Are we beyond redemption?
As I continue reflecting on what transpired during the Bicc Anti-Corruption Symposium from 22 to 23 November 2023, I would like to focus on a thought-provoking question. This question was asked again, this time not by Frank Joab Chakhaza but by President Lazarus Chakwera in his address during the Symposium. This question is a reflection of the state of perceptions on corruption in this country. Depending on how one perceives corruption in our mother land, the response could either be a yes or a no. The President was clear in the drivers of either response. If we say we are beyond redemption, we are driven by frustration and despair and if we say we can be redeemed, we are driven by frustration and hope.
Either response has important ramifications in our motivation and approach to the fight against corruption. Giving the rotten eggs analogy, the President said those driven by frustration and fear will, having noted a couple of rotten eggs in a basket, throw away the entire basket of eggs. On the other hand, those who are frustrated and hopeful will, having noted a few rotten eggs in their basket, assess each and every egg in the hope of finding good ones among the rotten. The President sounded hopeful that Malawians will remain hopeful despite their frustrations.
As a man who once frequented the pulpit, the President retold the story of Elijah as written in 1 Kings 19 to drive a point home. To cut a long story short, Elijah, facing imminent death from Jezebel, fled to Horeb. When the Lord appeared to Elijah and asked him what he was doing out there, his response was that he had been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites had rejected God’s covenant, broken down God’s alters, and put God’s prophets to death with the sword. That he was the only one left, and that they were trying to kill him too (1 Kings 19:10). Elijah genuinely thought that he was the only one left who was till serving the Lord. God had a surprise for him. In verse 18, God showed Elijah that He had reserved seven thousand in Israel who remained true to God.
You see, where Elijah thought he was a lone wolf living for God, there were 7 000 others who remained loyal to God. When it comes to fighting against corruption, because of its very nature, it can easily appear to be a lonely camp. Frustrations and despair can lead to paranoia, self-pity and feeling abandoned. With that mindset, it is very easy to throw down one’s weapon and run away. There is a possibility that where see a lost cause because we are the only ones still standing, we only need to stand on higher ground to see that there are others who remain faithful to mother Malawi.
The President’s prayer was that in the face of despair God should do to us what he did to Elijah for us to see that there are many others who are willing to keep fighting corruption. Just as Elijah was shown the 7 000 that God had reserved, He can also show us 7 000 other Malawians who still have integrity. There are still people in institutions who are not corrupt and ready to be enlisted in the fight against corruption. Since these people exist, let us turn our frustrations into hope. For those with us are more than those who are against us. Although the impression out there could be that we are in a state of learned helplessness, driven by the perception of rising corruption regardless of efforts to deal with it, let us train our minds to focus on hope. We can still be redeemed after all.
