The past couple of months will go down in history as some of the most exciting, empowering, and transformative months in Kenya. After being taken for a ride, being fed lies after lies, and being exploited and oppressed economically and politically, Gen Z decided enough was enough and took to the streets and social media to ensure their voices were heard and their wishes respected. This is the first time in Kenya that the young people have gathered to condemn bad leadership and demand accountability from the leaders. Thanks to the Gen Z revolution, the finance bill that catalyzed this revolution has been withdrawn. However, the country is still facing a national crisis as the protests continue in various parts of the country, demanding justice across multiple government offices and institutions, the ultimate ask being the resignation of President William Ruto’s resignation.
Believer’s Response to a National Crisis
Amidst the protests and demand for justice, it is quite critical to understand the role and response of a believer to the ongoing crisis. As a believer, how should you respond to the crisis? Is taking to the streets the answer? Is there more that believers should do in this Gen Z revolution? Stay with me.
When the king can’t help you
Let me tell you a story of a king in Israel. In the reign of King Joram, Ben-Hadad, the King of Syria laid a siege to Samaria and as a result, the city experienced such a great famine to the extent that a donkey’s head was a delicacy and women were eating their children just to stay alive. In one of those days, the king was passing by when a woman cried to the king for help.
2 Kings 6: 27 (NIV)
The king replied, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I get help for you?”
When the king heard of a woman cooking her son so that she and her friend could get something to eat, the king tore his robes and swore to have Prophet Elisha killed.
In those days, the leadership of the nation was governed by a priest, a prophet, and now the king. The king had to consult with the prophet to know the decisions to make. The priest and the prophet had to always enquire from the Lord and then share this with the king so that the king could now make the right decisions for his people. Thus, the king was right in saying, “If the Lord doesn’t help you, where can I get help from?”
Why bad leadership persists today
One of the reasons why we are experiencing bad leadership is because there is no longer anyone inquiring about the Lord. When the men of God fail to carry out their responsibility, choosing instead to eat the king’s delicacies, they can no longer be objective. These are the people who end up telling the king what he wants to hear, not what the Lord is saying.
Awakening of the church
There has been an ongoing debate on why the church in Kenya (or at least some sectors and religious groups that have been quite vocal in other areas), seems silent during this crisis. The Gen Z revolution has caused such an awakening in the church since now, believers need to understand what is happening in the political world and take up their place in this fight. In a time of crisis, the church cannot afford to remain silent or on the fence. And while we cannot Christianize the politics, this does not mean that the believers are to just be still and watch as this crisis plays itself out.
Believer’s Call to Stand During a National Crisis
While the whole siege was happening and the King of Israel chose to have Elisha’s head taken, Elisha did not try to get to the right side of the King. He did not attempt to pacify the king with sweet lies and he stood, uncompromised, speaking about the end of the siege and deliverance of the dwellers of Samaria.
Why the church is failing
When it comes to choosing a hospital, one will often choose one hospital over the other based on factors such as:
- Proximity
- Affordability
- Quality of services offered
Now imagine the church is like a hospital. The church is supposed to be a place where people receive things like divine counsel, healing, transformation, salvation, answers, and help in various forms among others. If the church fails and it can no longer meet the needs of the people, then society will have to seek answers elsewhere.
So, back to my question, “What is the believer’s response to a national crisis?”
To stand, uncompromised.
We are called to flee, not just from sexual immorality but also from positions and power that bring compromise.
The enemy’s end goal towards the church is to dilute the church to the extent that the church has no voice and no authority over the creation. The enemy achieves this by sending his people to the church.
Jude 1:4 KJV
For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
These men who creep in unawares dilute the church from the inside out. The church begins thinking in shades of gray. What was black and white is no longer so since the church is already compromised. As a result, the church loses its voice since it can no longer stand with the truth. An uncompromised believer cannot accurately tell the will of God or stand with it. An uncompromised believer can boldly join the Gen Z revolution and call out these social injustices. An uncompromised believer can stand in their position as priests and present God’s people and nation to Him, knowing fully well that He will hear, answer, and like Elisha, back their words with signs and wonders.
When it comes to walking with God, there is no gray area. This is why the first response for a believer in a national crisis is to stand uncompromised.
Daniel and his friends chose not to eat the king’s delicacies. This is not because they were vegetarian or because they had something against delicious food. However, they understood that eating king’s delicacies would leave them compromised and they chose to eat vegetables and water.
As a believer, you have a responsibility, first to remain uncompromised so that when the government errs, you can stand with the truth as Elisha did. It is quite difficult to speak against who feeds you. It is difficult to seek justice if you are dining with the oppressor. So, dear believer, flee from positions meant to leave you compromised.
Shall we pray?
“Father, thank you for what you are doing in our nation. In this moment dear Lord, we chose to stand, uncompromised. We refuse to let the church become a puppet of the evil rulers. But we will stand with the truth. We will stand with your word to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with you our God. We will not be silent and watch injustices happen. We will not be silent and watch innocent blood being shed. Grant us strength and grace to flee from compromising situations and positions. Grant us the grace and strength to speak the truth. In the name of Jesus, we pray.”
Amen.