ANGLICAN BISHOP BARANTA: BUT CAN HE CLEANSE THE TEMPLE?
In Matthew's gospel 21:12&13, the story is told of how Jesus Christ cleared the temple of people trading, gambling and cheating others. In essence the temple had become a market place - just like Abacha Street. Well, this was more than 2,000 years ago and today's temple traders are not as crass as those in 1st century Palestine.
But take a good look at the sophisticated way things are done now and you will understand why the new man in charge of the Anglican communion in Sierra Leone is CHARGING so hard. Good Morning, The RT. REV. THOMAS A. I. WILSON.
We've been handed a copy of the CHARGE by Bishop Thomas Wilson at his First Triennial Session of Synod in charge. It makes interesting reading and we intend to make the best of his bold and powerful speech.
The theme of the synod was THE HOUR OF REVIVAL and for this edition we concentrate on the areas which bear some resemblance to what Jesus is reported to have done in Matthew 21.
We quote from the CHARGE delivered at the Cathedral Church of St George, at George Street in Freetown on Wednesday 26th February 2014.
BISHOP WILSON - "The Church in this century is swimming against the under-current of a society that has tried to live without reference to God, often treating the Christian faith as little more than superstition...church attendance has crashed from the heights of the nineteenth century. The Church is losing thousands every week to new religions and a new breed of churches".
POLITICO - Our dear Bishop, we too have noticed that. This tidal movement of your people to the new churches should explain why there are churches in every little corner these days. We can't judge anybody but soon whole pews will be empty in the traditional churches while the new guys are having to conduct about three prayer sessions daily just to accommodate the thirst for instant joy. That's it, sir.
And you know sir, we live in a world where people want things instantly, they are constantly trying to force the hand of God. So for example, if their football team - let's say Manchester United - can't win a match, they simply log on to a Japanese-made play station and create their own reality in which Manchester United win all the trophies including the EPL championship and the Europe champions league. You will be surprised how that lifts their spirit. We hope this example has not offended any of our readers. Hahahahahaha.
BISHOP WILSON - "Another issue of great importance to revival of spirituality in our church is the matter of the sale and consumption of alcohol in our church premises...the public image it has given us is as if drinking alcohol is officially a part of our church's programme. Our parishioners spend a lot of money after church on alcohol at luncheon sale or in the nearest bar".
POLITICO - We congratulate you sir for confronting this issue at last. Many of your parishioners have been complaining quietly about this new trend sweeping through traditional churches. The leaders of many other churches have simply buried their heads in the sand while alcohol and very suggestive Azonto dance patterns take over after-church events, let's call them that, in the church backyard. Sunday school bible study activities are gone.
BISHOP WILSON - "Today luncheon sale with alcoholic drinks are like a motivation for church attendance. This is an error that must be corrected".
POLITICO - We strongly believe such after-church events indeed, but strangely enough, "motivate" people to go to church on Sundays in the same way a church in England screened some matches in the last World Cup on their premises to take parishioners out of their homes to attend churches without fear of missing a cracking football match. This is a World Cup year and we are standing by again. Is that something you want to consider sir?
BISHOP WILSON - "No wonder the latter parts of alcoholic meetings are generally characterised with hymn singing or vain questions and shouts such as 'Die day?' and the foolish response of, 'Die nor day'. Such questions and response can never bring about revival. Revival is for those who know that 'Die day' and want to make their peace with God before they face death".
POLITICO - Your research is absolutely correct sir but apart from the shouting, a lot more happens in events like the one you describe. We have evidence of this from other traditional churches that have become very notorious for after-church booze parties. We congratulate you again for confronting issues your colleagues in other traditional churches passively encourage by pretending it's not happening. MONEY, THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL!
But sir, you are 50 years old with you have 20 more to ago in this job - God willing - you have hit the ground running and that's great. With this, it's likely you have attacked some vested interests including those that helped you get the present job and they will fight back. Don't you think?
You are an intelligent man and would surely have considered the implications of the actions you want to take as outlined in this CHARGE. You must be strong to take them on. There are many parishioners who absolutely support you. But there is still the risk that others will just move away from your puritanical approach to church administration.
We shall continue looking at other aspects of your CHARGE in subsequent editions. Long Live the Bishop!
O MORGAN PHAMACIES LTD. WHY DOES THOU LIE SO LOW?
Every time we pass by what used to be Morgan Pharmacies Ltd at the Junction of Brook Street with Siaka Stevens Street, we feel really bad at the state of that building. Let's not even talk about the pharmacy business that is no more.
We accept that Morgan Pharmacy is certainly not NESTLE OR CARDBURYS but we believe that a very decent and ethical pharmacy operation like that should never have gone down to where it is today. Rather, it should have expanded throughout Sierra Leone and into our neighbours - Liberia and Guinea.
Morgan was the best place for pharmaceutical services for mothers across Freetown because they never got involved in selling fake, counterfeit or expired drugs of any kind.
Somehow we believe that Morgan Pharmacies Limited can still be revived. It was a family business and some of them are still very much around. We are just nostalgic about this business, you know.
Now, if we can't bring Morgan back to life, can the family do something about that historic architecture in that strategic location in Freetown? It's in very poor shape. The Freetown City Council can contribute some cash to bring Morgan Pharmacies building and other ones like it to a good state. Bababode will complain about money. We know that.
We really wonder what happened to Morgan Pharmacies because if the other icon - Red Lion Bakery can still keep something going, how come Morgan went under. We mean no disrespect to the family, we just miss Morgan Pharmacies and their decent and ethical pharmacy business especially in this era of one pharmacy every one hundred yards and hundreds of peppeh doctors selling fake drugs and killing our people. We are willing to contribute what little money we have to the MORGAN PHARMACIES REVIVAL FUND. Nor laf oh!
PRISON SERVICE CELEBRATING 100 YEARS? SO WHAT NOW?
Now we know what that bad painting job on the outer walls of the Pademba Road jail was about. It's 100 years since the Portuguese constructed a place for us to start locking people up in Freetown. We wonder how many times the prison wall has been painted over the 100-year period or how much this celebration is costing the tax payer.
Inevitably, the question will have to be, what is there to celebrate even after 100 years. Well, Bilo, who is in charge today can be happy that after a century we still have a prison despite the fact that it is mostly poor people who are locked up there for minor offences in a blaze of publicity while those who steal huge monies from the state are never even remanded, let alone jailed. There are only few exceptions.
We do not hold Bilo responsible for that but we certainly have a few questions about this 100 -year celebration: How much money will the whole celebration cost? Does Bilo think spending so much money to celebrate is prudent use of our tax cash when compared with other pressing demands like decent living quarters and uniforms for service personnel and good schools and other services for their children? Or even welfare of inmates.
We will continue calling for the prison service to be reformed so that Bilo does not simply continue sending citizens back into the community only for them to re-offend with a few weeks of being released and become recidivists. And also for the living condition of inmates to improve drastically and for this country to stop locking so many people up for offences that attract only community work sentences in other countries.
(C) Politico 06/03/14
