Breakfast invite October 29

A call to action for the goodness ambassadors to rise up

Friend it is not lost to us that the idea of Religion and Mythology is deeply rooted in African Culture so much so that it is customary to invoke the name of God in everyday language. One needs not to look too far to notice how politicians equivocate and invoke the name of God to win the religious vote.

Unfortunately carefree use or taking the name of God in vain has led to a serious problem of the miniaturization and desacralization of the Sovereignty of God. The Omnipotent is no longer sovereign but serves the interest of the petitioner’s wishes apende asipende (like it or not). The Omnipotent in this scenario has been reduced to a mere go fetch it for me pet with no sovereign power to decide otherwise.[1]

This faulty perception of the Omnipotent miniaturizes and desacralizes the office of the Almighty leading to a chain reaction of ills that adversely affect the well spring of goodness.

One wonders just how a nation or society which claims to be over 80% religious (Christian) finds itself boiling in raw animalistic tribal instincts. Either the above population has not understood or appreciated the ethic of this faith that of tolerance (love) through poor or no proper religious education or does not simply care to observe it.

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full.35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.[2]

We are at a precipice of darkness because the people of goodwill have compromised this ethic this ethic by bowing down to the altar of corruption. The integrity of institutions which are supposed to be salt and light is eroded. It is no wonder then that discrimination of people groups along raw animalistic tribal instincts exist. This state of blindness is behind all manner of moral decadence among the people of goodwill. News media is full of sensational reports of Clergy who have literally been caught with their pants down committing sexual immorality with members of their congregation. Others have become “tumbocrats “their god is the god of their stomach and are willing to exploit the naïve the hopeless by selling snake oil Gospel.[3]

As a people of goodwill we need to appreciate the Apostle Paul’s admonition that in Gods Kingdom there is no Jew, Greek or Gentile in the Kingdom of God[4]. As a people of goodwill our role in society is to promote justice, mercy and reconciliation.

Desmond Tutu advises on this that

If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”

Jazz Johansson weighs in on this expectation as well in the article featured on Intervarsity during a period where there has been interest to muzzle the voice of protesters on black lives matter.

He says “Over the past year, I have witnessed many of my Christian sisters and brothers seeking to be “impartial” or “neutral” as they watch the death and destruction of black bodies across our nation. I have answered many questions from friends, students and colleagues in the vein of:

“Shouldn’t we as Christians be neutral?”

“Shouldn’t we be on both sides?”

Something about these questions causes me to do one of those side head cocks, raise my left hand with my index finger slightly extended and say with a crooked mouth response,

“Not necessarily.”

I do not think it is our role as believers to be “neutral” or “impartial”.

Yes, Jesus loves both the oppressed and the oppressor. And yes, we are called to seek and pursue radical forgiveness.

However, we too often weaponize grace to force marginalized people to premature forgiveness and we weaponize grace as a tool of erasure in the narrative of marginalized peoples.

For example, the phrase “All Lives Matter!” while initially seeming neutral, impartial and inclusive is more often than not used to discredit, minimize and delegitimize the pain of Black people. Weaponized grace.

We, as people of faith, and faith leaders, in particular, have been placed in unique positions to be conduits of Jesus’ healing and loving power. We, as faith leaders, are handlers of narrative and story. We are mediators, facilitators and moderators of experience and truth, and this is a role we must take seriously, especially in the way we care for and love those of marginalized identities–people of color, LGBTQ folks, low income sisters and brothers, children, elderly, widow, foreigner…sounding familiar?

Are we on God’s side?

If our goal is not impartiality or neutrality, then what? Scripture can give us insight. Here's Joshua 5:13-15:

Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”

I submit that the root cause of tribulations facing mankind of wars and conflicts is the obsolescence of the Sovereignty of Goodness (God). Wars , animalistic tribal sensitivity instincts, injustices, racisms, corruption, sodomy, adultery, pervasions, hypocrisy, betrayals, lies, greed, propaganda, egocentrism's, xenophobia’s, Islamophobias, apartheid, all manner of hate crimes and misbehaviors mistrusts or exploitations of our own brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, and children are a natural progression of this obsolescence of the Sovereignty of God.

No wonder there is deafening silence to plight of the suffering by the people of goodwill along tribal divides.[5]

Let us find a way to stop the continuation of this abhorrent state, let us break from cuddling darkness and move into the marvelous light of faith and goodness [6]. Let us reflect on the wickedness within our hearts. Let us conquer these animalistic tribal sensitivity instincts [7]For what matters in the Kingdom of God is not physical circumcision but spiritual[8]. It is with this in mind that we cordially invite you to a first of many workshops on responding to this question what shall we do, that we might work the works of God? [9]

Goodness Ambassadors Breakfast

Your supported through pay what you can breakfasts is highly appreciated. These are set for Sunday mornings 11:00 AM starting October 29 2017 at 483 Oakwood Avenue Toronto Ontario.

We shall have a guest speaker from Kibera Nairobi Kenya to share with us the state of goodness in Kenya followed by Questions and Answer sessions.

Dialogues, discussions, lectures and commitments to discuss the root cause to answer the above question how might we become Goodness Ambassadors.

You are therefore cordially invited to be our guest regardless of your belief or non belief system to lend your voice to this initiative.

Elevations social Sundays

Following this morning event another program to enhance social connections among our members and community will be held in the afternoon from 4:00 pm

After all this is why we invest. We invest so that we may achieve not just wealth but overall wellness or goodness individually and in community.

Event will be held October 29 2017 at 483 Oakwood Avenue Toronto Ontario. We will have a guest speaker from Kibera Nairobi Kenya to share with us the state of goodness in Kenya and how we can support enhancement of Goodness in East Africa.

References

(Johnson 2016)

(Hughes 2010)

[1] May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Mathew 6:10

[2] Luke 6:27-36

[3] For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship[a] is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:18

[4] There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

[5] When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers Proverbs 21:15

[6] But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Amos 5:24

[7] For it makes no difference whether or not a man has been circumcised. The important thing is to keep God's commandments. 1 Corinthians 7:19

[8] In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, Colossians 2:11

[9] John 6:28