Christians confronting their Culture: Violence in the city

2 O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not hear? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? 3 Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. 4 So the law is paralyzed,  and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted. 

(Habbakuk 1:2-4) 

These words  of perplexity  and anguish  come from the soul of  the prophet Habakkuk, as he surveys the contemporary scene  in  Israel.

Historically,  the nation  is being  invaded by the Babylonians. The time is somewhere between  609 – 598 BC  - the verge of the fall  of  Jerusalem and the Southern  Kingdom.

Habakkuk is disturbed by the fact that  his  nation is  godless. God seems to be doing nothing  in Israel, and that  fact is seen primarily  in the absence of law and order … “the law is paralyzed and justice never goes forth …”

Pastor Nsenduluka Kapambwe - Pastor of the Grace Reformed Baptist Church

Last week  my colleague and fellow pastor,  Nsenduluka Kapambwe, pastor  of the Grace Reformed Baptist Church  was brutally assaulted  by  thieves  in his home at night. In that same week my neighbors in Windhoek West  had the same experience! I know far too many people from  all areas of Windhoek  who  have had  the same experience.

The words of the prophet Habakkuk are haunting us: “The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted’.

By now it is clear   that the police and the law courts are  not coping with criminals.  The  prisons are overcrowded.

The problem is not  necessarily the police. I know  that many police officers  are  professional  and committed people.  It is not  necessarily the  law system that has gone wrong, although  the law struggles to mete  out effective  punishments  that would deter  criminals  from pursuing their vices.

The problem is that the average citizen in Namibia is becoming more and more godless!  

HOW  LONG O LORD?

God’s response to the prophet  Habakkuk  is very sobering. He  tells Habakkuk that   He will send the Babylonians  as His instrument of punishment  upon the godless  nation of Israel.    

You read it right!   You might struggle  to  believe it.  Habakkuk certainly struggled to believe it but that is what God said, and this is what God did!  In 587 BC the Babylonians finally  took the city of Jerusalem and carried its prominent  citizens into exile.

The heart of our problem  here in Windhoek is  that  the  average citizen has become apathetic to truth. When commitment to biblical truth  dies, evil easily flourishes.  

And it did in  Jerusalem!  

And it does in  Windhoek.

What might we expect?

I don’t know, but I  and our congregation – the  Eastside Baptist Church do pray with Habakkuk in Chapter  3:2  “ Lord … in your wrath remember mercy!”

Christians confronting their Culture: On the attempt to legalise prostitution in Namibia

Dear Mr   Phil ya Nangoloh ,

I am Pastor Joachim Rieck of the  Eastside Baptist Church  in Windhoek   , a fellow struggler in the battle to  make this great country  Namibia  a place where   all can be truly free  under God !

A brief response to your article in the Windhoek Observer .

I have posted  this  writing on my blog  “ A  Reformed Baptist in Namibia “. I thought that it would only be fair that I should inform you of this .

Yours very sincerely ,

Joachim

Legalization  of Prostitution in Namibia

Recently  there  has been  a debate  in parliament  concerning the legalization of  prostitution. One of our ministers,  Kazenambo   had proposed  that  prostitution should be legalized . This  has set off  a  series of protagonistic and antagonistic  writings  in the press and other  media like Facebook .

Kazenambo told fellow lawmakers earlier this month that legalising the world’s oldest profession would help “boost job creation” in the country.

Now fathom this …

Our local  Human  rights watchdog  NAMRIGHTS (formerly National Society for Human Rights—Namibia) had this to say :

“ For several obvious Constitutional and legal reasons, NAMRIGHTS’ answer to the above question is a firm YES. Does this necessarily mean that NAMRIGHTS encourages  and or promotes prostitution per se? The answer to this question is a sold NO. The human rights organization neither encourages nor discourages voluntary adult prostitution. However, what NAMRIGHTS does is to advocate the respect, protection and fullfilment of all human rights for all, without discrimination of any kind as to race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. One of the fundamental reasons why NAMRIGHTS is in favor of  the legalization of voluntary adult prostitution in Namibia is the fact that, according to Article 1(1) of the Namibian Constitution, the country is not a theocracy (i.e. a State governed in accordance with the Bible or Quran), but a secular state, founded upon three principles: (1) democracy, (2) the rule of law, and (3) justice for all, including prostitutes.”

It is all very good and well for  an organisation  to speak  up for human rights , and in many  areas  they  may do a lot of good .  I am all for holding politicians  and other public figures accountable … including moral accountability !  

I can’t help  perceiving  that  NAMRIGHTS  in its  quest   to secure  justice for all  so very  easily  and  casually   ignores   matters of  morality  for the  naked  pursuit of human rights. The   “Human rights” movement  is ultimately  based on a particular   philosophy  whose premises  can be ( and should be) challenged .  In its pursuit of  fairness for all  , the moral  compass  is easily lost. The Human rights   movement appears  to speak  reasonably ,  but  I believe  that  reason  without a strong sense  of  morality is  as   effective as  a cloud that  produces no rain  . We see this  so very clearly in Namibia .

In this case  the basic premise adopted  is  that  adult prostitution  is a fundamental  right of those that choose  to  engage in it .   

Christians must challenge that  premise.

Enthroned above our  human rights  there is  a Creator  who has  made mankind with  great  care  and wisdom .  This includes the fact that  sex  is meant  for  the married context alone !   You may of course choose to reject my premise , but I say that the  Word of God  is true . Societies that are solidly built on biblical values   and principles have proven time and again  that   such  societies  are much more solid  and cohesive than those where loose sexual  values are  tolerated.  Do your homework . Study  history  and the rise and fall of civilisations  , and you will  come to   some  remarkable conclusions  about the  authority  and reliability of the Bible.

Christians confronting their Culture - Speaking the Truth in Love

Have you noticed  how  the  information era is  helping us  to increasingly draw  clear  lines  between  Christian  and  atheistic values ?

In our church community there  are an increasing number of people who use  Facebook and other public media   to engage  our society   on a number of   spiritual  and moral issues .  I believe that this is a healthy  development , although  I would want to plead with Christians  to not  become  unnecessarily  ‘in your face’  when responding to   our antagonists .

The biblical  pattern of response must at all times be for us to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15) .   Christians may find that they  may win the  skirmish  (in terms of   silencing their opponents through  superior  reasoning)  , but  then they may end up loosing the battle because of bad attitudes  or  because  of a  bad tone of voice . 

The advice of the apostle  Paul is very  helpful in this regard  : “ Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as  is good  for building up, as fits the occasion , that it may give grace to those who hear.”  (Eph  4:29)

This is not to say  that our  taking on  of public  issues  in the spirit of Christ will leave us  unscathed  by   atheists . On the contrary  if  Christ , the meekest and humblest  of all men was crucified for  His words  ,  then you may expect to  suffer the same .

Let this rule then  guide us : Give no  extra offense   to the enemies  of Christ and His Word  which so powerfully speaks to the issues of our day. Let the offense of the  Word of God  be sufficient!