The Band Aid Religion

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Christians don’t like to get their hands dirty. And I mean ever. Whether it’s the beggar on the street or the battered wife seeking help, all these people will ever get is a scripture and a prayer, and after that’s it’s goodbye and good luck with your life. Neat!

I’m a Sunday school teacher and a naturally inquisitive person. When I notice a change in one of my kids I always ask. One Sunday I learned that one of my kids’ mothers was a victim of domestic violence at the hands of a drunk husband. Me being me I obviously wanted to know what else was going on and so yes I asked. And the kid told me that his mom was prayed for and after that zilch. Now you might say it was presumptuous of me to ask but listen if I’m trying to be all politically correct and uppity how am going to help the person next to me?

People’s lives are messy. People are messy. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t get involved. And that’s the problem with not only Christians but basically every human in the world. Everyone wants to get on with their life and routine. No one is willing to get their hands dirty, even if it is to help someone who desperately needs it.

The reason why I’m always on the Christian case is that ours is a religion founded on the principles of love and kindness. I mean am I the only one who sees things this way?

Being a Christian isn’t about dressing up on Sundays or Saturdays and going to church. It’s not about repeating mantras like “it is well” “God bless you” and all that tacky stuff. Being a Christian is about seeing people, like really seeing them and being sensitive to their needs. I mean isn’t it funny that a person can jump out of a church service and not even drop a dime for the beggar in the street one block away. A person will bring the full ten percent, praise God, yet disregard the needs of the people around them. Hypocrisy and callousness are running rampant in the house of God and truth be told 90% of this crowd aren’t people I want to spend eternity with let alone a day.

You tell them you have a problem and they’ll slap a prayer and bible quote on it. It’s a band-aid religion. Amen.

Valerie Tendai Chatindo is a biochemistry graduate, entrepreneur, and digital storyteller. Her work has been featured in Enthuse Magazine and Hallelujah Magazine. Her articles which have been published in The Kalahari Really” Big Brother is Always Watching”, “Twenty Fight” and “Marriageability” include. She has recently been shortlisted for the African Cradle African Heroines short story competition for her story ‘Sheba-Her Unmaking”. The 26-year-old lives in Harare, Zimbabwe with her cat Muffins. You can follow on Twitter@tendy_vchatndo
Valerie Tendai Chatindo

Valerie Tendai Chatindo

Valerie Tendai Chatindo is a biochemistry graduate from the University of Zimbabwe. She is also an entrepreneur and freelancer, writing for Enthuse Afrika's publications #enthuse, Hallelujah Magazine & Bhizimusi.com. Her articles “Big Brother Is Always Watching” and “Marriage-ability” have been featured in The Kalahari Review. Currently, she resides in Harare, Zimbabwe. In her spare time, she films a social documentary, SouthPark Harare, which addresses social issues in Southlea Park. You can find her on Twitter @tendy_vchatndo and read her blog tendyv.wordpress.com

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