JOSEPH RICHARD MAGONGO: The Dilemma of the Clergy, Speak Out or Keep Silent
The proverb “people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones” is becoming a reality for some clergy in all religions and faiths in Uganda today, because in so many ways some clergy have entangled themselves in state issues, that throwing a stone would mean death, closure, crippled, sanctioned, censored or completely abolish.
The architects of this glass house syndrome smoothly executed it like a rat numbing one’s feet, only to wake up when your skin has been nibbled off. A dependence and survival button was pressed at some point, making it difficult for some clergy and any other institution to operate without the state playing God father enabling a breakthrough of a certain ceiling posturing pseudo success.
This fleeting pseudo success offered to some clergy presented itself like an entitlement to the national cake, blinded by this hypothetical situation little did they know it was a carrot that was kept dangling before them till a point of no return.
To maintain this sorrowful pseudo success many deals, have to be cut, dirty games have to be played to keep appeasing the insurmountable appetite and interests on both sides. The dirty games played by some clergy appear as an exchange of some entitlements and privileges of scratch my back and I will scratch yours. You can do whatever you want, I will turn the other way like I didn’t see.
These fleeting privileges take on the form of cars, bailouts, money donations, VIP protection, invitation to key national functions including direct access to statehouse. This arrivalism creates a feeling of finally I have reached at the eating table. The Baganda put it so well, you don’t speak when you are eating.
This is akin to a quote by Martin Niemöller, a prominent German pastor and anti-Nazi dissident. Niemöller’s original words focus on how the Nazis systematically targeted different groups one by one, while good citizens remained silent because they didn’t belong to the targeted group:
“First they came for the Communists…”
“Then they came for the Socialists…”
“Then they came for the trade unionists…”
“Then they came for the Jews…”
“Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
Biblically, this is similar to a situation when the Pharaoh who didn’t know Joseph took over and all the privileges of the children of Israel were revoked overnight.
The writing is so clear on the wall, the clergy can read it, but the pseudo fleeting success and privileges have muted, blinded and deafened all senses. Similar to the saying that they have ears but can’t hear, they have eyes but can’t see and they have mouths but they can’t speak.
The redeeming thing is, God always spares a remnant who have not bowed to any idols, these speak the oracles of God either with the fearless courage of John the Baptist, or with the wisdom and humility of Prophet Nathan or the child like faith of David the giant killer. But some like Pontius Pilate have washed the truth off their hands and opted to please the masses. Deceived in their mind that by doing this they will be protecting the pseudo success and privileges that have numbed the voice of God.
In such a situation God raises prophets from other nations to declare his Word, but when judgement comes all are washed away a part from those who will hearken to what the spirit is saying to the clergy and the nation.
God also uses such situations to distinguish the genuine from the self-seeking false men of God. the dilemma that hovers over every clergy, no matter the religion or faith, is either to speak out and suffer the consequences or keep silent and suffer the consequences.
The writer is an open-minded clergy. joseph.magongo@gmail.com
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