By David Matiop Gai, Juba, South Sudan
February 16, 2016, (SSB) — All creatures including human beings who are actionists of politics and public life, law, justice, righteousness, criminality, killing, love, unity came from God? Things like rivers, animals, birds, human being and everything on earth have their origin in God.
Therefore, this topic tackle politics that are associated with the fear of God and prosperity of the nation where leaders respect creations of God and also where people regarded authorities above them as ordinance of God because authorities in the countries are known by God (Roman 13: 1 – 6).
Some people deny God, other get angry with God, still some steal God. How? Because in politics, many politicians deceive fellow human being forgetting that they are also deceiving God who created them. Politicians never believing in God but if some, very few.
So do these things we see around us come to exist by themselves? Can politics and public life be Biblical? What is politics? Will country like South Sudan benefit from politics connected with God and Biblical Leadership? Is conflicting countries where South Sudan a part is cursed? Are these countries exercised ethics of law and justice for equality of very citizen?
In everything we do, there must be a fear of God because the entire life of humanity is enshrined by God’s peace, love, unity, grace, protection, redemption, and God’s supernatural power. To begin with the politics and public life, Politics is an art of management of government affairs and lives of citizens, while public life is every creation’s life including animals, birds and insects.
And if we want to know what God has done in our lives, let us see the simple Hebrew word “Shalom” which translated in English “flourishing” in a Biblical perspectives. Is flourishing Biblical or none? Psalm 92:12-13 said, “The righteousness will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God”
An American Professor at the King’s College in New York described nation’s reforms of what he called “legalism” of missional, radical Christianity. He writes, “An emphasis on human flourishing, ours and others; becomes important because it is characterized by a holistic concern for the spiritual, moral, physical, economic, material, political, psychological, and social context necessary for human beings to live according to their design”
The idea of flourishing is very important factor in countries where Christians majority know what is called God blessings in national and public affairs today, and if the word flourish is used in the above key number of things like spiritual, moral, physical, economic, material, political, psychological, and social which governed human life, human behaviours and human activities, then this nation (south Sudan) will be a nation of the love for God, others, and neighbours. In this way, politics and public life have anything to do with God because the answers for human life are with God’s creatures and many nations who do regarded God’s attributes, and Supernatural power into their public affairs, prospers very fast.
For example let take three countries of Israel, Uganda, and South Sudan. These countries are the right example for my article and what I mean in national politics and public life of citizens but two countries of Uganda and South Sudan are just using symbols of God and no more fear of God in their national politics and human life. In Israel, they do focus on God rules, protection of citizens, and prevention of foreign aggression, and protection of Israel’s territory.
People are more been value in Israel than anything. In Uganda, the Ugandan logo says, “for my God and my country”, and that is all. But in South Sudan, the national Anthem concluded with the notion of glorifying God that, “Oh God bless South Sudan”, people end up from there. Do you think these two nations never need more commitment to God to follow Israel blessings?
I just pick these three countries as examples but many countries in the world notify God in their politics, public life, economic, and entire life of human being because you cannot separate human beings from God’s favour, love, forgiveness, and protection though if the country is none Christian nation.
In the Old Testament, the right concept of flourishing is described in Jewish word “Shalom” and in other languages like English is “Peace”, which is much relevant today in South Sudan ‘s politics because in SPLM’s codes, Peace is one of the ruling party rode of unity and togetherness. Because of the relevance of peace, many Biblical scholars described shalom to its high ranks that shalom signified great number of important things in human life, human politics, and national affairs such as salvation, wholeness, integrity, soundness, connectedness, community, righteousness, justice, and well-being. These clues of shalom make leaders, or citizens act positive in their national development as it had happened in Israel 20 years after the conquered of Canaan.
During the wilderness years in the desert, Prophets promised Israelites that , “God is going to give you a land which will be flowing of milk and honey” but when Israelites conquered Canaan, they waited to saw milk and honey flowing but in vain until they work hard to bring Israel to this very day in their history. Things can be taken direct or indirect, but when things happen, they don’t happen from the blue, someone have to works on them. So what does this prophecy teach us today as South Sudanese? The prophecy teaches us to work hard in order to make our country a paradise of Africa, or make it a Paradise in the world at large.
Reading to be continuing in part 2.
The author is a co-founder of Nation Mental Health Care Organization; he holds Bachelor degree in social work and social administration from SSCUST, Bachelor degree in Theology from Christian Life Teaching Bible College from Montana, USA, and fellow researcher. He can be reach at tonggaid551@yahoo.com/davidmatiopgai@gmail.com