THINKING CAPS, SKILLFUL HANDS, AND CUTTING THE TAIL THAT WAGS THE DOG

Lately I have been watching "MEGA INDUSTRIES" a program on one of the DSTV channels. I am a car enthusiast and in the series of the last about 2 weeks they have reviewed big car names like the Bentley, Lamborghini, Lexus and how these are built.

I am amazed at the levels and nature of precision that these car builders apply in their trade, and the zero tolerance for even the slightest error and blemish; It is astounding to see what a human being can deliver when the bar is raised high enough. One of the emphases by the way in this car building trade is not so much how many books you have read, or academic qualifications you hold, but what you can deliver onto the counter. Every single one of the staff on those production lines knows that they are very good at what they do and that they are on to something very important, and are proud to be part of this process. In fact the Bentley people philosophy is to build cars that will outlive them; cars that will go for at least a century! imagine that! They even name plate the engine in the car with a signature plate bearing name and insignia of the mechanic that puts that engine together.

Watching this program during this lock-down period, I have realized how much we can do as Africa to change the narrative. It was president Museveni who lately is gang ho about Africa doing her own thing in terms of industrial self-reliance; I say, "go Mr. President, Go !!!!!" Africa needs to know that we have what it takes already. we just need to get up and walk. We can no longer be dependent on our partners from yonder. 

Incidentally if you watch the oil industry and how the west has responded to its strangle hold on the Global economy, you will notice the huge developments in terms of functional solar energy, electric cars, energy storage technologies, hydrogen cells and other options. Last time I checked most of the buses at Schiphol International airport were solar buses and they drove really well! Most houses in the west have solar panels and it is not unusual to find homes actually putting (selling) energy back on to the shared grid. The development of these alternative technologies is not accidental, chance or adhoc innovation, but rather driven by a deliberate agenda to break loose of something; It is all deliberate efforts made to break a stranglehold. Africa too can be deliberate without waiting for another clarion call.

Another key thing I notice is that in these first world countries the vocational skills set is required much and plays a critical role in industrialization and in perfection of the final product. So, artisans and people that have mastered the art of working with their hands are held in high regard. In Africa we have laughed at all these people and trades: seamstresses, leather workers, cobblers, brick layers, woodworkers, mechanics, agricultural instructors, herbal medicine experts, etc. I think every one of us must go back and pick up a set of vocational skills sets and begin to aggressively horn them. A word of advice here; pick a skill that you love, and then go after it. Perfect it. invest in it. There is a host of knowledge sources out there to help you do that. An industrialized economy still needs all those trades.

Thinking is one thing, operationalizing thinking is another. Both have been on pause in Africa but must now be invoked, however the latter is even more critical when one decides to move into this zone. When China started out building her now capitalist economy in a communist political system, things did not move into perfection immediately. There was a lot of “copy catting”, a lot of wobbly beginnings, quality of products was ridiculed in the Western world, but the Chinese kept going at it. They increasingly became less dependent as a nation on the west and moved more to deploying their own Chinese solutions. Soon they got contracts to do things cheaper for the same western world. Now they took over. But it all begun with etiquette and discipline. We cannot continue being casual as Africans and think we can even walk a mile in those shoes. The challenges are real but not insurmountable. The expectations are that we shall fail, but that too is a good challenge.

Second, we must become nationalistic and patriotic. It begins by leaders setting a great example to follow. Nationalism is built when there is a spirit of confidence from the citizenry down stream in their leaders and a firm confidence that these leaders understand them and are walking the journey with them all the way. Things like corruption have no place in this world of such change (it’s only the corrupt keep thinking that everyone else is blind to their greed; it reminds me of the story about the proverbial gullible king that walked naked in public on account of wearing fine golden garb, until a young girl bold enough spoke out that he was naked). China had such zero tolerance to corruption that where people were tried and found wanting, the penalty was irreversible; death by firing squad! 

Now, I am not advocating that option per say, but all I am saying here is that we cannot be second guessing ourselves over monsters like corruption and think we shall make headway. It is kind like trying to breast feed a baby alligator and hope that one day it shall grow up into a loving and obedient child to you. This corruption thing for us is the elephant in the room that we must talk about, and deal conclusively with, before we think we shall make progress. Is it possible to totally remove corruption? I don't think so as human nature is corrupt so there will always be that one that wants to bet their life on it. But it is possible to ensure that the levels of it are so low to affect anything serious. It only takes honesty and resolve, and believe me, most people want to see the back of it.

Evidently Africa has all the resources she needs to survive without anyone’s help right now. We have people (strong and well educated), food, water and we have minerals and other natural resources. I remember reading the story of apartheid south Africa and how it was locked down with sanctions. They had participated in the second world war supporting Britain in some of its endeavors. One of their contributions was providing air force pilots and technicians that supported and flew sorties rather successfully. When the lock down happened, south Africa found herself with a fleet of Aircraft whose parts they could not replace or maintain, as the suppliers could not sell them the parts. Rather than cave in they decided to make those parts themselves! Aircraft parts! this is how the south African aircraft industry was born. Right now, in the military space they have one of the most agile attack Helicopter gunships, the “Denel Rooivalk”. But, how many of you know that to produce reliable aircraft parts you must stimulate a number of other sectors! So, at times adversity requires adverse response for one to ride the wave to success; it is said that necessity is the mother of all invention. Africa for sure must ride her wave now.

When Lee Kwan Yew took led the Peoples Action Party in Singapore into governance of their nation in 1959, the only natural resource they had was People!!! They had no minerals to talk about or any serious national business to depend on. They only had human capital, a lousy one at that from a stock that was not well skilled, lacked trained and poorly resourced. The major mantra the Lee team came on with was "Zero Corruption" and one must read Lee's autobiography to understand how far they stretched this. The fact that everything rises and falls on leadership is embodied in this story. Lee held his own team of cabinet to that same high standard of integrity without relenting. No one was the “Holy grail”, so if you breached the lines, you got hit, no matter who you were. 

The second thing they pushed was national skilling and training. He shows clearly how they deliberately invested in getting Singaporeans trained by their government in the very best of schools worldwide, but also how they insisted that any investors trained the local stock to manage their factories or facilities at the investor’s standard. Third initiative was insistence on quality; they insisted on having the very best win. Meritocracy ruled in selecting who to take on for key roles and who to invest in for training. The fourth tenet for them was growing a disciplined people. Lee took a personal interest on this one and ensured that the culture of Singaporeans was changed towards one of discipline, even at a personal level. It is no wonder that Singapore today is looked at as if they have something special that others cannot access. And by the way, transformation of Singapore did not take an entire lifetime, but in Lee's own lifetime he got to see the fruits of his labours. So, Africa with all that we have working for us, we can do this.

What is clear is that it is time for Africans to get serious about “thinking solutions”. This will require us to drop certain practices that have kept us backward. We must re-invent our schools for the long term to produce thinkers and doers. In the interim we need leaders to drop the populist tendencies that have been so rife and the preferred stance for most African politicians and begin to provide some real leadership. 

I often hear people talk about the good old days when the colonial masters were here. The Uganda Shilling had lots of value. My father tells stories of how my grand uncle in his advanced age could afford a new car from his sales of produce. How did the colonial masters achieve this kind of economy? What most people never tell you is that they enforced discipline in the communities and that discipline produced growth and development. Of course, they used some methods which may not be recommended for now, but most people never complained about it because they could see the value add of this discipline. Plagues are not new to Uganda; even in the colonial times there was a few of them. the difference is that we had a more disciplined stock of people living at the time. For a public leader to generate this kind of dynamic, the populist hat must first go. Populism is the tail that wags the dog in our current leadership dispensation.

So, if you ask me if Africa can make it on her own, I say, YES WE CAN! Let's go do it.

BETWEEN POLITICS, TRADITION AND APPLICATION OF BRAINS

We are beginning to get to that place where we must transition from the reactive phase of Covid-19 into the more proactive stance. That means thinking about the "day after" or “the aftermath” of the initial shock and trauma that this entire Covid-19 episode has wrought upon the world and our country. What is clear is that this is a new Era, a new world and a new day. It is nothing like anywhere anyone existing alive has been to. This is the place where boys will be seperated from men, and queens from the local village belles ! it is the place of real brains and less politics and tradition. This is where we must put patriotism ahead of personal gain.

Some people can still not smell the coffee, going by the stories that keep coming up in the media portraying many that are operating in a "Business as Usual" mode. This new world has no place for the three types of  persons below.

1) The Reckless Selfish Politician

It never ceases to amaze how politicians still like to think of the rest of the world as stagnant and seeing themselves as the only ones making things work. (our own Uganda Parliament has demonstrated this abundantly in the last 3 weeks). It is time right now for some real patriotic and nationalistic thinking. We cannot afford the silos anymore, at least for now, and it will be a while before that changes.

Politicians have been so used to regurgitating old stuff from history to us (as though we have no brains), but this new age right now needs thinkers, not talkers; real good thinkers. People want solutions, functional solutions, and not stories; they will quickly pick out these types of incompetent leaders in this new dispensation. The nation right now requires forward thinkers, futurists that can stop and analyse where we are today and map out working ways forward. Those that can get to the root causes and apply or recommend solutions that work. 

The problem is that many of our politicians are talkers and not thinkers or doers. They have been so used to dividing us along all types of political lines and doing nothing else productive that they would not know how to move on in situations like these. Most of these politicians are going to be rendered obsolete in exchange for leaders that can "think solution", those that can clearly see the future. The thing is that the nation and world at large is going to need real leaders to get back onto a good footing, and many of these types are not your typical politician. So perhaps for a while we may need to “park” politicians for the more nimble real leaders that are solution oriented For those in this political space, you do well to remember that this is not a time to politic.

2) The irresponsible individuals

A lot has changed also about the world of work and business the way we knew it and most of it for good. When trauma happens, it always takes time and resolve to learning walking again. This is what it is going to take for everyone to stabilize as an individual. We must accept that finally the only constant, “change”, has happened on us. You will have to learn new ways of working, take on new skills and rebuild your business frameworks again. The new world abhors those that want to approach it using old methods and perspectives. You will have to be more creative as the world still has lots of space for such types. By the way, you are not alone; everyone is learning how to walk again. This new world is for those that learn fast and think on their feet.

I am a very strong advocate of white collar society adopting a hybrid “work from home” arrangement, where for 2 or 3 days a week a , specifically those whose jobs do not demands physical contact (and that is over 80% of us) can work from home. From my past experience there is more value added to both the individual and the company when this happens. There is also less stress on the individual as they get to avoid nuisances like traffic jams and heavy personal expenditures, for at least half the time.  They also get to spend their time enjoying the environments that they have created for themselves at home, and as well get to know their families a lot better. A happy employee is a more productive employee. Working from home, if done properly, delivers more value for the employer as well, albeit I hasten to add that it requires more ability to track deliverables and targets without compromise.

Businesses too has shifted to a more to a more relational, online perspective. Those that build better relationships stand to make more in this new world; geography in this new world will quickly yield to quality of product. So this new world is a world of quality products, else you are out of business soon and fast.

Have you taken time to review your options? have you taken time to figure out where your next footing in this new world will land? have you thought through your personal development strategy in your next 10 years?

3) The non Flexible Christian

It is a time to learn new things and new ways of working; hey! the cloud has moved so wake up and run fast ahead, catch up with the movers and put on a new thinking. Many pastors have taken a beating in this season of online broadcasts for finally jumping onto the band wagon they so loosely criticized in the past. Those that had not bothered about that part of life got a rude awakening when lock-down was executed. They had to make do with rag-tag measures, but I am sure once the world begins moving again that is a mistake not to be repeated.

This is a great time to reach out and evangelize the world like never before. It is a time for people to stop making excuses too. Many that have in the past made excuse for staying in bed on Sunday mornings have been dragged into seeking after God when the scare became so real, up-close and personal with Covid-19. Many have turned back to calling on God. The trick though is to keep the momentum when the dark clouds finally lift. Flexibility is also about ensuring that you accept the new life, by trading in the old. If your old lifestyle never made room for”things God”, you now need to ensure that you maintain that space, and keep servicing it. Am sure also that many that never appreciated the buildings of congregation will rush back into them with a new vigor when the lock-downs cease.

There is also the fact that a lot of quiet has been around us in the neighborhoods, especially in African Pentecostal faith, where noise was almost an indispensable part of us before. Flexibility means that you have discovered that God can still hear you anyway in the small fellowships, so making unreasonable loud noise in worship, or loud noise at unreasonable hours should also be left in the old order. I know, Pentecostal is never really quiet (I am one so I know), but I also know that loud noise, is beautiful noise when done at the right time. Non-flexible Christians will quickly learn that people quickly get used to calm, that disturbing that peace can have unfathomable repercussions.

There is also this key issue, the "little fox" of church fragmentation where the "us and them" view had pervaded Christendom. Now dearest Pastor, Reverend, Reverend Father, Bishop, and which ever the designation you hold, whilst you were absent from your flock during this lock down, who was speaking into their lives? who were they listening to? Who other than you kept their faith going and their light burning? Now that they are back, will you keep pushing that envelope of divisionism? I am not advocating for a place where we have a one world religion, but just like human beings are all different with differing temperaments, but yet live harmoniously together, I trust that the church will learn that though we are many and different, we are one body in Christ. I hope we shall be more flexible enough to see ourselves in the lenses of how similar we are to each other than how differently we come.

It is a new season, it is a new day, and it requires new tools, new thinking, fresh anointing and new people ! But do you copy ?

WHEN WE FAIL TO SEE THE CLOUD MOVE

How we quickly become irrelevant - when we fail to see the cloud move. 

Growing up, I was raised in an extended family, where being born-again was held in high esteem. I saw the generation of the "Tukutendereza" or "Bazukufu" and the ones that followed immediately after them. When my elder brother Ed joined kings college Buddo, he returned home after his first term a totally changed man; he came in with a new perspective to salvation, one that I could associate with, and yet it was not any less compelling on Holiness.

I took that “version” of gospel on, and on January 19^th 1986, at St. Francis Chapel at Makerere University, during an Anglican church Service I responded to the alter call, walked to the alter and gave my life to Jesus. Then I begun my journey of understanding our LORD and Savior Jesus.

Growing up:

In 1987, I joined Namilyango College and there I met my now long-time friend and brother Julius Wegoye. I attribute my significant spiritual growth and discipline to Julius mentor-ship. He impacted my life significantly and introduced me to a number of spiritual disciplines that to date have not left me. I remember we used to pray behind the pyramid, in the school sports field, at the school farm, behind the chemistry lab and in “Miracle Chambers” (Julius’ room) whenever we had opportunity to (electricity those days was not as stable as it is today); so we used all blackout times to pray. We fasted once a week as a team of about 5 prayer partners (including Adrian Braka and Samuel Kwiri, Baliddawa Hussein).

In 1992 I joined Makerere High school where I now met a bunch of passionate born again girls and boys. I was blessed to lead the fellowship during my last year there and I remember the growth being astronomical. One of the factors that triggered this growth was the miraculous salvation of a brother in the LORD, Frank Rusa, whose salvation became a big testimony. Frank not only got born again but was thrown straight into evangelism and ministering to others in miracles, signs and wonders. I remember in that one year we grew from a regular meeting of 30 people to one of over 200 people. I still remember how we did our first ever mission trip as a fellowship (the concept was not popular then); our fellowship mobilized to go for three days to Namutamba TTC beyond Mityana (The Roads were not that great then) to preach and lead people to the LORD! boy was the harvest big!!! We scaled the entire TTC, and surrounding villages preaching and leading many to the LORD. We crowned it off by preaching at the Anglican church in the area. I recall clearly that the presence of God was massive on this trip.

Shortly afterwards I joined Makerere University, and in came the Main C.U as we used to call the central fellowship of believers at the University, and the LUMBOX FELLOWSHIP. It is amazing how people that fellowshiped in different congregations and Christian faiths laid down their denominational crowns and enjoyed each other in the LORD's presence. To date I still cherish those relationships.

Let me hold it right there in order that I may highlight a bit of what happened in between my alter experience in 1986 and my entry into University. During the holidays I used to pray at an Anglican church in Mpererwe called St. Stephens church. We had some active Christian leaders at the helm; I recall among many a one Dr. Luboga, Mr. Mungherera, and many others like my former Headmaster at Makerere High school Mr. Godfrey Njagala (R.I.P); these men and women led us quite well together with the provost Reverend Wandera. One of the more active and charismatic bits of this congregation was the Youth ministry. We were allowed to lead some Church services during school holidays, be involved in taking readings, and plan unique presentations on high holidays like Christmas and Easter. I remember on this team Rebecca Namirembe, William the organist, Joyce Nakate, my siblings Sarah and Ruth among many other youths. This is where I learned to play guitar and hone my skills. We were blessed to minister to the congregation.

During this period my only growth came from this Anglican church fellowship of youths and significantly from the Namilyango fellowship under different leaders like Bro. Bujingo William, Bro. Magambo Emmanuel, Bro. Mujugira Andrew and many others. A lot of emphasis was made for personal spiritual growth, prayer, fasting and reading the Bible for oneself. We had to preach to our fellow students, carry out deliverance sessions for the oppressed,  do follow-up for new converts,  and challenge each other in righteous living. I also remember that we took on the responsibility to run the Anglican church services at the College working with ministers from Bishops theological college in Mukono.

Something else that a totally helped us to harden was the knack the school leadership had for closing down the fellowship and clamping down on our actions, apparently because too many kids were getting born again (confused as they called it) and leaving certain religious practices they had been brought up with. In fact, on many occasions fellowship was banned from college and we ended up having it, but underground in smaller cells or in the bushes around the school (We too came from the “Bush”). I am grateful for this early confrontation with hatred for the full gospel, because it taught me how important personal growth was and I grew into a relatively hardened Christian that was ready to die for the gospel. Those lock-downs made us! 

I started going to mainstream born again churches in my High school days at Makerere High school; my first church was Kampala Pentecostal church, now Watoto central.  Pastor Gary was and still is very solid on teaching; I learned lots from sitting under his teaching ministry. I learned a lot about order and excellence by just being a member of this congregation. All these learnings have defined me to date. 

So by the time I was walking into Makerere University main C.U, I was a relatively mature Christian that could not be blown around by any wind of doctrine. Here at Main C.U and LUMBOX FELLOWSHIP I became an active member, and served in many capacities: as a worship leader, as a faculty papa, as a Hall fellowship leader, etc. I served even as i grew. Here I was exposed to the mainstream born-again churches and did attend both Redeemed of the LORD Makerere and Miracle Centre Rubaga (at the older location and a bit of the new). 

It is here that I started realizing how blessed I was to be part of what God was doing in the world in my day. I got exposed to global preachers and teachers, and to worship movements of the likes of Hosanna Integrity Integrity music bringing to us leaders like Ron Kenoly, Alvin Slaughter and many others. I was exposed to contemporary gospel music (Steve Ochola and Joni Kasule, thanks to you).  My life grew into the things of God. It was then that I realized, that just as the pillar of cloud and fire to the children of Israel was,  God operated in seasons and that often times when He did something new He moved from the old, literally. I also realized, that having been part of such a great heritage of born again people and experiences, many of the people I could see in my past, people that passionately loved God and lived for him,  people whose walk with God I could not question, people that had been my role models, they had stalled when the pillar of God had moved, and as a result they were left behind and thus sadly missed the new move of God.

Often times listening to them,  they were full of judgment of the new workings of God, which to them often looked diabolical: "they clap their hands", " they drum in disrespect to God in their church services", "they play these guitars and pianos and they dance around and are not humble before God during prayers", "they shout on top of their voices as if God cannot hear", "they use over night prayers to commit immoral acts", etc. The accusations and criticisms went on and on. Meanwhile God worked in us, and He transformed us. We who were inside the movement were moving more and more into liberty and peace as the criticisms grew, and the chasm between “us and them” grew ever wider with each party claiming to know God more and better and claiming to speak for Him. During this time, it suddenly occurred to me that good intention was not good enough in following after God.

I started lifting up a personal prayer that to date I still pray, "...LORD do not ever leave me behind when you move; let me be humble enough, and eyes open enough to see your move and recognize it as such when you do; let me not be ‘too experienced’ to despise your move; let me never be too old to be sensitive to your move; let me never be left behind when the pillar moves..."  This was so because having observed the huge heritage of God loving people I had lived among, I realized that many of them had missed the Holy Spirit movement of our day. They rejected everything that came with this movement, the signs and wonders, the joy of salvation, the ministries of the prophetic and much more. Albeit, they still loved the LORD with a passion!

Pharisaic fetters:

One of the biggest fetters any one can ever break is the pharisaic fetter. It usually attacks mature Christians and those that have tarried long in salvation. My simple definition of a Pharisee is that he/she is one that is well tutored in certain doctrine(s) but is not willing to understand and accept that our God keeps doing new things, yes even unveiling new doctrine(s). It is said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, so is the journey to becoming a Pharisee. Pharisees are often religious role models, passionate people, often almost zealots, and that is largely seen as a great attribute by most people that pursue God. All this begins as innocent passions for things God, then it grows into rules around them, and then it becomes a closed box where all other thinking and views out side the box is wrong and ungodly.

Pharisees, in their passion to please God and in their pursuit of righteous, never see this coming. The Pharisee is usually the last person to see themselves that way. They often are well tutored in Christendom doctrines and have massive experiences of the hand of God in their personal lives. They are typically people of integrity. Their lives will exude God Himself as it were. The sad and sudden departure is often around the thinking that our God has stopped doing things new. There is an assumption that all the truths have been unveiled, inspite of  a tenet that Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 13 verses 9 to reading  "9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part....12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known". Thing to note there is that whilst God remains the same yesterday, today and forever, the way we know His workings today does not remain the same; it is ever changing forward to the benefit of the Church. He continuously is working His way into our limited knowledge of Him, by revealing Himself piece by piece, until that day that the church will know her master fully in glory.

As children of God we should not be caught in the business of criticizing those that have gone before us, thinking we are more noble than them.  I remember sitting in a meeting where Apostle John Mulinde was speaking. He mentioned that he was not the first to create a prayer mountain in Uganda, but that the former Arch bishop of the Anglican church of Uganda, Bishop Henry Luke Orombi was the first to do so in Nebbi; now that for me was shocking, but it was the truth. Everything that the current evangelical or prophetic movement is enjoying today, is seated on the foundations that the Martin Luther's, the John Calvin's and other Generals in the faith built. It's only that a bit more has been revealed to us, so we see more clearly than them on certain things.

It is not wisdom for us today to attack anything we do not understand simply because it looks strange and new to us. Let's provide due steer where we see obvious error but often times the mistakes are from the pains of child birth for new things God is doing.  More recently for me has been the grace movement, the rise in the prophetic and apostolic manifestations, the unveiling of the revelations of the love of God and many more to come with ever increasing speed. The mistake as well is the carriers of these new things and revelations have not known how to manage and introduce change in any community, so they have broken the older vessels. God has called us to maturity and balance and to examine doctrines before we reject them fully.

What we shall see more of is this as the young people that you led to the LORD are becoming vessels of God in these new movements, simply because they are more open to God to use for "New wine". God will not put new wine in old wine skins as it will break them. That is why God avoids the "experienced Christians" that have forgotten the place of Grace where we should all habitually fall to refresh our views and hearts. If God poured this new stuff into most of us we would go apostate and be destroyed. I have seen God use men and women I led to Him and mentored to growth, in ways I never even knew about.

May God help us to see the cloud when it moves, and to have the grace to get up and walk after it when we see it move inspite of our current comfort. May we not be so comfortable with the old wine, that we loose flexibility for the new wine that God is pouring out, or else, in His love for us we may be left out of the new move, and in our darkness, we may be caught in ever increasing battles fighting the work of God, battles we shall never win.