by Samuel Donkor
A nation once peaceful, law abiding, respected, peace loving and noted for her hospitality, is today a sinful nation. It has become a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evil doers,children given to corruption. They have forsaken their God, their highly respected culture and moral values; they have spurned the Holy One and turned their backs on him, just like the children of Israel, according to Isaiah 1: 1-23.
Today the country, Ghana,is desolate, her cities are burnt with crimes, such that have never been experienced before, their fields are being stripped by foreigners right before them and laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. See how the faithful cities have become harlots. They were once full of justice and law abiding; righteousness used to dwell in them, but now murderers.
Their Cedi has become valueless, their choice wine is diluted with water, just as many of their products are fake or adulterated. Dishonesty is all over. Their leaders have become rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They are full of lies. They do not defend the cause of fatherless; the widow' case does not come before them. There is no justice and wrong doers are rather shieldered and innocent and little offenders punished.
Their political leaders have become rulers of Sodom, who have turned their backs to their God, the creator.They, the religious leaders have become hypocrites and holier than thou, who behave like the pharisees, who do everything for men to see; they make their gowns wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the congregations and public gatherings; they love to be greeted in the market and public places and to have men call them Reverends, pastors and other big titles, as written in Math. 23:5-7
There is no love, no faithfulness and no acknowledgement of God in the land. There is only cursing everywhere, lying and murder, stealing and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Because of this the country mourns, and all who live in it waste away.
Today. there are so many priests and men of God with so many Churches springing up everywhere like mushrooms. But because they have ignored the laws and faith of their God, they are rejected. The more the Priets increase, the more they sin against God; they exchange their glory for something disgraceful. They feed on the sins of people and relish their wickedness. And it is like people, like Priests, as written in Hosea 4:2-9.
The people of Ghana are today being destroyed from lack of knowledge. They are reaping whatever evil they have sown and continue to sow, hence the sinful nature of the present experiences.They have become a poor people living in a rich land. They eat , but do not have enough. They are not able to manage their resources and left in the hands of foreigners.
The messages to both political and religious leaders are that, before God will listen to them and the nation Ghana is delivered, they must completely change their evil ways and stop their hypocrisy; they should stop preaching virtue whilest they continue to practice vice. They should stop bringing meaningless offerings to God. Their incense is destastable to him. God cannot bear their evil assemblies and all-nights. They have become a burden to him. He is weary of bearing them. When they spread out their hands in prayer, He will hide his eyes from them; even if they offer many prayers, He will not listen to them. Their hands are full of blood and sin; they should wash and make themselves clean. Take their evil deeds out of his sight; stop doing wrongs and learn to walk in Righteousness, in the Spirit and in the Truth and also do the right things at all times. They should seek justice, encourage the oppressed; defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow and poor, so said the Lord in Isaiah 1:13-17.
It is now time for Ghanaians and their leaders to examine themselves and stop their hypocrisy. They should change their lifestyles and stop being liars.They should live and act according to what they preach and confess to be, if the nation wants to be redeemed. They should return to their God and stop seeking help from the Dark Kingdom for power, riches and fame. The sinful nature of this nation, Ghana, could be said to be a legacy of the subsequent military regimes since 1966, and aespecially the nineteen years of PNDC rule, which had killed the rich culture and rich values the nation was once proud of. Ghana today, needs a new type of personality, a dedicated, honest, patriotic, committed to national ideals, incorruptible, disciplined and God fearing . The nation Ghana needs a complete change, a new course of direction, with leaders of the above mentioned qualities, unlike the past greedy and non committed ones. Ghanaians must change their ways, free themselves from mental slavery and learn to be innovative and creative. They must ask God to cloth them with faith, love,power and boldness to pursue truth and righteousness, instead of living in a culture of fear to servitude in tranquility. The nation needs new leaders, who are dedicated, selfless and pragmatic. Leaders of good governance and ready to listen to the people and ready to tell truth instead of lies. Ghanaians must today, thank their Almighty God, for listening to their prayers and cries for peace and stability, which they are enjoying now. Their prayers for new and righteous leaders is yet to come depending on their seriousness to return to God.
Now is the time, during this Golden Age of our generation, for Ghanaians to cause a complete radical chang in their ways of life; attitudes towards work; discontinue all negative attitudes, moral values must be taught and practiced in the schools, in the churches and in the families and all that is evil must be discouraged. Indiscipline among the youth in particular is a cause for concern. Until possitive change preached by present leaders and religious leaders are adhered to and effected in practical terms by workers and citizenry alike , the nation will still bedeviled with the iniquities they had long cried about.
It must be noted that, it is only a radical change in both governance and attitudes of the people, that would be the precondition to revive the capability of the state to provide basic services for the people. It is also a clear fact that, instead of using public resources to satisfy the personal and selfish interests of power elites, systems that ensure good economic governance, where public resources are used for public good are the basis for good governance, are prefered. A participating citizenry in the affairs of a modern republican government is another basis for good governance as opposed to docile and oppressed people.
All that ,the nation Ghana needs at the moment, is honest leaders and not holier than thous. . . .