Emmanuel Jieng Parish becomes a political purification center!
5 min readBy Sunday de John, Nairobi, Kenya
May 29, 2016 (SSB) — Despite heterogeneity of the Church and the Politics, it is inevitable that in South Sudan the separability of the two is too complex, a probability that generates sweat. The funerals, marriages, birthday parties, and the church sermon gatherings have convertibly on many occasions became centers for homogeneous political sanctification.
Whenever a small gathering has been constituted, even if it means a gathering for reconciliation between a dissent wife and a husband, politicians would have guts to flock there, fight for a chance and enhance their political cause shamelessly.
This is not a case for only South Sudan, rather it is nowadays a common practice in African societies.
This has been very pertinent this year with our political work force. After messing up the country through senseless war as a result of indifference amongst the elites, the ruthless politicians opted to go and mock their victims by running either to Dr. JOHN GARANG’S MAUSOLEUM, Kator Catholic Parish or Emmanuel Jieng Parish.
With their hands deeply soaked in blood of innocent victims, the kleptocrats opted to use unsanctioned platforms in order to address unwilling crowds or congregations in defiance of their own faith.
It is only in one month when Dr. Riek Machar became a believer of the Christian faith of the Roman Catholic Church sect and as well as that one of Episcopal Church of the Sudan of the protestants sect. Mind-boggling! Isn’t it? This too shows that our politicians are unfaithful to us and even to God.
The actions of the first vice President, the self-proclaimed father of democracy in South Sudan, his runs to churches of differing sects, are nothing related to God but hunts for platforms where he would categorically enhance his political cause without dissenting voice. The same would be true for Nyandeng and Dr. Majak Agot. It is also the same for other kleptocrats.
However, such actions are very hypocritical and they would reaffirm the fact that religion is a mask used by hypocrites to deceive people. Needless to say, but let me say it, Something filthy is pertinently obvious with these occasional church goers, they go and present their faithless hearts, ask for forgiveness and assumed to might have sanctified themselves. Never, God forgives after complete repentance, not when one is pretending to be pure at heart.
If Dr. Riek’s cries in Rebecca Nyandeng Chol’s premises were later on followed with erasure of Bor town to ashes, who is that shameless South Sudanese to believe in his many requests for forgiveness.
In fact, Jesus knows all about us. Whether you are a church goer for political and social reasons or not, Jesus knows. You ought not to be faithful after having stolen public wealth and after having murdered innocent people. That is of course saying one thing(repentance), and doing another thing (murdering innocent victims )and the two constitutes the true definition of hypocrisy.
Nevertheless, there are quarters that are using Saul’s analogy to explain what Riek did, going to both churches in a single month to deliver politically motivated speeches, nah! Saul’s saw a burning bush, and was directly called in there and he eventually came out as a changed man.
How many times has Dr. Riek gone to bush? Was he called by who? With his many returns, where did he go to? To the church as a clergyman or to the government as a First Vice President? All these short questions beg short answers from you the givers of the justifications or if not, then shut up.
Inevitably, others would say, he is going to churches as a peace promoter. If that is your line of reasoning, then you are wrong. They politicians should call for peace rallies. They shouldn’t attend churches for political purposes. In essence, church buildings are centers for fellowship, they aren’t political podia.
I don’t want to blame clergy personnel for allowing Dr. Riek into the church, that isn’t my argument. My argument is, if he had gone there, please allow him to pray like anybody else and let him go after the church like all the congregation would do. Giving him platform to address the congregation increases grief especially amongst those that have lost their loved ones and therefore is address the church becomes unacceptable.
Men and women of God shouldn’t allow politics or business in the houses of God. Jesus does not love that. He once chased people of varied businesses from the temple. The following biblical verses would prove it, Matthew 21:12, 13, Isaiah 56: Jer. 7:1.
Politics is a business of its own and therefore must not be practiced in the house of prayer. As a concern citizen, I support Mading Ngor’s cause of protest.
You can’t just kill Abraham Jongror Deng, Ajang Yen, Mayor Mayuen and company and then come and pretend to their loved ones in the name of peace. Peace and justice must kiss.
I hope this serves the day. Till then, yours truly Mr. Teetotaler!
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