25 May 2022
By Rev Kenneth Mtata
Psalm 93;
2 Chronicles 34:20-33;
Luke 2:25-38
Verse of the day
"It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah" (Luke 2:26).
Today is Africa Day. It is a day that was set aside to celebrate and acknowledge the successes of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU now the AU) from its creation on May 25, 1963, in the fighting colonialism, racism, and all forms of oppression. It was meant to be a day to reflect on the common challenges that the continent faced. In Christian language, it is a day to thank God for the gift of being African as well as the day to repent from Africa's failure to live up to its calling.
In Luke 2, we hear of a man (Simeon) and a woman (Anna) who were in their old ages and were "looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested" on them (Luke 2:25). At this time in their life, things were terribly going wrong in their nation. They could have cried wondering why their nation was in such a sorry state. But the Spirit of God was upon them to give them hope, resilience, resistance as well as wisdom to act in difficult times.
We need the same Spirit of God, the Spirit of Pentecost, for Africa.
The Holy Spirit came down in power at Pentecost after the suffering of the cross. Calvary suffering was transformed at Pentecost. Suffering was not the last word the resurrection.
Suffering was always a result of the struggle against firces of death. From Genesis (1:2), the Spirit of God transformed the waters that were chaotic and removed the darkness that covered the earth. When the Spirit of God was on Joseph (Genesis 41:38), his brothers threw him into the pit. When Spirit of God fell upon Balaam (Numbers 24:2), “Balak's anger was kindled against” him and he struck Balaam’s hands (Numbers 24:10). When the same Spirit fell upon Saul, “his anger was greatly kindled” against the Ammonites (1 Samuel 11:6). Even in such cases, suffering was not the last word; the Promised Land was received; the chaotic waters were stilled and the creation was established; Balaam’s curse was turned into a blessing; Saul mobilised the Israelites and they won the battle.
When Jesus declared “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” (Luke 4:18), “they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff” (Luke 4:29); when they had received the Spirit at Pentecost, the apostles suffered persecution and being filled with the Spirit, Stephen was stoned to death. Yet even then, Jesus rose from the dead; the persecution of the apostles led to the worldwide proclamation of the word and Paul was converted because of Stephen’s martyrdom. Suffering cannot and should not be the last word. Suffering should be an opportunity for the new outpouring of the Spirit does to overcome the forces of death.
As we commemorate Africa day today, we also recognise its suffering. We must also seek the new movement of the Spirit in its midst. We are aware of such dominant spiritual, economic, political and social forces that have impoverished our continent. We remember today that there were Africans at the first outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost in Jerusalem. We recall that these Africans at Pentecost were neither poor nor destitute. They had their own functioning economies and governments. The one African we hear from Ethiopia who met Phillip on his way home after Pentecost in Acts 8 was actually an equivalent of the modern day Minister of Finance. He was responsible for the treasury of the Queen of Ethiopia.
However, over the years, Africa has become a begging people. Its resources have been plundered by the greedy people from other continents with complicity of its selfish and narrow-minded political leaders. Africa is unable to heal its diseased children and feed its own people. Its children die at an early age while its leaders get fat through corruption. Many of its children are scattered in the unknown parts of the world in search for livelihoods. Many Africans suffer indignity and humiliation in countries they work in. In the diaspora, Africans are treated with disdain and like subhuman. Even though Africa is blessed with many natural resources and its people are open to God, Africa remains at the Calvary of anguish and pain.
Well before missionaries came, Africa had Christianity. You will remember that it was one of the Africans who carried the cross of Jesus, Simon of Cyrene. You will remember it was Africans who started the churcg in Antiochus of Acts? Many may forget that Africans witnessed both the suffering of Crucifixion and Pentecost. The sad thing is that Africa has stayed at the suffering of Calvary instead of moving to the glory of Pentecost.
Instead of speaking by the Spirit of God, Africa prophets have spoken with the spirit of self-preservation, deception and self-interest. African prophets have not been ready to confront the demonic systems or principalities and powers of economic, political and social exploitation that continue to enslave the African people. The African prophets have organised prayer after prayer because they are not willing to take risky concrete action to free God's people from tyranny and oppression. Africa's prophets would rather spiritualise the economy, idolise politicians than mobilize and organise people into a critically conscious mass to demand freedom. Many Africans have now chosen to run after anyone who can pray for them or prophesy over them than to seek the Spirit of God to give them courage, wisdom and unity to confront and end the forces of evil that have robbed the hope of its children.
Africans will need something more than the prayerfulness of Anna in Luke 2. Africa must enjoy the life of the Spirit in Acts where a new economy of equitable and transparent redistribution of resources was visible. Africa needs the Spirit of Pentecost to resist the politics of false hopes. Africa will need the Spirit of Pentecost who gives boldness to say "we will rather obey God than human beings" when idolatry arises. Africa needs the Spirit of Pentecost who gave Simeon the satisfaction in his old age that he could now rest in death because salvation has come. May the Spirit of the Lord fall anew upon Africa on this Africa Day.
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