If Christians in church could be Christians outside
If Christians in the church could be Christians outside we could not live in such a dark world, where jealousy, genderbased violence, corruption, hate, self-serving leadership, gossiping, obsessive love for earthly things, egocentric, self-righteous, bossiness, boastfulness, vengeance and nepotism are entangling the society. By church as the men of God explains is not the building, garage, or tree where the service takes place but the people who attend that service. Although church buildings in Namibia are fully packed by Christians every Sunday or these days every day, few display real Christian values in their respective families, communities, and workplaces. Many Christians are more interested in worldly values such as wealth, power, pleasure, revenge, fame, vanity, and status.
These worldly values are promoting jealousy, resentment, and conflicts among people. Being conscious of the fact that human beings cannot live perfect Christian lives, one could expect that Namibia being viewed as a Christiandominated society, Christian values could be felt by many through social interactions and the demonstration of spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity, after all, isn`t about how much you are Christian in church. It`s about how much you love both inside the church and outside. And love that doesn`t flow into the lives of other people isn`t love.
Therefore, if Christians in the church could be Christians outside, Namibia could be free from many social ills troubling many families, communities, and workplaces. It is hypocritical to see many Christians holier in church while outside they don`t see eye to eye with fellow congregants or relatives. Merely attending church doesn`t make one much of a better Christian because sitting in a church singing or pretending to be sacred doesn`t make one very good at being a saintly Christian.
I think being a Christian has something to do with living one`s life for Christ, demonstrating God`s love by serving others, and sharing one`s faith with people. Furthermore, being a Christian, in addition to faith reasons, people attend church to be edified to improve their moral compass on how to relate with others in society. Christian morality is the process of guiding the behavioral development of an individual in Christian moral principles so that the person can reason appropriately and perform what is right and acceptable in society.
Morality can be seen as an essential instrument for equipping an individual to be able to judge what is right or wrong, appropriate or inappropriate, just or unjust, and good or bad in social relations. Morality inculcates in an individual the appreciation of the values of honesty, integrity, altruism, accountability, hard work, justice, equity, patience, and discipline. The most basic principle of the Christian moral life is the awareness that every person bears the dignity of being made in the image of God.
Christians both inside and outside the church are expected to have respect for human rights and dignity. Therefore, every person, regardless of race, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, employment or economic status, health, intelligence, or achievement is worthy of respect. Hence, equality of all comes from the essential dignity as children of God. Treating equals equally is one way of defining justice, and justice in turn means that we render to each person his or her due, which is the attribute of a God-fearing Christian. While each person is different, while each culture and customs vary, and while talents vary, discrimination because of these differences goes against the more basic principle of human dignity.
This brings to the fore the issues of marginalisation in the distribution of natural resources in society. There is no doubt that Christian morality embraces the appropriate attitudes and values that are essential for God-fearing citizens. These attitudes and values include the formation of good character, respect for human rights and dignity, promotion of the common good; and protection of the poor and vulnerable.
As we prepare for the birthday commemoration of God’s son, we are reminded to clean our hearts, celebrate his birthday with purified hearts, and be Christians outside and not only while in church. This preparation should be selfreflective, looking at one’s self whether your Christianity is only in church or being felt by those close to you like family, community, or colleagues at the workplace. Let this festive season which is believed to be a period of peace and love be free from gender-based violence, hatred, and all the ills associated with sadness. Let there be more Christians outside than Christians in church buildings when we enter 2023.