Allan Senyonga: Why the fuss of honouring a man of God?

Controversial or otherwise, it is three years and counting since the followers of Prophet Elvis Mbonye, remnants as they are called have celebrated him every beginning of September. The backlash seemed to only have strengthened their resolve.

At the start of the coronavirus pandemic in the Wuhan province of China, the country’s leadership set out to show that they were in charge. The world watched on as China built a hospital of one thousand beds in under two weeks and implemented lock down and other measures that then were interpreted as repressive to many in the West.

However, the world has used this as a template and implemented similar measures across different countries. Even the West that considers citizen freedom as the pinnacle of its political aspirations conceded these liberties and noted that the way of China was worthy of replicating, however different in ideology this was.

This show of strong leadership and state control is no strange occurrence for China as you don’t need to go back many years in its history to identify a similar trend that was started by its founding leader– Chairman Mao. He is revered within the Chinese political elite, with a public holiday, statues, and literature in remembrance of him. The current display of state control and unilateral show of power is a reflection of the man they honor dearly.

America is currently griped with a civil resistance of African Americans who invoke Martin Luther King’s speeches whenever there are protests. His style of protest and even places he went to are still followed to this very date. Whilst there are many individuals who have taken part of the civil rights movements in America over the years, Martin Luther is revered, and his works not only live on through literature but are practiced.

There are many historical African leaders that led the struggle of different countries against colonialism. This struggle gave rise to the pan -African movement with leaders such as Nkwame Nkrumah celebrated in various African settings with several monuments named after him on the continent. This movement is held with such a high esteem that it has turned into a belief system for some who refuse anything deemed from the white man including names and clothes among others.

Nelson Mandela, a man held in reverence for his fight against apartheid is known and respected, not just in his native South Africa, but across the world. For his 90th birthday, there was a celebration in Hyde Park, London with notable politicians, rock stars and celebrities eager to be part of the celebration. To date, many political parties invoke his statements and follow in the shadow of his steps – again in honor of the life he lived.

I could list thousands more, from those now departed from life to those still living whose work and words we revere, esteem and honor that influence our culture, norms and way of life. What we honor, we will most likely become.

For those with children that are in formative years, there are celebrities that determine generational culture and the way to act. Your parental skills may be wasted if you don’t give due care to who your children hold in esteem. The way of celebrities might be chosen over parental instructions as again, what we honor, we most likely become.

Ladies and gentlemen, there is man who speaks the word of God, a prophet of God who is just not in claim but has been backed up by several fulfilled prophecies. At whose word, courses of nations have been determined and life preserved. His stance to be excellent in all that he does has led his critics to call him excessive and proud and yet he is very humble to those that have come to know him. His name is Prophet Elvis Mbonye.

The bible says that let those who lead among you be worthy of just not honor but double honor. That is why every 1st September, remnants around the world have chosen to honor the man of God. To build a culture where the things of God are revered, held in esteem as ultimately what we honor, we become.
Honor is part of us as humans, the question begs, what do you honor?

The Writer is a Public Accountant based in London