CHRISTIANITY AND DEVELOPMENT

 CHRISTIANITY AND DEVELOPMENT 

Discussion about Christianity and culture was an interesting conversation.  It took another twist to the relationship between Christianity and development.  How do the two sit together? Does the level of Christianity, if there be such a concept,  affect how developed a person or a country becomes. Are there persons in the forbes billionaires club list who owe their riches to Christianity? Is Development of any of the countries in G7 attributed to Christianity? Is this kind of measuring development applicable to assess the influence Christianity has on our world today? Is that influence important or Christians don't belong to this world and therefore need not such influence? 

Last week's discussion pointed out that Africa has most Christians but is at the same time full of poor people and countries.  Is the bible against wealth? Why is Material progress promised in the bible not realised by the Christians today inspite of endless church services and prayer encounters? 

I think the bible has specific principles regarding all the guidance we need for proper godly living. A good word like, 'Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies have no sense.' in Proverbs 12:11 is one of such principles. Many of our pastors and priests may plead guilty of guiding their congregants to chase fantasies. They require them say 'amen' to all the wishful thinking pushed through congregants' ears.....,'you will receive your blessings ' , 'your suffering will end' , 'you shall be the head and not the tail'. Many of these prophecies never materialise because they are only an end in themselves. In reality they ought to be the first steps to achievement of the promises. The second step should be the works in the faith which many of our preachers don't guide us on. They should guide us to plant our farms, start selling merchandise,  begin manufacturing business,  learn a trade, enroll for a technical course,  begin to do value addition to our farm produce, develop a software that solves an imminent societal problem. This will be equivalent to Christians activating their faith. Perhaps, the world can begin to take Christians seriously. Then will christianity influence begin to be felt. Or don't we see a gap in the sermons we listen to? We are always told that it will happen but not how to have it happen. Shouldn't our pastors and priests begin the second part of the sermons on how exactly we will receive the blessings as promised? I suggest they should because, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” according to James 2:26.

Need i say more?

@Stephen Mungai