The truth will come out in the fullness of time

Tichaona Zindoga My Turn
I am very apprehensive as I begin this instalment. It is the nature of the subject that makes a body tremble. Religion.
I’m anticipating a gamut of responses some of which, by way of criticism, will fall on me like a tonne of bricks. Maybe some will choose to extol and encourage me.
My intention is to elicit neither.
It is an inevitable comeuppance of exertions of my nature as a writer and person.

A humble writer, too, the same humility which charges me to point out that I am no expert in the field of religion which I practise on the very basic level of the recognition that I have a Creator, communication with whom I conduct through the medium of Jesus Christ.

It is a very simple, some may call it simplistic, but one that serves a sinner well that hopes for some eternal peace and an afterlife, and appreciates the graces of God in what is divinely provided as food, clothing and shelter.
The way the same are given the birds of the sky.

Some of these divine provisions are pure miracles, coming as they do when least expected and at wits end.
Yet in the world around, religion is not that simple. It was never. It probably never will be.

People are said to be delivered from sicknesses, strange bondages and raised from the dead.
Some people are given height as their bones and tendons stretch out. One of the latest “miracles” is that of somebody having their male organ, in particular that part of the anatomy called the penis, enlarged.

Results of football matches are being foretold, as are deaths of influential people.
Some of the miracles have not actually come to pass, and some have ended in real tragedies and loss of lives. As go reports, one fellow drowned while to reproduce Jesus’ walking on water, and another became a meal for the king of the jungle when he decided to redo the whole Daniel in the den of lions thing.

Those that are doing these jaw-droppers are mostly young men calling themselves, and being generally called, prophets.
They have their followers, thousands of them.

There are doubting Thomases, too, millions of them.
Now, and this forms the nub of this piece, there is a raging war between those that believe in the miracles as expressions of religion and the power of God, and others who do not believe first in the truth of the miracles themselves and the so-called miracles as expressions of Godly power.

So if you dare question the authenticity of the so-called miracles – like that somebody’s penis can be enlarged – and the inspiration of the one performing the miracle, you are bound to receive heavy censure from those that believe in the form and expression of the miracles.

Like Reason Wafawarova did last Sunday at the hands of Jealousy Mawarire who is a trained journalist who holds a Master of Journalism and Media Studies from Rhodes University, South Africa, who may or may not be an acolyte or crony of a prophet that purported to perform a manhood- enlarging miracle.

The question becomes, should one approach matters of religion with a shut mind? (Let it be clear that I emphasise my being no expert and while I deliberately choose not to quote any experts but approach this matter from the standing of a simple man of simple faith.)
Should someone’s cognitive capacity fall away the moment they enter that church gate?

It is very tempting to believe that religion is all about submission and unquestioning faith.
This is why some well-worn phrase suggests religion is like a powerful drug that lulls and intoxicates.
If one submits and does not question, who should they fall under, God or man?

God we know as the unchanging, the constant, in the fleeting life of churches, prophets and pastors, and whatnot.
Some religious personalities have turned out to be fakes. Some have been exposed as frauds and moral cheats.

Some have been convicted in the courts of law as criminals, rapists and thieves. Some are charlatans and morons.
Worshippers themselves change.

They hop from one church to another; one denomination to the other. Some are veritable prostitutes of religion.
New churches are filled with old church-hoppers in a curious cycle and recycle.

When people question some practices and people purporting to be prophets and seers the exhortation in vogue these days is “touch not my anointed”.

This is even in light of questions of when and where, if ever such anointing would have taken place.
The genuine worry is that the world is becoming a dangerous place where some church leaders become and behave like mafia lords.
What we see is growing religious fundamentalism and cults.

Those that are fundamentalist pursue a strong, intolerant and ultimately narrow view. These are the guys that kill in the name of religion.

They kill and fight and even rape on behalf of a god that, being powerful as they seek to project, is all powerful.
There are other worshippers that will fight or kill, not for a god or God, but man whom they believe to be anointed of God.

For them, more often than not, the leader assumes the status of a god and is often mentioned, praised and revered more than God, our God; and Jesus, our Jesus Christ.

Some prefer to call themselves children of a prophet when the simple worshippers would regard themselves as sons and daughters of God.
The person increasingly identifies the church and the church the person more than they do God and his teachings and injunctions as expressed in the Word.

Zimbabwe is fast becoming home to these demi-gods. You do not have to be an expert in the field of religion or rocket science to realise this.
The lynch mob is peopled with various people of influence and the common man.

They will gag you. They will skin you. They will hang you.
And this is not primarily for God but for the man of flesh, the sinning man who we know can never be perfect.

Some of these things a person would need real Divine light to see and get full import and necessary direction, especially if we all believe these are the last days of strange occurrences and false prophets.

How we should read and receive the end time message – no pun intended – is the question.
Are we supposed to question, anyway?

Some of us, of simple faith, are increasingly becoming marooned. Perhaps doomed.
Yet, we sinners, believe the Truth will out in the fullness of Time.