CHRISTIANS CAN READ AND DECIDE ON THEIR OWN

‘Give yee unto Ceaser what belongs to him, and give unto God what belongs to God’s Kingdom’ Adopted from the Holy Bible.

This Biblical phrase summarizes the dilemma that Christians in Kenya face on the constitutional review process. To vote ‘NO’as the clergy keep exhorting them to do, from the pulpit, from the media houses, from crusades and from prayer rallies, or to vote ‘YES’ as the political leaders keep requesting them to do. The Government has given the Draft Constitution a thumbs up, and will be going out of its way to ensure that it is passed, while the clergy is readying for a long and winding battle against the same.

This is historic, and not the only time the church and state in Kenya have been on either side of the boxing ring! We only hope that this particular duel will not result in an unhealthy paralysis, especially as Kenya seeks to rise from the ignominy of the 2007 post Election Crisis. But duel, they must. Unfortunately, the rules of the duel are not yet set and the State is likely to have its way, anyway!

The Church is adamant, that the principles of a ‘Godly’ State and an upright moral society need to be protected at all costs. That society has to listen to God’s words, or else the consequences will be dire. Last Sunday in my local Church, I watched helpless as the preacher used the allegory of Sodom and Gomorah as he prophesied about Kenya’s future, especially if the Constitution would pass as it is. We just watched, some amazed, some shocked but others clearly disgusted. Some just shook their heads in disbelief! The Church just wont let go, and they could as well sway a significant number of believers to vote NO, either way!


On its part, the State is defiant. In fact, the State is boisterous. It has a timetable drawn only by blood, it has a time bomb its trying to desperately defuse, since the clock to 2012 keeps ticking away. The Government has to ensure a new constitutional dispensation before the next general elections. The quest for reforms, a major yardstick of its commitment to bequeath unto Kenya a fresh nation, devoid of injustices, impunity, poverty, corruption, landlessness and other ills that have continued to plaque the country, lies stoically on promulgating a new constitutional dispensation. On this particular issue, the Government smells a victory, and it’s really a deserved one. But the church just won’t bulge.

We the Christians just watch helplessly, a monotonous game of oratorical garbs are traded, from church to state, state to church, no let up, no reprieve, no consensus, no dialogue, no agreements just a promise of a long three or so months. But, NO, we are not helpless. We can be part of reason. We can rise up and decide to respect the State and the Church, but we can as Christians, choose the only path that can guarantee our future a sustainable livelihood. We can let logic drive our thought processes, and we can reason to choose the lesser devil. Abortion, Kadhis courts, land issues, and any other new discoveries within the Draft Constitution may not make sense now, but we can chose to make them sensible and sound.

We can decide to discuss these issues and to be tolerant to others opinion, but Christians in Kenya must decide to read the document and make their own conscious decision. The clergy should desist from using the pulpit to campaign against the document, since a large percentage of the people with voters cards can be able to decide on their own. The State need not coerce, nor force, nor fire, nor intimidate, just ensure that Kenyan Christians access the document and understand it fully.

Then and only then will we be able to tell, what belongs to Ceaser or what belongs to God!!!!

Jeff Makeke