LET’S GET OUR PRIORITIES RIGHT

Whichever way one may look at it, something is increasingly becoming ominous, awry and perplexing of late concerning the dangerously decreasing and backsliding levels of morality in our society.

The frightening, aggressive and violent behaviours of some members of our society have degenerated to a level reminiscent and typical of those of beasts of the wild - or worse.

Those who study animal behaviour say that they mostly act on instinct, whereas man was gifted with intellect and planning capabilities, which makes him the most creative of God’s creation. Sadly, on the downside, it is one of the most dangerous creations on earth. We fear man more than we fear beasts - for good reasons.

The unprecedented and escalating rates of brutal murders in recent times, especially those committed by men on women - crimes of passion, and other heinous, violent crimes constituting of logic-defying, revenge retaliation for disputes, should give us all who care, a wakeup call that all is not well with and within our society.

Drastic measures

The recent, atrocious incidences – namely: the Ngwenya bar petrol attack, the shocking, late Sifiso Ndaba’s murder and the Hlatikhulu Government Hostpital nurse who was allegedly killed by her police boyfriend. Many other brutal crimes which are still fresh in our minds, which took place during the course of the recently concluded year, are too ghastly to remember.

Drastic measures need to be taken this year; and going forward by all concerned and relevant stakeholders, to find out any underlying causes which might be contributing to this evil.
Intense, concerted efforts need to be employed if we are to curb and remedy this escalating problem.

If it calls for national indaba involving religious, traditional leaders, psychologists, psychiatrists and all leaders at community and civic groups, so be it. This scourge has become ‘indzaba yetfu sonkhe’ as emaSwati. Turning a blind eye to such deadly escapades will make us cowards and tantamount to having lost the famous Swati spirit of Ubuntu.

Something must and has to be done urgently before we as society, deeply revert back to the primeval biblical, Babylonian or Roman laws of ‘an eye for an eye’ type of solving disputes, grievances or altercations.
In our society, there is this thick, almost tangible and suffocating air of anger, lack of tolerance, hatred, strife, dissension etc., lately, permeating through our society.

betrayal or cheating

In love relationships, at the slightest sign of suspected infidelity, betrayal or cheating by an aggrieved male partner - all hell breaks loose, and in most instances, the aggrieved partner ends up resorting to committing capital crime. Some disputes or altercations are now preferred to be solved violently by some in our midst.

This is not on and has to be stopped dead in its tracks. It is a legacy not worth leaving for our young to emulate.
Whenever I read of such shocking incidences through mediums of communication such as electronic and/or print media, I cannot help but pose to myself questions like: are we, as individuals and nation now living under a certain kind of curse or maybe reaping what we sowed by haughtily trampling on God’s statutes.

Are these the last days God prophesied that will engulf the whole world, with violent and brutal behaviour, being chief among other perilous attitudes, permeating the last generation of this world - this generation?

His protective spirit
Has the God of the heavens, who has all along shielded especially our country under His protective shroud for so many years, finally had enough of our blatant spitting on His laws and is gradually removing His restraining and protective spirit, which has largely shielded our nation from so many calamities that have beset surrounding nation for decades? Has our nation now been left to fend for itself and increasingly being exposed to the evil influences of the devil, to run amok in our society, because of our individual and/or national sins?

As I mentioned earlier in the preamble of this article, something is not right with the recent behaviour of our society. We need to be afraid, and be very afraid and do something before it is too late.

appalling and debased levels

What are we doing or have done wrong as society to descend into such appalling and debased levels of immoral behaviours. Are our spiritual attitudes in sync with those dictated by God’s Word? Are we worshipping God in His terms, or in our own, fallible and manmade, tradition-based, terms?
These are questions we need to pose to ourselves and do a thorough introspection, humble ourselves before God and repent of our individual and national sins - before God completely hides His face from our nation and leave us to fend for ourselves.

I know for a fact that as humans, we tend to have the propensity to seek human solutions even to problems that require us to humble ourselves before Him and ask for His intervention. God’s people - ancient Israel asked for a king to rule over them like the surrounding nations. He warned them against refusing His sovereignty over them.
They would hear none of it. He gave them a king – Saul, and as the wise say, the rest is history.
You can travel the whole continent, from Cape to Cairo and to the ends of the world, there is no perfect government. Mankind rules himself to his own peril. Leaving out God in the running of human governments has been the greatest tragedy to befall mankind ever since the dawn of creation.
 I may be wrong, but I feel and am convinced that our problems as a nation are spiritual more than anything.

Read the story of the ancient tribe of Israel and you might agree with me. You do not mess around with God and triumph – never! You may triumph temporarily, become pompous and believe your successes are through your own might or power, forgetting that God is the architect behind your successes, when God acts and takes away the blessings, because you ignored giving Him glory, then trouble begins.

chasm between rich and poor

Greed, corruption, patronage, cronyism etc., just seem to ruin everything.
Sadly, there is a big chasm between the rich and the poor. The haves possess and hoard more wealth, using illicit and every corrupt means imaginable to gain wealth. The elite refuse to share with the have-nots and the less privileged. The poor scramble for crumbs falling from the rich men’s tables and like retards; they applaud the flaunting of wealth by the rich, instead of demanding a share of the country’s resources.
As a nation, we constantly grieve God by mixing His worship with that of the dead.
Does He approve of what He calls an abomination to Him? We have embraced abominable practices in His eyes including but not limited to gay pride marches to take place in a formerly Christian country and we expect Him to shower us with blessings and improve our economy?

celebrated and condoned

I have nothing against people who practice the inexplicable. It is when such are celebrated and condoned by a country which claims its sovereignty is based on God’s laws, and trample on the very laws that I get deeply worried. God is fiercely protective of His sovereignty.
You and I are privy to the fact that influential donor countries do pressure poorer countries to be signatory to even conventions that blatantly clash with God’s word.

But to whom should we give glory? God or Mormon? Which should take precedence between our loyalty to God and donors? Time will tell.
As a country, we fail to adequately take care of our elderly, but we shamelessly give them a pittance when He (God) puts it succinctly clear in His statutes that “thou shalt honour thy father and mother.”  We evict widows and orphans from the land of their forefathers and expect blessings from God who is adamant about the welfare of these marginalised members of our society.

Vuvulane farmers

For instance, the outcry of the Vuvulane farmers is sticking out like a sore thumb. They are an aggrieved lot, whether correctly or otherwise, but it needs to be addressed, as well as many other societal ills.

Our so-called men of the cloth now preach the gospel of prosperity instead of preaching the true gospel of Christ and they expect God to bless our nation? Religious leaders are silent on human rights abuses by our leaders, but instead accept political appointments where their loyalty to God at times is compromised.
We have made money our god, the less privileged are forced to envy and beg for crumbs from the successes of the privileged, are rewarded with jobs, paying them a pittance? In all these vile actions we expect God to clap hands and approve?

We are a drowning nation, unless we get our priorities right and in sync with God’s Word. We may wish for a better turn of fortunes in the New Year, but I tell you, if we fail to put God first, then we are effectively signing our own death warrant.
A happy New Year to all. We will certainly need it. Shalom!
For comments, you can call 76058449

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