“The Dead Shall Arise!”

“The Dead Shall Arise!”(Mt.5:25-29)[29/11/24].
Cattle keeping is the lifewire of the people of Southern Africa. In 1855 or thereabouts, a prophetess named Nongqawuse arose and asked the Xhosans of South Africa to kill all their cattle. According to her prophecy, the cattle were to be resurrected to make cattle owners wealthier than before.
Following this cattle-killing prophecy, the Xhosas killed more than 400,000 cows with the confidence that more cattle will arise and make the Xhosas more prosperous and wealthier.
Sadly enough, this prophecy did not work. As a result, “approximately 40,000 people died of starvation and 50,000 more left their land to seek food and work in the Cape colony.”
The Xhosa cattle-killing story interests us today because the people were misled by the prophecies of a self-proclaimed prophetess called Nongqawuse. According to her, the slain cattles were to rise, making the Xhosans more wealthier than before
The setting of this story is the coloonial and missionary era in South Africa. The foolishness of it is that Nongqawuse’s prophecies were inspired by Bible resurrection stories that she heard from her uncle, who was a cook for missionaries far away from where she lived. Both Nongqawuse and her uncle were illiterates. Even so, this illiterate village girl is among the four who set the standards for the various strands of inculturated Christianity in South Africa today.
You can begin to imagine how a misleading theology that arose in around 1856 in South Africa has continued to lead Africans astray! Just because an uneducated girl through her charisma was able to sway her people, some South Africans have continued to perpetuate her legacy, placing their trust in unfounded and misleading prophecies.
My friend, do not be confused when Jesus assures that the dead will arise.
Yes, the dead will arise, “those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”
Through Jesus, the risen Lord, we will stand or fall on judgment day! Where will you belong?
Weekend prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, in you alone is our hope and trust of our future. Amen!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.