‘I have always been a writer’

President Lazarus Chakwera’s son Pastor Nick Chakwera is a man of talents, some of which are singing and writing. He recently released a book about the relationship between politics and religion. He also released a gospel reggae album. In this interview with our contributor EPHRAIM NYONDO, Chakwera talks more about his writing, the topical issue of politics and religion and his music career. Excerpts: 

Q

: You are a writer. You used to run a column in Malawi News and, recently, you published a book that marries religion and politics. At what point in your life did you discover that you can write and how did you harness it?

A

: I am a writer and I have been involved in writing a lot. I have written poems, short stories and several literary pieces. I cannot exactly tell at what point I discovered my interest in writing. However, I have been writing, for instance, I have been a columnist for Malawi News for nine years. Further, because of school, you have to master how to research, write and edit effectively. So, school helped to perfect my writing skills because you cannot get projects right if you do not know how to write effectively.

Q

: Coming to your book, Religion and Politics: Why Christians Must Participate in Politics, you recently published and launched. How did you conceptualise the idea and what was the process like to the point of having the book on the streets?

A

: The book project started as a challenge. A student at Malawi Assemblies of God University (Magu) asked for books that deal with religion and politics from a Christian perspective. I did offer a few, but I was not convinced that the books were addressing the issue in a complete way. So, I kept searching if I can still find more and during that process I developed the idea of just writing my own that addresses this topic historically, theologically. philosophically and practically.

Q

: What is the target audince for this book?

A

: The book is targeting everyone. Religion and politics are issues that affect everyone. They affect all of us; hence, the need to develop critical thinking so that we are able to digest the interplay of these two issues with a goal of making informed decisions. Further, though I am targeting everyone, in a particular way, I am targeting religious leaders, pastors, bishops so that they develop a critical and informed perspective on the interplay between religion and politics. Such a perspective is imperative because it will effectively equip them with the understanding needed when they interact with their congregants.

Q

: What is the central take home message in your book and why do you think that message is important to Malawians?

A

: The central message is that Christians in particular and religious people in general must participate in politics because it is their right and it is also their duty. They must participate in processes that make laws and policies because these processes are concerned with establishing justice in the world we are living in. As religious people, we are naturally part of achieving the common good, so we need to participate it politics to see that common good is pursued, established and seen through. That is the central message. In the book, I give several examples, both from local figures to international ones, how Christians affected processes that resulted in the attainment of the common good. We have the potential to forge the common good.

Q

: I understand the book is a product of years of research. What are key findings in this book and what recommendations do you make?

A

: What we find is that how we define politics and religion does matter on this issue. Politics has always been defined to mean something dirty. Yet politics is about governing with a goal of establishing justice. Religion, too, has been misdefined sometimes. There are some people that pose as if they are not religious; they are secularists. In our definition, however, we make it clear that everyone is religious, everyone is devoted to something. At the same time, everyone is in politics whether you like it or not; so no one should be excluded from politics on the basis of religion. No one should be left out because of religion. So, we are defending our religious right at the public policy table.

In the book, we make several recommendations. Some of them include: encouraging believers to learn more about politics in a systematic way in theological colleges. In the book, we are also challenging Christians to learn how to create wealth because politics require resources. We should not be coy to advance that we live in the world where, sometimes, resources come with strings attached. So, we want Christians to create their own wealth, support political processes without submitting to strings-attached resources.

Q: Let’s talk a bit about publishing. How did you publish your book and what are the challenges that Malawian authors face?

A

: It is a self-published book. We published it at Entire Printers in Lilongwe. It is a challenge to publish in these parts because a lot of money is involved. However, when you are printing more, it becomes a bit cheaper. But I have hope. We are getting there, the standards are improving and I encourage everyone out there wishing to publish to step up.

Q

: You are also a musician. We have seen you on stage performing reggae music. How long have you been in this and should we expect an album in due course?

A

: I have been a musician all of my life. I remember playing publicly for the first time when I was 10. You know being a son of a Pentecostal pastor, naturally you find yourself in the choir. So, I have been playing different instruments and I still do. I have not been doing a lot of singing growing up, but I did put up some songs just to harness the musician in me. But I have done several compositions.

Q

: Any last words?

A

: I want to encourage people to buy and read the book. I know it’s a lot of reading involved but, be assured that after digesting this book it will become clear that religion and politics cannot be separated. Christians must participate in politics and it should be an option. It will do the world better if more Christians take a leading role in politics. If Christians ignore politics, the result is that we are allowing darkness to cripple in and flourish unchecked. It’s not that we are holier-than-thou, no, but we don’t want to continue sinning by avoiding being the light and salt of the earth. So please buy the book, read it and, most importantly, recommend it to other people especially pastors. I have a strong conviction that this book will help clear the widespread misconception people have about politics and religion.