Fr. Lawrence Muthee, SVD
From Luke 4:18 -19 we read:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
In the past, African tribes had three most important hereditary offices. These were the traditional medicine man or woman, the spiritual leader, and witches and wizards.
The traditional medicine men and women were those who had mastered the art of natural science and could utilize nature’s resources to heal people’s illnesses, whether physical or mental. The traditional religious leaders took care of the spiritual needs of the community by acting the role of a bridge between the people and the supernatural world. Finally, the witches and the wizards were those who had mastered the art of utilizing dark powers to harm people, either for their own benefit or for hire.
As time passed and modern science and technology advanced, things changed. People started going to modern health centers for treatment for their physical and mental illnesses (psychotherapy). This made traditional medicine obsolete, although there are still some scattered in the communities. The missionaries brought institutionalized religions where people started going for their spiritual illness.
The mainstream religions that came to Africa (Christianity and Islam) have well-organized systems, rituals, and liturgies. By the time most African countries gained independence from the colonizers, most of our grandparents belonged to these religions: Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, among other mainstream Christian denominations. Others became Muslims.
Later, there came the Pentecostal and Evangelical versions of Christianity that focused more on the liberation of the spirit. Instead of focusing more on the system, rituals, catechesis, and liturgies, theirs was more about the spiritual liberation of the individual. Although we can trace the advent of Pentecostal and Evangelical Churches in the early 1900s, it is during the last half of the 20th Century that they became popular in many parts of Africa. Much later, there emerged what we can call the modern-day Prophetism. It is this last group that I want to reflect on.
In my opinion, and based on very deliberate and critical observation, I dare submit that SOME of these modern-day prophets are what used to be witches and wizards in the olden days that I talked about above. Here are the reasons for this claim:
- Their Merchandise includes curses, demons, and witchcraft. To the rich, they prophecy threats from their kin or rivals, and to the poor, they preach ancestral curses. Now, if you are keen, you will notice that they have studied very well the vulnerability of the rich and the consolation of the poor. They visit during special moments and position themselves very strategically. They invest heavily in the art of deception, using the mystery of the superstition deeply entrenched in the mind of an African. Once they have captured the attention of their victims, they station themselves as the remedy for their problems.
- The “Miracle Business”: Buying and selling miracles is now one of the biggest non-taxable enterprises in the world. It is a multibillion-dollar empire. Today, miracles are available for sale, and their prices are not cheap at all.
- To create demand for miracles, these self-proclaimed modern-day prophets will see a threat in everyone’s life, including the unborn.
- They have agents that collect information on their behalf from potential clients. This makes people believe that these prophets have extraordinary powers to discover hidden life. Many people have lost their fortunes to them (Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.”).
- They always come as God sent, but later the bill (offering) keeps on increasing until the client dies or has nothing left to offer. They are relentless and ruthless. When they come to you and get into your head, they do not have mercy. It is like robbing someone willing to be robbed.
Today, even those who still belong to mainstream denominations have fallen prey to these meticulous and ingenious merchants of miracles. They do not care about their religion or denomination. Everyone is welcome. They do not care about family, catechesis, or commitment. It is more of a hit-and-run kind of arrangement. Baptism without documentation and zero attachment. - Many who belong to mainstream Churches attend early morning services in their places of worship and then spend the rest of the day at miracle centres.
The entrepreneurial strategies of the miracle workers are almost impeccable. They have invested heavily in Radio, Television, and Digital Media. They have a solution for every human desire, from getting wealthy without working to getting a wife or husband. Some claim to have power, including to postpone someone’s death. We have some who even claimed to be gods.
The most interesting thing is that even very well-educated people in society have not been able to resist them. Even religious leaders from the mainstream religions and denominations, such as priests, nuns, and pastors, are their clients today.
As a Catholic priest working in this context, I realize the meaning of the coming of Jesus Christ to the world. Quoting Isaiah 61:1-2, Jesus presented his mission to the people.
In the same way that God saw the suffering of the people of Israel in the hands of the Egyptians and called Moses to liberate them, He sent Jesus to liberate the people from slavery to darkness and falsehood. The greatest gift you can ever give to someone is to help them discover their potential and utilize it to develop themselves. To open their eyes and minds to discover their own wealth.
However, if even those who have been anointed to be the light to people are themselves victims of religious conmanship, how will the world be saved? Witchcraft is a religion just like others. It requires faith to thrive. It has its deity, scripture, creed, shrine, and liturgy like any other religion. The more you believe in it, the more you become a witch. The only difference is that while faith in God and in his Christ gives one hope of a better tomorrow, witchcraft keeps filling one’s life with more darkness. The short-term benefits are just to attract the client. Show me anyone who lived a long, happy, and peaceful life with witchcraft. Once one is entangled in witchcraft, everything of value is gone, including: family, friendships, business, community, relationships, neighbours, etc.
Think about it!!!
SVD JAMBO KENTAN 