ZIMBABWE is a country under political and economic siege. It is a country in dire straits such that people would virtually do or say anything to ensure their political survival.
We have heard the weirdest statements of praisesinging from politicians as they seek to maintain political relevance and survival.
It is quite unfortunate that Zimbabwe continues to witness people going into overdrive in the quest to curry favour with the rulers of the land.
Some would like to call it bootlicking while many other unsavoury phrases have been coined to describe the practice.
One may go into politics or religion and still come across the unholy practice that has taken root where people equate mere mortals with God or historic biblical figures.
The last time it was Zion Christian Church Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi who described President Robert Mugabe as greater than the Bible author at the president’s birthday bash.
Without taking away Mugabe’s role in the liberation struggle, Mutendi’s remarks are indeed next to blasphemy.
Mutendi noted that Mugabe achieved better than the Biblical Moses since the latter failed to take the children of Israel into the land of Canaan.
Presumably, Mugabe has taken Zimbabweans to the Promised Land unlike Moses who could not cross into the land.
Moses is the hero of the Exodus whom God would speak to facetoface as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus33:11).
It is a feat not achieved by many people in the Bible; seeing the face of God. Moses authored the entire Pentateuch whose historical accuracy has been noted by scientists as astoundingly impregnable.
It was Moses who led the Exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt and across the Red Sea, after which they based themselves at Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments.
Moses was a mortal who carried the presence of God. God actually appointed him a ‘God’ unto his brother Aaron who in turn was appointed a ‘God’ unto the children of Israel. It, therefore, naturally follows that Moses is, by far, one of the greatest historical figures in the truest sense of the statement; not many of us will ever see the face of God the creator of heaven and earth.
Very few of us would be tasked with such a gargantuan task of leading a sanctified nation to a Promised Land. Moses is indeed a distinct character in comparison to the current crop of leaders in earthly affairs today.
Bishop Mutendi therefore went off record and it is not to be expected of a man of his standing and it is therefore understandable why fellow clergymen and civic groups would savage him as they did after the statement.
What is worse is that the trend continues where politicians or religious leaders continue leading the crusade of equating mortals to God.
The recent gaffe comes from Zanu PF Mashonaland West senator Tapera Machingaifa whose remarks went one step father by likening the president, not only to mortal biblical figures, but to Jesus Christ himself the Son of God.
“The President is a brave leader whom I liken to Jesus Christ; he is carrying the cross just like our Lord Jesus did when he died on the cross for our sins.”
While there is absolutely nothing wrong with admirers of the president, there is everything wrong with likening mortals to immortals. In essence, the current state of Zimbabwe, the country, betrays the praise singing.
Zimbabwe has become one of the poorest countries and remains in the grip of an economic logjam that has seen millions of Zimbabweans becoming refugees enduring hostile treatment in foreign countries.
Jesus Christ is simply in a category of his own. Just like the popular hymn says, “There is no one like Jesus.”
Jesus Christ died for the sins of the entire human race. He gave life to all humanity through his death and that is simply incomparable. He is the only man who, on record, died yet he is alive. Jesus Christ is the express image of God; he is what God is regardless of what critics say. To put it plainly, Jesus Christ is himself the observable image of God (John 10:10).
He is the same as God. His service to mankind can never by any inch be compared to any mortal, living or dead.
Now it is seriously imperative that, in their quest to please people in authority, whether religious or political people must desist from statements that are biblically in bad taste and border around blaspheme.
It is sad that the economic morass in the country has created a nation of people who are not guided by principle but will say anything including blasphemous statements to be politically correct.