Those who live in many of Nairobi estates can tell you that it is becoming ridiculous. Whatever happened to civility? How people can remain silent when faced with the new menace is beyond any rational or religious understanding. How do people sleep the required medical hours if they are woken every morning at 4 am by loud noises coming from the mosque? And who instituted the noisy kashas?
Every city in Kenya is experiencing an invasion of forced evangelism! I was invited to speak in a church in Bondeni, Nakuru the other Sunday. I decided to spend the night in Nakuru so that I did not have to drive early Sunday morning. At 5 am, the nearby mosque woke me up with what sounded like some old man crying. At least that is what my brain told me until I awoke and heard, “Ala hu wakba . . . . . .” I checked the time and it was 5am! 5am! Man! That is when I was concluding my dreams. I had slept late and was planning to wake up at 8 am. The doctors recommend 8 hours and I like to follow doctors orders! Instead, “Ala hu wakba….!”
This is the same reason why I do not like to spend nights in Nairobi estates. Even the silver springs hotel near Nairobi hospital cannot give you peace. The sound of tired men “waking” others to prayer is everywhere. It has gotten so bad that young children cannot sleep! How do mothers with little ones sleep when loud speakers scream these noisy, disturbing, chaotic and un-necessary noises?
We have churches holding keshas till morning: beating the drums or playing UN -tuned guitars. We have pastors praying so loud in these keshas it is nothing but irritating. Walk on Tom Mboya Street and some Pentecostal pastor has bought mikes and speakers. They rent the upper building of some store. Then they turn the volume so loud and scream at the devil. The devil must be used to their screaming since he never seem to leave the church. When Jesus cast out demons, they requested some residence. Therefore he directed them to the hogs near by. These un-educated Pentecostal preachers cast out demons daily. But given that they do not allocate them new residences, they invade those in their churches who are not believers! The devil moves around the church members. The devil is not scared of screaming and shouting! He does not exist within the realm of man. He is a spirit!
Then we have mosques waking people up in the middle of the night! Is this religious freedom and tolerance? NO! This is nothing but Noise! When our constitution declares that we Kenyans are a God fearing people, it recognizes the heritage of faith that has become evident. Nairobi university students are treated to this silent evangelistic evidence every day at University round about. We have the cross on the Catholic Church, the Methodist sanctuary, and the St. Andrews. And as if by design, a Synagogue!
You cannot scream faith into the hearts of man! St Paul gave a good foundation for evangelism. He said, “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.”2nd Cor. 4:1,2. He used the word Conscience (or Mind) to induce into the evangelist the need for conviction. A good evangelist or pastor is not identified through manipulative and incomprehensible screaming into a microphone, but in comprehensive proclamation of the Word! Christ had 12 disciples without microphones! Yet, here I am two thousand years latter claiming him as my SAVIOR and LORD!
My grandfather was a pastor to the Mau – Mau detainees in Manyani. My father used the radio microphone. They made the case for Christ without screaming! This Easter should remind my spiritual Pentecostal clergy to preach, and teach the WORD, not scream the word! And my religious Muslim brothers should try to let the children sleep! They need 10 hours according to the Doctors!
Teddy Njoroge Kamau (PhD) Leaguekenya.org
