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 ?