conclusion that "in the contemporary, the most attractive religion is one that is pragmatic and realistic, a religion that is at greater risk is one that is cosmetic and out of touch with reality, I choose to practice the former in my Christian faith".  

 

The realities of the world when brought closer to home, our beloved South Africa becomes even more concerning. On the 27^th of October 2023, the 66^th Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Johannesburg had an opportunity to discuss the 2024 General Elections and the realities of the country, a pragmatic Christian approach which I referred to earlier. This gathering ignited this concern in me, the electoral ballot overload that we will see in the up coming elections, we are told by the Electoral Commission of South Africa that the ballot paper is likely to be a ballot booklet, given the number of political parties registered to contest these elections. My personal view is that ‘the number of parties registered to contest these elections are nothing but personal hunger for power’, I’m convinced that politicians are no longer about their contribution in changing the lives of the people they claim to represent, had that been the case then they would have joined the existing parties on the basis of ideology. I know many of them will come back to say ‘all these other parties do not represent their beliefs and values blah blah blah’, which I totally refuse to believe. In the year 2023 I encountered a sermon by Revd. Theo Khanyile, which focused on the issue of 'leadership'. He makes a point that "abantu a bafuni uk' phathwa, bafuna ukuphata" (T. Khanyile: 25 November 2023), loosely translated it means 'people dont want to be lead, everyone wants to lead', a view which I strongly hold about the current South African politicians 'everyone wants to lead, hence we are faced with a situation of a ballot booklet in the up coming elections'. The danger about this is that "'many of these politicians establish their parties on the basis that they want to unseat the ANC, as a result of its failures in government and what it has become as a political party'. But what they dont realise is that they are splitting the vote too far and wide, to the advantage of the same ANC. Therefore, my prediction is that ‘the results of the 2024 general elections, on technicality, will see the ANC emerging with an outright majority’, simply because the splinter vote will be scattered across the different party lines. It is a fact that this elections will boast a much younger voter, the IEC has indicated that the November 2023 voter registration weekend recorded a historic increase in the number of younger voters, with another round set for February 2024. Now that tells us that we have a new voter behaviour to look forward to, my take is that 'this is a truly independent voter, by that I mean they are not going to vote on the basis of the South African history of Apartheid and oppression'. I foresee a voter that will vote on the basis of 'which political party outside the ANC is most attractive in both ideology and presence', and the contestation between the newer parties is tight, hence the vote is going to be split too far and wide, leaving the ANC with an opportunity to win the elections through the vote of the older generation.         

 

As we enter into the New Year, I’m of the view that it is high time we changed from being concerned about ourselves and God’s blessings upon us and our personal challenges, instead we ought to be concerned about the world and the challenges that leads to the downfall of society, perhaps fixing the society will lead to less personal challenges, a better world will lead to a better personal experience. Indeed these concerns aren’t going to change the world, but with each individual contribution I’m convinced that some kind of effective change will take place.

 

What concerns you the most, what are you going to do in 2024 to address your societal concerns.

 

God’s grace

   

The Bible, South Africa, the Church and the Israel Palestine conflict.

On Tuesday the 21^st of November in the year of our Lord 2023, the South African National Assembly will vote on a motion sponsored by the Economic Freedom Fighters, to have the Israeli Embassy in South Africa closed down, and to some degree for South Africa to cut all ties with Israel as a result of its continued bombardment of Palestine. When this motion was first tabled in Parliament, leader of the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) Reverend Kenneth Meshoe brought forward a Biblical argument in favour of the continuation of diplomatic relations between Pretoria and Jerusalem. We zoom into this argument ahead of that ‘all important vote’.

 

While defending his country from invasion by the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Jewish guerrilla leader Judas Maccabeus sought to prevent the imposition of Hellenism upon Judaea, and preserving the Jewish religion, undoubtedly a quest for self-determination. In his narration of the events of 163 BCE, Maccabees tells us that “the king spoke to them deceitfully in peaceful terms, and they believed him. Then he attacked the city suddenly, in a great onslaught, and destroyed many of the people in Israel. He plundered the city and set fire to it, demolished its houses and its surrounding walls. And they took captive the women and children, and seized the animals.” (1 Maccabees 1:30-34). Ironically, today the world stands in awe, watching similar atrocities by Israel on Palestine, divided in opinion and ideology. In the context of South Africa, Reverend Kenneth Meshoe advanced an argument that suggests that he (by extension the political party he represents) is in support of the atrocities of Israel against palestine. Most interestingly he submits to Parliament that "God gave Abraham the very war torn piece of land, long before Christianity" (K. Meshoe, 17 November 2023, https://youtu.be/LQNn9-OFSKM), from this statement we can deduce that Reverend Meshoe relies on Genesis 12:1-3, which reads “the Lord says to Abraham, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3 NIV). Interestingly, this blessing included ‘land that, at the time the promise was made, belonged to other people, the Canaanites’. We know that the Canaanites are best known from this biblical account that portray them as a hostile, pre-Israelite indigenous population residing in the “promised land”, the land situated in the territory of the southern Levant, which today encompasses Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, and the southern portions of Syria and Lebanon. We therefore pose a theological question aimed at understanding Reverend Meshoe’s theology in this regard “if the Israelites later came to occupy an already occupied land, who then is the original people of this the land”?

 

The theological question need not be answered because the aim of this inquiry is not really about the theological correctness of the statement or the conflict in Gaza, but rather about the contemporary realities of the world and what he understands the current situation in the Middle East is, as a politician who happens to be a theologian. There is a genocide taking place in Palestine, men, women and children are being wiped off the face of the earth before the eyes of the world. Therefore, we needs to distinguish between Reverend Kenneth Meshoe speaking as a politician and as a priest, perhaps more especially as a politician during the silly season of elections, one of the hotly contested elections that promises to change the political landscape of South Africa. Ordinary South Africans, Christians included, and the international community will be closely watching the vote in Parliament, most certainly the Biblical argument which Reverend Meshoe has advanced are likely to form very little part if not at all in their considerations of the reality in the contemporary.

Perhaps what comes out most glaringly in Reverend Meshoe’s submission is the deafening silence of the Church in the matter, even if the argument may be countered, one cant help but realise how quiet the local Church is. Theologians and Christians alike may argue as to whether that argument hold water in the contemporary, or if it was just another politician speaking, but the silence of the Church remains deafening. The very congregant that sits in the church pew is the same person that will be lining up at the polling station in 2024, the very congregant that applies the teaching of scripture in their daily lives, South Africa's silence is just too deafening. It is my considered view that the voice of the citizens should not only be heard through political statements in Parliament or a political party marching on to the Israel embassy. The church at local level must raise its voice through prayer, preaching, lobby and demonstrations. Many a time a voice of a politician has proven to be a double edged sword that even when the intention of the message is of a good nature, political considerations including diplomatic protocol may easily dilute the message.

    

We continue to pray for the people of Palestine, the many women and children that have lost their lives at the hands of the Israeli military forces and its leadership, may God the almighty extend his hand and save the children of Palestine, extend his wisdom into the hearts and minds of Jerusalem and its supporters, to enable the world to speak sense and bring peace to it.

K. Phejane

Writing in my personal capacity as an active world citizen

Letter to the men of the Anglican Mens Fellowship and Evangelism Guild: A clarion call of the reawakening of a glorious Christian movement

 

 

It was at exactly 15:45 on the 28^th of October in the year of our Lord 2023, when the Anglican Mens Fellowship and Evangelism guild in the diocese of Johannesburg, presented its report to the 66^th Synod of the diocese. The president of synod, the Right Reverend Doctor Steve Mosimanegape Moreo made a request to the representatives of guilds and organisations to deliver what he termed ‘high level presentations’ in no more than three (3) minutes. This meant that the detailed report that was submitted into the synod Agenda book needed to be summarized but maintain the important details that needed to be brought to the attention of this august house, the church’s highest decision making body. It was during this three-minute presentation that I came to realise how dire the situation of the guild is, in particular ‘the declining membership’. This decline is not only seen in the diocese of Johannesburg but can be extended to the province and the church in general (a topic for another day). Most alarming in this decline is ‘the decline of male membership’, it is for this reason that I pen down this clarion call to the men that have declared their allegiance to this guild before God.

 

At its fourteenth (14^th) Provincial Conference held in the diocese of Highveld in November 2022, the AMF & E provincial leadership reported that ‘there was a general decline in membership across all dioceses’, even though this report did not give a specific demographic analysis of the guild, it is a known fact that the number of female members exceeds that of male members, an irony which left members of the 66^th synod of Johannesburg amused, a rather embarrassing moment for the one who presented these numbers and certainly for members of this guild who were seated in the audience. Affiliation numbers in this diocese for the year 2023 were reported as follows, 277 women and 79 men, in a guild which was formed fifty-five (55) years ago, by men, for men, as envisaged by the founder and first president of the guild, Reverend S.R. Manentsa in 1967. In an effort to try to explain the prevailing situation, the presenter made mention of the reality which many members of the guild in this diocese are shying away from, that ‘there are affiliated and non-affiliated but active members of the guild’, for various reasons the latter could not affiliate in the year 2023 and among others is the open secret that relates to those who’s grievances were not resolved leading up to Pentecost. However, it is my conviction that non-affiliation for any reason cannot be acceptable, by virtue of the oath of allegiance taken by members at the time of being robed into the guild, unless this oath did not mean anything to the individual member. Out of a total of 356 affiliated members, the report shows that seven (7) are clergy, six (6) of whom are males and one (1) female. It is at this point that the idea of this clarion call was birthed, in the absence of a mandate from either cabinet or the President, the presenter in his capacity as a member made a clarion call to the priests (including the President of synod) who had not affiliated or are non-active members of the guild, to ensure that they affiliate in the year of our Lord 2024 and come back to the guild which they took oath of allegiance to. This background paints a picture of the elephant in the room that needs to be dealt with in order for this guild to awaken the spirit and vision of reverend Manentsa and all the forefathers of this guild, including the elders that remain loyal to this day, the likes of ntate Madlala from St Mary Magdalene (Protea South), ntate Rajwili from St Hildas (Senaoane) and others, members who to this day remain loyal to their yearly affiliation.

 

One Joshua Maponga makes a point that ‘the church ought to be honest to itself in order for it to progress’ (Maponga. J. September 2023), but the truth is that the church has the tendency to quietly walk away instead of dealing with uncomfortable subjects. It is my considered view that such a situation is currently at play in the AMF & E guild in the diocese of Johannesburg. The growing number of women in the guild and the continued decline of men is course for concern, the question is “how does the future of a mens guild look like without the presence of men in it”, and that is the elephant in the room that requires those who have pledged allegiance to the guild to come together and address. On December 15^th in the year of our Lord 2020, the then ‘Mens Lekgotla’ executive in this diocese met at St Francis Moroka and resolved that the guild shall move forward with a theme that says “Retain, Revive and Recruit”. Another Mens lekgotla meeting was held on the 6^th of August 2023 (three years later) at Khutsong Chapel, the meeting discussed and resolved on the same matters and theme “the revival, recruitment and retention of men in the guild”. Now as we march towards the 2023 diocesan conference in Munsieville, one cannot help but wonder if the prevailing numbers and morale will help us achieve the set goals of revival, renewal, recruitment and retention of male members, including clergy?. Therefore, it is my considered view that the answer to this question lies in the hearts and minds of both categories of members I earlier referred to “the affiliated and the non-affiliated members”, solely by virtue of the oath they took before God, pledging their allegiance to this guild.

 

In his epistle to the people of God in the church, Apostle James shares his wisdom on how to deal with trials and tribulations as a people of God. He says to them “my brothers and sisters, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way, for you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trials, the rest is the ability to endure. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4 TEV). James’ wisdom in this epistle simply deals with “action and faith, in the practice of Christianity”, he shares with us a practical but yet spiritual approach to the challenges we are facing, encouraging us to face these challenges head on by being practical in our approach. Indeed the guild is experiencing a record decline in male membership, indeed the decline is not only attributed to the challenges within the guild but the church in general, as a result of the prevailing challenges of the secular world, but God being our helper in directing us as we march into action with faith. The action of standing up as men in honour of Reverend Manentsa and all the founding fathers of this guild, especially those who lead the diocese of Johannesburg, reverend Joe Maboe, Reverend Rakale and others. It is my considered view that “it all starts at the 2023 conference in Munsieville”.

 

My clarion call is for all of us, men that have pledged their allegiance to the Anglican Mens fellowship and Evangelism guild (lay and clergy), to spring into action and ensure that the 2023 conference becomes the stepping stone towards the “renewal, recruitment and retention” of male members. Key to this conference are its deliberations on Friday the 24^th, in light of the elective provincial conference in 2024. This conference must resolve on the participation of the diocese of Johannesburg in the renewal, recruitment and retention drive of the guild in the province.

Let us learn from the wisdom of Apostle James as he tells us in verse 12, spiritual maturity leads to the greatest rewards or benefits available from living this life (James 1:12). Therefore, trials are a huge benefit for which we should be grateful.

 

Kgosiemang Phejane

Writing in my personal capacity as a member of AMF & E in the diocese of Johannesburg

11/11/203

All Souls Day, African Christian Hypocrisy and Ignorance

Every year since time immemorial, the Christian community celebrates All Saints and All Souls day on the 1st and 2nd of November respectively. A tradition said to have been established by St. Odilo of Cluny somewhere between 998 and 1030 (Wikipedia). In the contemporary, on this day a number of Catholics and protestants commemorate the faithful departed, through prayer, feasts and visiting gravesites, a day which is also known as "the Feast of All Souls", my assumption is that this is associated with the old age cultural and religious history of feasting and festivals including the Passover since the Exodus in the Bible, the ancient Roman feriae feast since the 9th century, 'the feasts of feasts' of the eastern Orthodox Church and the many African historical feasts like Timkat and Meskel festivities in Ethiopia, down here in the tip of Africa the African indigenous people's common commemoration of their ancestors in the form of imisebenzi (ceremonies) among the Nguni speaking tribes or mpho ya badimo in the South Sotho and Pedi speaking people. This piece is inspired precisely by these diverse Feasts and their relevance in the contemporary Christian environment.

 

History records that 'the tradition of offering prayers for the deceased has its roots in old writings, particularly in 2 Maccabees 12:42–46. However, the venerated Roman Catholic saint St. Odilo of Cluny is credited with creating a particular day for intercession for the deceased souls. We shall therefore not focus on Odilo and what could possibly be the age old European claim to many things including religious practices. In this text Judas Maccabeus, a Jewish Guerilla leader who proved to be a Military genius when 'he successfully defended his country from invasion by the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, preventing the imposition of Hellenism upon Judaea, and preserving the Jewish religion' (Britannica), puts emphasis on the need to pray for the dead, specifically for their forgiveness of the sin that they died in, for the preservation of their souls in heaven. As a priest, perhaps Maccabeus realises this need as he constantly finds himself having to administer last rites to many of his dying soldiers at war, perhaps a concept somewhat slightly different from Odilo's idea of All Souls, equally so different from the African meaning of commemoration or Umsebenzi (mpho ya badimo). 

In the contemporary, the church presents All Souls in a number of different ways, primarily as a result of some of the theological arguments around the belief, Martin Luther's schism being one of them. Luther vehemently argued that there is absolutely no need to pray for the souls of the departed, simply because he believed that "all departed persons are saved" (Luther's Sermon of the first Sunday after Trinity 1523-24), but Odilo established the concept specifically for praying for the Souls of the departed. On the other hand, Africa has her own theological arguments surrounding All Souls and what it means to the African culture and environment. According to Catholic belief, the soul of a person who dies can go to one of three places. The first is heaven, where a person who dies in a state of perfect grace and communion with God goes. The second is hell, where those who die in a state of mortal sin are naturally condemned by their choice. The intermediate option is purgatory, which is thought to be where most people, free of mortal sin, but still in a state of lesser (venial) sin, must go. In the African Christian context, the same principle applies in the make-up of the individuals in the contemporary European or mainstream church that practices the theology of All Souls. You have those who outright reject the African Christian way, those who strongly believe in the African way within the European church and those who are willing to accommodate the two groups, the former being our area of interest, All Souls in the context of African culture.

 

The African Christian in question holds a view that ‘the only acceptable way of commemorating and remembering the departed is the Odilo way, the European way’. However, African history tells us that for the longest of time Africans have always commemorated their loved ones through various ceremonies, many of which boasts elements of the All Souls custom of remembering the dead. When dealing with matters concerning kings, marriage, ancestors and God, Hastings makes a point that "even though the colonial missionaries sought to convert African kings and queens in the twentieth century, for these kings and Queens regular performance of rituals in commemoration of their ancestors was none negotiable" (Hastings 1994:311), an indication that 'like Maccabeus, the African tradition and culture were to be preserved by all means’. These traditional and cultural practices within the black African communities include ceremonies such as 'umsebenzi wamadlozi’ among the Nguni speaking tribes or Mpho ya badimo among the South Sothos of South Africa. Most notable in this custom is the unity that is displayed among families, just as Maccabeus went on to collect contributions from his soldiers to provide for an expiatory sacrifice, Morales explains expiation as ‘referring to the cleansing of sin and removal of sin’s guilt by blood of a sacrificial lamb’ (Morales 2019), they too come together to make available a sacrificial animal, in some instances a goat, a sheep or chicken depending on financial ability. In the sacrificial system of Israel, blood was collected from an animal’s severed arteries and then manipulated in a variety of ways. In the same fashion, Africans slaughter for a number of reasons including appeasing the ancestors as it is generally believed that ancestors act as intermediaries between the living and God, in the same vein for the atonement of sin. Others, using the belief of Ancestor intersession and being intermediaries, extend this feast as a form of request for blessings from God. Most importantly, the sacrificial feast is commonly an offering of thanksgiving, the community in this instance is invited to the feast, at the entrance of the family home snuff, tobacco and African beer are displayed as an indication that the ceremony is specifically to acknowledge those who have gone before, however tribes have their own individual approaches to this custom.  

 

It is for this reason that we conclude that an African Christian that rejects the African way of commemorating the dearly departed is but misinterpreting the natural extension of the concept of All Souls, by virtue of the expectations of what a relevant contemporary church looks like. Unless their view is that of a discriminatory nature, in that the European way is the only way. We know that the European conquest and scramble for Africa carried in it a branch of religious mission enterprise that was to reconstruct the cultural identity of its subjects, which then would be the only explanation as to why an African Christian in the contemporary would reject the African version of this custom. If anything, for the preservation of the African way the church ought to incorporate in its liturgy, the African way. Boaheng notes that “even missionaries had to abandon their uncompromising approach and adopt a more flexible one, which blended African culture in the gospel” (Isaac Moaheng: March 2018 Citation), it is therefore logical for the contemporary African Christian to blend Odilo’s All Souls with the indigenous African way. The church is becoming secular by day, the contemporary Christian continues to ask questions in order to validate their presence in the church, among some of the key questions is ‘the church’s effort to accommodate the African way’, it is my unreserved conviction that the church ought to infuse elements of Umsebenzi into its All Souls service, this includes preparation of a feast by slaughtering a sacrificial animal, suggesting that the church must go to the extent of including snuff, tobacco and African beer in the feast, a friend laughed her lungs out, an indication of how Africans frown at their culture in the context of Christianity.    

 

In conclusion, it is a fact that the delayed concession by the European Empire including the abolishment of the colonial rule, the slave trade and the acknowledgement of Africa’s indigenous worship and culture, was the biggest obstacle to effective evangelism, such remnants are seen in the modern world’s continued secularisation, which is a threat to the church’s potential extinction. The African Christian in the contemporary must at the least learn and appreciate the importance of the African way in worship and liturgy, adopt and acknowledge the African language and by extension culture, into the liturgical material of the European Church.

 

May the Souls of the dearly departed continue to Rest in peace, bo rrarona ba ba re eteletseng pele, bone ba mminathoko wa Setswana oreng “Modimo wa boikanyo o ba gogile mo dinageng tsa lenyora”.

 

Badimo ba rona, o khokho bethu, izinyanya zethu.

 

Kgosiemang Phejane

Writing in my personal Capacity 

#MeditationsOfTheHeart

Christian preservation in persecution: Faith in a losing battle

Modern Africa continues to be engaged in a conversation about its role in the story of Christianity and its imposition on Africa by Europe. A continental conversation that seeks to reconcile historical data for the continued preservation of the faith and a continued effort to reassure Africans that their identity is in the process of being restored, regardless of the continued presence of the European church.

The Bible account of the events of the fleeing of the Holy Family to Egypt to prevent eminent harm on baby Jesus by king Herod and many other stories, are a clear indication of the existence of the Roman influence in North Africa. It is a fact that “Christianity was born as a sect of Judaism”, an indication that “Judaism and the Christian faith had an influence in the near-by Egypt”. History records that Alexandria is set as the scene of the first arrival of Christianity in Africa, Eusebius tells us that “Mark is likely to be the first to set foot in Egypt, preaching the gospel and setting up churches”, Baur sets the time of these events somewhere between Ad 50-100, notably that “Mark ordained Annianus, bishop apostolic see of Alexandria in AD62” (Baur, J. 1994:21).

Baur asserts that “the Alexandrian Theological School was most successful under origen”, famously known as the Catechetical School of Alexandria, founded by a very little known Pantaenus who was succeeded by his disciple Clement, before Origen. It is evident that Christianity in North Africa benefited greatly from this school, particularly in its growth as we see many theologians and doctrines emerging out of its educational strength. Elizabeth Isichei’s assertion is that “around this period, there was a mass turning away from the old religion towards Christianity”.

The school at Alexandria seems to have quenched the thirst of knowledge of the young Christian in Egypt. This seems to have greatly supported the effort in the preservation of a Christian witness in North Africa, particularly through the growth of the Coptic church, a church that we can without doubt call 'the proper Egyptian church', which continues to exist in present day Egypt under the leadership of Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, preserving the Christian witness in the North African region which is predominantly Islam.

Once again Africa's identity and contribution is affirmed if we look at the Egyptian monasticism, this is in no doubt the greatest contribution the African continent made to the universal church, in our effort to assert the fact that monasticism began in Africa with Anthony as its highly venerated father. The faith grew so much that at one stage the Pachomian monastery housed about nine thousand monks (Baur 1994:24), drawing pilgrimages from all over the Christian world, a clear indication of its contribution to the Christian faith.

The Alexandrian monastic contribution in the preservation of the faith trickled out into other regions, including Ethiopia. With Egypt being the paradise of monks, history records the arrival of ascetics from all over the world for monastic training, before being sent out to other countries on mission work, which lead to the arrival of the nine saints in Ethiopia, around year 500. The continued existence of the Debre Daw church to this day, is a perfect example of how great a contribution the monastic community has made in the preservation of the faith, a church which was established by one of the most prominent of the nine, Saint Michael Aregawi.

Even though there are debates around the exact arrival of Christianity in Nubia, Baur records the official conversion as having to have taken place under Justinian in the 540s. Justinian, a catholic that arrived in Nubia with his Monophysite wife Theodora, who later succeeded in sending Julian as the first missionary. Beyond this point the church in Nubia flourished, growing in leaps and bounds through the conversion of the three kingdoms Nobatia, Maqurra and Alwah between 543 and 575.

The close proximity of the Nubian church to the crown may have been one of its weaknesses, simply because the colonizer's model of governance was always that of state and church, primarily for the purpose of preserving power and control. However, this does not in any way overshadow its successes in preserving a Christian witness in North Africa, including and perhaps not limited to its growth through the building of many churches, translation of prayer books to different languages, ordination of black and Coptic Clergy, more prominently the episcopacy of Bishop Petros.

Throughout all available literature thus far, it is clear that there is great influence of the Coptic church throughout the northern African Christian world, evidence of the lasting influence of the teachings of the Alexandrian school can still be seen through the different doctrines that emerged out of what could be described as the proper Egyptian church, most prominently the Coptic monasticism influence, which today continues to stand in a predominantly Islamic Northern Africa. In my view, the most effective tool that has preserved the Christian witness in North Africa. Africa's role remains a dominant feature in this history.

If as an African you may still be underplaying the role of the African continent in the broader history of religion, perhaps it is time to shift your mindset and develop a new worldview.

Kgosiemang Phejane

#MeditationsOfTheHeart

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life, a matter of when, where and how.

Prophecies, the everyday encounters.

The Mystery that is Life, a reason to keep going.

𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐠𝐨 (𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚)

 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐠𝐨 (𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚)

In one of the many social media circles that the world has come to appreciate as platforms for social interaction and knowledge sharing, I happen to bump into a video about the much publicized July 2022 apology extended by #PopeFrancis, to the indigenous people of #Canada. The apology deals with 'the role of the Catholic Church in the oppression, mistreatment and cultural genocide of indigenous people of Canada'. Much as the apology was aimed particularly at the indigenous people of Canada and how the colonial 'assimilation policy' of the 19th century ensured that the Indigenous children of Canada were kidnapped from their families by government authorities and sent to Residential Schools which were great distances away from their homes, in turn robbing them off their dignity through sexual violations, cultural rights and their right to life, one could not help but wonder "how many of such specific apologies have been issued to Africa by the Vatican"?.

Indeed the Vatican through Pope John Paul II has in the passed denounced 'the Doctrine of Discovery which was used to justify colonialism' but in light of the Canadian apology one cannot help but think of the atrocities of Africa in general and the remnants which are still evident to this day. It is generally agreed that the Church (Catholic, Protestant and others, but specifically the Catholic Church due to its close proximity to the colonial government of the day) played a significant role in the 1994 #RwandaGenocide where the Hutus and Tutsis murdered each other, it is for this reason that one cannot help but wonder if a similar apology would not be justified.

One is equally tempted to venture into the intricacies of Christian leadership on the stance that Pope Francis took in this case, even though there had been many other apologies issued by his predecessors. But the apology in the contemporary goes to the nub of the issue, that is "the historical relations between the church and the powers that be". History dictates that the socio-economic and political model of the Europeans at the time of exploration and crusades, was a three pronged strategy "Negotiate and persuade, Christianize and manipulate, and if all fails Violate", but of cause it became natural that all three be used simultaneously. The Church was clearly an integral element in the process of committing a crime and it became equally comfortable in its role, therefore the question in the contemporary is whether the Church is still in bed with the oppressor, is the Pope's apology an indication that it ought to play a different role from that which it played in history by speaking out against itself and the government?

These questions become very important in the African context because the ever growing secular Africa is engaged in an ongoing conversation about the relevance of Christianity today, in light of the role that the Church played in meting out of atrocities by the colonial regime, a conversation which is indeed justified and relevant, given that Christianity in Africa is still relatively dominant. Not only is Africa becoming secular by day, but it is also becoming more concerned and alive to the reality that 'it needs to preserve and/or resuscitate its historical and contemporary cultural assets', given that the colonial regime had almost destroyed this all important aspect of an African life. But modern Africa can also not ignore the reality that it continues to self destruct on matters relating to its heritage, she continues to allow the modern world to swallow her language, her culture and her indigenous religious practices, owing to her civilized adaptations.

It is my considered view that Pope Francis sought to demonstrate the independence of the modern church from external influences, tainted as it is, it still has a major role to play in the modern socio-political and economic space, starting by addressing the painful emotional scars that the colonial rapist embedded on to the rest of the world, particularly Africa.

From this the modern Church ought to know that its role in society is to bring peace to the people of God and not to appease the powers that be, to speak truth to power, to fight for the right to human dignity and pray for the repentance of the violator. It is equally my conviction that God's mission lies in the actions of the Church, a church that does not speak out against wrong doing is an accomplice to crime, be it against a government or in society. A church that does not acknowledge its past mistakes is an arrogant church, a God inspired Church is one that humbles itself before the world, genuinely so and say "I am sorry, what can I do to make things right"?

Disclaimer:

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 Kgosiemang Phejane's 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐧𝐨 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥, 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

https://youtu.be/2puEHhvMVkw

There's always a price to pay

 

The Power of the Human Psyche