Men of God Or gods of men?

When renowned literary icon, Chinua Achebe said "The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and our clan can no longer act like one. He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart." He was only bemoaning the divisive influence and role, foreign religion has played in our midst. He was probably oblivious of the inestimable damage and immeasurable exploitation his fellow country men will make of it. It was former Kenyan president, Jomo Kenyatta that first identified religion as a veritable tool for exploiting and impoverishing others by saying "when the Missionaries arrived, the Africans had the land and the Missionaries had the Bible. They taught us how to pray with our eyes closed. When we opened them, they had the land and we had the Bible". Little did he know that fellow Africans would one day employ the same strategy, to rip their kinsmen and plunge them into poverty. Once again, this cowboy is constrained to write on a matter that will pit him against many. My closest companions have warned me saying it is written, "touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm". They say "judge not that you be not judged". Is it not the same Holy Book that said in John 8:32 "and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free"? When we will embrace the bitter truth and throw off these shackles of self inflicted ignorance we have worn for too long? The instruction was unambiguously stated and standard clearly set, by no one else but our Lord and Master himself. So whose instruction are they following and whose standard and they conforming to now?

So here I stand alone like I've done in recent times, with plenty questions spinning in my mind in search of answers that probably either don't exist or are best left alone. As an African when an elder has to call your name three consecutive times or repeat himself three times you knew the world had stopped spinning. Once and only once, does the Holy Book record the Son of God repeating himself three times, yet we take with levity the words he uttered there and then. In John 21:15-17 it is written "So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep". Peter was perhaps right to take offence, and his anger was certainly not out of place. The emphasis that night was for a purpose, most likely not for Mr Peter himself, but subsequent Peters that would misconstrue the Lord and edit his instruction for selfish and canal reasons. Particularly the Peters from this side of the world, who are feeding fat on the sheep entrusted to them with reckless abandon. It is indeed a slim margin between "feed my sheep" and "feed on my sheep". How else do you explain what I'm seeing?

Perusing through the pages of this expensive magazine only to find my country men and preachers of my race dominating the list of the richest clergy men in the world. If they had given freely,what they received freely as they were so instructed, how would they have stacked up so much wealth worth millions in hard currency? Perhaps the mansions of gold he promised us across the bridge have tarried too long, that many now deem it best to take matters into their hands and build theirs here, where everything fades with the passage of time and treasures, vulnerable to theft. What saddens me most is not their decision to settle here and terminate their pilgrimage, but the poor souls that are spiritually starved and physically exploited by preaching exciting and enticing sermons every Sunday. Taking advantage of the poverty in the land to make themselves richer to the detriment of their followers. Successfully and with minimal effort they convinced their followers that sowing seeds is now the shortest route to breakthroughs, many now indulge in ungodly activities to make money and offer to "God". To today's Peters, it doesn't matter whether the money was fraudulently earned, just bring it to the "house of God" and it would be sanctified. The Peter of old would have told such men "thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money"

He was modest in all ways. His main means of transportation was by foot. Though there existed glamorous and expensive horses and chariots, he knew people like blind Bartimaeus needed access to him. In a fast moving chariot he would have missed Zacheaus the tax collector, and salvation would have passed the short man's family. The widow who lost her only son, would have lived a sorrowful and lonely life if a convoy had surrounded him. He truly came to serve and not be served and to give his life a ransome for many. The more I see, the more confused I get, there isn't so much in common between him and his so called servants today. Mahatma Gandi said " I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." Most of them have come to be served and not to serve, and to hold the lives of others to ransom- a radical departure and sharp contrast to the model instituted by the Master himself. They drive in the most expensive tinted glassed cars with a lengthy entourage of heavily armed men. A good number of them fly on private jets in a bid to "hasten" the spread of the gospel. Then I ask, which gospel? During the great commission he charged us to begin in our Jerusalems. As long as there remains an unsaved soul around you, you have no right flying to the other end of the world to save those that brought this religion to us in the first place. It just doesn't make any sense taking coal to Newcastle. Like the Ibos say "when a hyena wants to eat her offsprings, she will say they smell like goats". Many reasons have been put forward by them and those who support this extreme extravagant lifestyle of our clergy. The Lord was made poor so that they might be rich. The earth is the Lord and the fullness thereof. We could go on and on citing references that has turned them to multi millionaires without jobs.

Lest I get misconstrued, it is imperative I state unequivocally that I have nothing against seeing the preacher man prosper. My concern has always been and is-at what cost and is it really worth it? The spiritual and physical well being of their followers? Or to the detriment of their own souls? I would love to fly in a private jet if I could, or ride on the back of a strong black stallion. However, It is anti-cowboy to take more than you give or manipulate another for your selfish gains, so I must live within the confines of my legitimate income. When greed tries to dictate to me and the lust to gather springs up, I recall the words of Francis of Assisi, "remember that when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received-only what you have given."

I can only imagine how beautiful and pleasant it would be, if our clergy would give thought to the words of Mother Teresa, a lady that was a true reflection of what a life dedicated to service should be when she said "live simply so others may simply live."

N Udom

where this one happen? i mean the picture