My life alongside God's word volume three. 21st century issues section.
- by Matta Mubarak D. Komi
I live in Nuba Mountains, the area to which I belong, the most neglected region in Sudan and in Africa, where there are no government institutions, public services or infrastructure. Its people have faced all kinds of evil
persecutions, oppression, social injustice and discrimination, and have been denied all of their dignity down to the right to live, let alone to enjoy life. Their very own Sudanese brothers have treated them so mercilessly. In fact no human beings of the twenty first century have ever faced what the Nuba people have experienced. Why do I make this claim? Since I have found that there are no other people all over the 21st century earth who live in caves and are totally cut off from the world, which elsewhere has become a small village as a result of social stability and the valuing of human life. Even in their caves the Nuba are frightened day and night by lethal bombardments. Also, while we find some things are very cheap to buy in other places in the world, we find in Nuba Mountains and other places in Sudan, people go without them. For example no one in the world today is lacking salt, but in Nuba Mountains, some people eat food without salt for more than a week before they struggle to find it. While we find in other parts of the world there are mountains of
clothes and shoes people do not know what to do with, most people in Nuba Mountains go without clothes and shoes. The situation is very hard to describe. Yet people still claim that there is a country called Sudan coping well with current global technology and globalisation.
Anyhow, being Sudanese and a pastor has allowed me to travel to different parts of my country and interact with most of the Sudanese people groups. If we honestly take a
look into the long suffering and miserable lives of most of Sudanese folk today, we will find that the real cause behind this suffering and miserable existence, is living life without
ethics, with no principles people can use to determine what is the right way to live and what is the wrong way to live.
Many people in top positions, who control most of the country’s resources in both public and private institutions, who have more opportunities than others and enjoy most of the privileges and resources of this land, do not possess the single ethical sense of responsibility to maintain everyone’s human dignity. So I argue that the most destructive thing today in Sudanese communities is the life of many people, with ill attitudes and wicked motives, which has led to life generally being without ethics and having a severe lack of moral values. These people are earning their living at the expense of others, victimising many and making their lives very miserable.
Today in Sudan life itself is not precious any longer. There is no respect for life at all, no dignity and right for others to live. People forget about others and their right to eat and get water or shelter to cover themselves. In the headlines of the Sudanese news everyday there are two things: Firstly the raping of women and secondly the killing of people. These have become daily events that have made life very tasteless for many Sudanese people. There is no set of ethical standards and moral values to govern the life of our nation and to provide protection for people’s lives. Even if there are such things written down in law somewhere, they are not applied into life at all. Otherwise, why has life become so hard and miserable? Why has no action been taken to stop the wicked practices of beastly behaviour by cruel people?
God has blessed many Sudanese people with different gifts, expecting them to bless others. But instead of doing so they have brought curses on to the lives of others by using those gifts to live unethical lives. Though most of the Sudanese national and spiritual songs speak about being one people, with no hatred, North or South, Arab or African, Muslim or Christian, listening to political addresses and to some preaching on the media in big gatherings, everything sung or said is just empty and meaningless words.
“We are the army of God and of our land,
We shall never fail when called to sacrifice.
Whether braving death, hardship or pain,
We give our lives as the price of glory.
May this Our land, Sudan, live long,
Showing all nations the way.
Sons of the Sudan, summoned now to serve,
Shoulder the task of preserving our country”.
Sudanese national anthem, adopted in 1956. Words by Sayed Ahmad Muhammad Salih. Translated from Arabic.
Having a top position, without moral values
Many Sudanese leaders are men who were heroes in battle, and sadly in fighting against other Sudanese during civil wars, etc. But they are not heroes in daily life because they
lack ethical power. Conflicts and the fighting between one another for leadership and to gain positions in Sudan, and tribal conflicts on the other side, all these troubles have
made life very miserable and have cost many others the most precious thing, life itself. So the question I ask is: What is the use of being in leadership’s top position
without godly ethical values?
I think the most important weapon needed today to tackle Sudan’s problems is not a physical weapon like tanks or guns aiming to destroy others, or to be seen stronger than
others, or to be feared as the most powerful tribe, or to be on top of any institution ruling or dominating others. No! The most needed thing is being armed with first class ethical values, showing good moral behaviour always, in order to save the lives of many potential victims:
“I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it,
surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor
man. So I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” But the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are no longer heeded. The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good”, Ecclesiastes 9:13-18.
What is the prime motivation for seeking position? Human beings are created by God and are so valuable to God whatever their tribal background, or in spite of the way they differ from other tribes: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning —the sixth day”, Genesis 1:31. Every Sudanese tribe is very important to us and is valued. Our actions and behaviour towards others must show that all people are important to us. The ways we treat others show if we value them or not. All the Sudanese tribes are valuable and useful in God’s eyes, and so we must value them too. God does not value any tribe because of their wealth, or the position or the power they have, or due to their skin colour.
In Sudan people judge and favour others by their appearance, but the unseen inside of many people is full of wicked things. What matters most must surely be the character of a person, not what he has or has not. The true value of any human being is not on the outside appearance, but it is inside. An undisciplined life deforms a human being by the ugliness of corruption. Healthy self-esteem is very important for every individual, because some over estimate themselves and think too little of others. Many are
working very hard to earn their living and to be on top of the institutions and become famous. But reputation is better than all: “A good name is more desirable than great
riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold”, Proverbs 22:1. Physical bodies, power, riches and everything else will perish, but a reputation for good moral character will not.
Being well-educated without moral values
Yes, we need a high level of education and we need well-educated leaders, there is no problem with this. But my question here is, what is the use of being well educated without living a good moral life, possessing, displaying and submitting to first class ethical values? Being well educated, getting several high degrees and gaining a lot of
knowledge without ethical values is likely to cause suffering rather than being of help to others, because those who have good degrees are preferred for position and favoured for promotion and are put on top of institutions.
But they are not the best ethically. They are only better educationally. They may use their positions to oppress and belittle others, to exploit weak people (especially women) and to corrupt life in general. Many are using their knowledge to cover up their own unethical actions and practices. For example, deliberate misinterpretation of some words to justify certain actions and to make something not crime when they do it, but it remains a crime when others do it! Knowledge without obeying accepted moral law and godly ethical values is useless. Knowledge without an exemplary ethical life is useless. And without moral values our knowledge becomes useless. Being professional or skilful in certain areas without quality ethical and moral values is useless. Working with a great
organisation, or being on top of a large Institution, without godly ethics leading one to please God in all of life’s values, is worthless.
What is mostly needed today is moral instruction. We need to read again the two Bible books of the Wisdom of Solomon (Proverbs and Ecclesiastes) to get practical guidelines for life. The most needed thing today is to live to a higher moral standard, not in higher positions or being in the top job to dominate others or to have titles and show how important we are! Some people depend on education and act as though education and high degrees have made humanity and put women and men on this planet. It is attitudes that count more than knowledge or performance. No teaching is more precious than the
teaching of good Christian moral values. We need to accept the direction of moral law to guide our lives, not the teachings of false and wicked men. Today more than at any time in the history of Sudan we need to reread the teaching of Christian moral values and apply it to our life and society.
Apart from a God-honouring moral life, there will be no healing and no social stability in our society. We can arm ourselves with different teachings, weapons to protect ourselves from other ethnicities, but that does not change people’s hearts towards other people. Only well applied moral teaching will do that. All educated people and leaders who are without solid and upright ethical values are like clouds that appear in the sky promising heavy rains, but people wait for it in vain:
“But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like
animals they too will perish. They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have
done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, revelling in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes full of adultery, they
never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam
son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity— for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”
(Possibly Peter quotes this line from Romans 6:16, editor).
If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud””, 2 Peter 2:12-22.
God created us and gave us life that has great significance and value, but living with no ethics makes life insignificant and without its God-given value. We become like bodies with no skeletons; there is nothing to hold us upright. The neglecting and ignoring of God’s teaching is the cause of all
wicked, shameful and destructive behaviour. “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children”, Hosea 4:6. We should not take wealth and other gifts allied with them then use them against God, the giver of all blessings. It is well known in Sudan that there are two powers controlling most of the intelligent and mighty men: firstly, adultery and secondly, alcohol.
What is your attitude towards the other sex? Do you see the opposite sex as just an object for your sexual satisfaction? When God is our Master, money and material things serve us, but if money and other things are our masters we become their slaves. Who or what controls you?
Being rich without possessing ethical values
It is well known in Sudan that when someone is given a position and is on top or has become a leader, he does not want to be seen or be considered as someone who is
lacking money, cattle, and food in order to feed his extended family and relatives, or is not able to employ relatives in the same institution. In such a situation, and in our culture, what then will happen? Most of the Sudanese leaders when they come to the top of any institution, the first thing they think to do is make sure to gain lot of things from that institution, even if they do it at the expense of others or even causing the end of the institution. This is to be able to offer to give something to his relatives. Others have resources and are rich but they are using them to exploit others and corrupt them. They are making life very miserable instead of bringing happiness into the life of others. Many people value physical things more than they value human beings This is clearly seen in the way lots of people are killed during cattle stealing, in order that some get rich with others paying the cost. My question here is: What is the use of being rich materially, or possessing lots of things, while being so poor ethically and morally? Being rich or possessing lots of things does not make anyone
better than the others, ethically speaking:
“I have seen something else under the sun: The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favour to the learned;
but time and chance happen to them all. Moreover, no one knows when their hour will come: As fish are caught in a cruel net, or birds are taken in a snare, so people are
trapped by evil times that fall unexpectedly upon them”, Ecclesiastes 9:11-12.
Valuing animals above human life is common in Sudan. There are many people with enough cattle but they do not send their children to school. They do not even clothe them properly or give them the proper assistance in life by providing for their basic needs. A human being is not measured in the sight of God by the physical things he has
but by the character that he possesses. Moral values are what count, not the mountains of things that a person has gathered. What we want to have is not important, but why
we want to have it is very important. Living for only things and objects has cost many their lives. The only thing that counts is the ethical value behind our pursuit. Evil motives and the desire to possess more than others is the cause of all hatred and fighting in vain:
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get
what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may
spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double- minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up”, James 4:1-7.
Though religious things may be used as a cover, the real desire in some people is for personal or tribal advancement. It will not bring any genuine success. Some people may try and think they can contain God or control Him as they do with pagan gods, but that will not happen with the true and living God.
Being religious without ethical values
The religious life of many people and the way they behave towards others is making God to be seen very badly – they make God look bad. In Sudan no one wants to be seen as an
unreligious person or infidel. Everyone claims to be a believer (mainly Muslims with a significant minority of Christians) and no one publicly denies God or claims to be an atheist. But my question is, what is the use of having religion or being religious without living before the eyes of God using the ethical values He desires? Religion without
life-changing ethics does not differ from the religions of Satan; in fact it is described in the Bible as a satanic and devilish religion:
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder”, James 2:14-19.
Because of spiritual blindness and lack of moral values, some people in Sudan are not able to see the difference between good religion and bad. They realise that being many tribes in Sudan reflects the greatness of the Creator and the way He wants life to be in Sudan. Instead of praising God for the diversity we have in Sudan, celebrating it and rejoicing in it, many people groups are trying their best to eliminate other people groups from the face of this land. They see people different to themselves as hindering their own enjoyment of life. The destructive wars and erupting tribal conflicts show this force at work. Some are proud of their people who have obtained high levels of education, degrees and are proud to be called professors, doctors, and, His Excellency so and so. Some are proud because of their colour and the geographical location they belong to, etc. But Sudan is sinking into a deep well of corruption and misery-producing situations in all spheres of life. Those with high level degrees try to deliver our Sudan from sinking into the well of misery and suffering where we lack basic human things.
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbour bitter envy and
selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For where
you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness”, James 3:13-18.
Someone with a sound attitude and true human sensitivity cannot continue to believe that there is any godly ethical sense left in Sudan after they visit and see what is
happening in some areas. Raping women, the killing of innocent people, senseless burning of crops, collaterally damaging bombing, hypocrisy, beastly practices and so on.
The only conclusion that can be drawn is there are no God-honouring ethical values in the leadership of our country. Demonic and devilish teaching is prevailing, dominating
most Sudanese societies. True and genuine religion is being kind with others and keeping oneself from being corrupted by the things of the corrupted system around us:
“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father
accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world”, James 1:26-27.
The religion of human beings encourages its followers to be full of themselves, while the true religion that comes from the true and living God, encourages us to empty ourselves
for others and serve for the benefit of others. Believing in the wrong religion plays a big role in delivering wicked values into society.
There are even some religious leaders who oppress others just because they do not belong to their own tribes. We know such religion and its leaders are not from God because the religion that was created by human beings hates other people. What is your attitude towards other tribes? What is your attitude towards other people groups? Our Christian society needs to maintain a lifestyle that shows and reflects faith in the true and living moral God:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you”, Romans 12:1-3.
We should take what God’s moral law of the Holy Spirit directs to us, not what the corrupted society we live in tells us. Our Christian moral teaching should be the basis for our beliefs. Those Christians who use tribal and other sources to inform their minds and mould their thinking cannot help to bring about peace and development for our community. We must let the Bible shape our thinking and then our living.
Tribal gods
The Bible says that any behaviour is a reflection of the kind of god that people follow when they worship and obey its teachings:
“But their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell.
They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk, nor can they utter a sound with their throats. Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them”,
Psalm 115:4-8.
“They rejected His decrees and the covenant He had made with their ancestors and the statutes He had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves
became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do””, 2 Kings 17:15.
It is well known in Sudan that there are many tribal gods. There are gods that encourage their followers to kill people of another race, of different tribes, colour, or ethnicity, and
even to kill those of different faith. Still there are other gods that encourage their followers to steal other people’s possession. More gods encourage corruption, seen in the ceremonial practices that the followers of those gods do before taking part in any of the mentioned acts.
For example, there are some people who consult this type of god before they go to steal cattle from other tribes, some seek help from those gods to help them win over others for promotion in their job despite their qualifications or abilities to do the job. There are gods that the people consult when they want to go and seek women, the wives of other husbands, to be protected from being discovered by others. So at least part of the sufferings and miserable life of many Sudanese people is a result of the actions of
tribal gods, or perhaps we should say, the actions of the followers of these gods. These human made gods hate fellow humans and destroy the good things in life, replacing
human beings with miserable lifestyles. These gods cannot bring justice in community, neither peace nor development.
The followers of these tribal gods when they commit crimes, they run to those gods to gain power and to blind the justice laws so that they will not be judged. Such gods
cannot offer help to any community. How can such gods, which are thought to help their followers to promotion even if he or she is not qualified for that job, bring development? How can such gods bring peace if they offer help for criminals? And hinder the implementation of the laws of justice? They cannot. Such gods cannot give freedom to any human being because these gods dehumanise people.
For example, when someone goes to consult the witch doctor he\she will be given a tree stick to hear from it. This is a kind of insult to human dignity, and certainly devalues people.
Tribal gods dehumanise human beings and insult the preciousness of life by encouraging their followers to easily kill one another. Because these gods did not create life they do not know the value of just one human being. That is why believing in those gods
makes their followers so very wicked, stubborn and beastly against human life. This is why life is no longer precious in Sudan today. Many are following the strange, wrong beliefs of those humanly invented, traditional but false gods.
Today Sudan is bombarded by attitudes and wicked beliefs that are totally opposed to sound moral teachings. Most of these teachings are empty of moral and ethical values, and we know that life without ethics is only self-serving. Such a
life has no place for others. That is why the followers of tribal gods cannot think of other people as fellow human beings, and they deny their right to live or to enjoy life. The
teaching of tribal or human made gods makes the hearts of their followers very hard and stubborn, empty of any human values, and unable to submit to any solid and upright moral laws. They are not sensitive towards others ‘conscience’, no matter how much they are hurt or offended, they do not care. Because there is no moral law to maintain, the right and dignity of others has no place or value. Followers of false gods do not have any
understanding of what the true and living God values; and this brings suffering into other peoples’ lives. So the followers of tribal gods manipulate others and deceive them to serve wrong things that do not benefit them here or in the life to come. The teaching of tribal gods or human made gods allows their followers to live in ethically irresponsible ways, that lead to the suffering of many people. Some tribes in Sudan are fighting others “to get free from the control of others” they claim. But they are enslaving themselves into evil desires, which will eventually destroy them.
“These people are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted —twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has
been reserved forever”, Jude 1:12-13.
Much destruction, simply because of people lack, or have very poor, moral principles. What is the God/god of your tribe? The true and living Creator God? Or the god that your
tribe has inherited from one of the older tribal chiefs? To Whom are you accountable?
Lacking life skills
Lacking life skills is also a part contributor to our suffering and miserable lives as Nuba folk. Because of the lack of life skills many women and children are exploited, easily deceived by undisciplined people. Some people with enough wealth exploit those who are in need. For example
there are some men who are rich. When needy women go to them seeking help they ask them to have sex with them
first to earn their living. Some exploit orphanages using child orphans as labourers for the whole day and giving them very little for their work, as there is nobody to defend
them.
What is expected from human beings?
When you stand on the high place near to the Nile river in Khartoum and see the White Nile running from South Sudan to North Sudan, it seems as if it is smiling and being happy to water the land of North. The Blue Nile joyfully joins in coming from Ethiopia. Roads from different parts of our country come to Khartoum, with people bringing crops,
forest materials, animals and even other people from rural areas of the country. But Khartoum takes and receives without ever giving back anything to those areas at its
margins. This is what has made life very miserable. No one was created and put on this planet just to consume resources, eat, drink and take up space, or to dominate others or to cause destructive things by his\her behaviour. Rather God created and put everyone here in Sudan to make their contribution into life by living and behaving in a morally correct way so that others will not suffer from his\her ill-disciplined and unethical behaviour. With right attitudes and good motives in life everyone can be happy.
Those who have understood this great mission are living and working very hard to contribute something into life and make it an even better place for all human beings
despite their race, religion, colour, culture or background, to tastefully enjoy.
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for
anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet". “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be
hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that
they may see your good works and give glory to your Father Who is in heaven”, Matthew 5:13-16.
But those who do not understand this are living to distort the ideal picture, and even to destroy it instead. Emptying their lives of all human ethical values is causing a lot of
sufferings for many Sudanese men, women and children, both emotionally and physically. Today, in different villages of Sudan and at homes or in refugee camps many people are suffering emotionally much more than the suffering caused by hunger, disease and warfare. Their suffering is as a result of the wicked behaviour of some people who are living life without following even basic guiding ethics. For example there are some men who have conducted their marriages in the local churches and have made promises with their wives to live faithfully for them and with them alone, without marrying any other women. Yet many have mocked what they promised before God and His people, and have abandoned those covenants and married more wives. Others have deceived their sisters by saying to them that they will marry them, but they have fallen as victims of such irresponsible behaviour and ill-disciplined lives. This lack of right and proper ethics everywhere is sinking the nation into deep problems and bringing disgrace:
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people”, Proverbs 14:34.
This verse talks about the nation’s life that does not consider positive ethical principles and describes what happens when people live without them. Our community leaders and our spiritual leaders all need to surrender their personal and professional lives to godly Christian ethical values in order to be able to bring healing to Sudan and put an end of the suffering in the corporate life of this our people:
“Woe to you, O land, when your king is a child, and your princes feast in the morning! Happy are you, O land, when your king is the son of the nobility, and your princes feast
at the proper time, for strength, and not for drunkenness”, Ecclesiastes 10:16-17.
Our leaders need moral and spiritual strength to maintain their authority. Authority figures lacking moral backbone are leading our nation into more and more serious troubles, and Sudan has suffered enough. Evil motives and the desire in some for positions and wealth have cost many lives. This means mocking God’s creation standards and denying His right over our (His?) nation. Though, as explained above, some are using religion for their personal gain.
What makes a human being different from other creatures?
We all know that animals have desires such as the desire to eat, drink, sleep, to stay together, to live and escape death, and even to be protected, to reproduce and protect the new born. So what makes humans different from animals?
Applying moral teaching in our living is what sets us apart from animals. Two things occur here and both set human beings apart from animals: Firstly, discerning what is right and wrong. Secondly, avoiding doing evil things.
How would you describe those men who come, seven or more together, to rape one woman? Where is human sense of responsibility in this case? When the motives are from Satan people become full of bitterness, jealousy against other ethnicities, tribes, and colours, and then society is full of disorder and evil practices. Jealousy dominates instead of loving peace and unity. No consideration is given to others who share with us. Satanic actions are destructive. True learning can be measured by a person’s character. Lack of
self-discipline leads to disorder, but self-discipline leads to peace and goodness. Most of the ethical disorder in our Sudanese societies comes from the lack of setting high
goals for our society. This void gives people the chance to be led by cheap desires:
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the
others”, Philippians 2:3-4.
Many are earning their living at the expense of others. The cure for all suffering and ethical disorder is to allow the teachings of God-honouring, life-changing, solid and
upright moral values to find a way deep into our thinking, and then to live them out. Though we do not need to worry about justice being done One Day, we are to speak out
against corruption and warn others now. There is a big need to address the moral and ethical issues more than any other issues today. We must try to stop raping and killing,
the destroying of the precious lives of Sudanese people. We must remove all forms of corruption, and adjust the mind of society.
The main cause of our disorder is the cruel seeking by some people who want to live in Sudan without others. Some tribal leaders in Sudan have spoken this. Even if others are to live within Sudan they are to live without dignity and without their full rights as human beings, regardless of being Sudanese citizens! This is why Sudan does not enjoy social and political and economic stability.
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get
what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may
spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that He jealously longs for the Spirit He has caused to dwell in us? But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up”, James 4:1-10.
A new system is needed to set high moral values to protect every life in Sudan.
The role of Christians
In the midst of all these wicked practices, our miserable situation and terrible ethical disorder, the unavoidable question is: Where are Christians? What do Christians have to offer as a remedy for this situation? Didn’t the Bible say Christians are the ‘Salt of the Earth’? I must be frankly
honest in this case, that the main hindrance for the extension of the gospel today is the lack of transformation in Christians themselves:
“You who boast in the law, do you dishonour God by breaking the law? As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you”, Romans 2:23-24.
This describes those who claim to be Christians but who are not changed in their everyday lives. They are not transformed (made different) as per Romans 12:1-3. They
are churchgoers and nominal Christians only. They are distorting Christianity and making it look very bad by their behaviour and ill-disciplined life. Being Christians without living by high quality Christian ethics in God’s sight totally contradicts biblical teachings and dishonours our Lord Jesus Christ.
Please make sure your life is a wonderful example of true Christian living, from the inside out, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. I will try and do the same.