A JUBILANT middle-aged woman tells the other congregants that after five years of job hunting, she will finally be holding a “payslip” in her hands at the end of the month. The woman is captured on camera telling the world that her unemployment days are over, all thanks to prayers by her “spiritual father” — in a video that circulated on popular social media platform WhatsApp, about three months ago.
Raymond Jaravaza
Such videos are not new to the internet. After all, the world is now aptly called a global village, because technology and the internet seem to have taken over all aspects of people’s lives.
A random incident that occurs in Nkayi can be viewed by thousands of people on their mobile phones in places as far as Dotito, Mashonaland Central Province or in Madlambuzi, deep down in Bulilima District, Matabeleland South Province at the press of a button.
Ordinarily, a video of a happy woman announcing that she has secured a job is nothing out of this world, but what makes the above-mentioned video peculiar is that the woman attributes her success in the job market to her “spiritual father”.
Nothing is mentioned either about nailing a job interview or possessing the right qualifications to land the job that had been eluding her for the last five years.
The woman is captured on camera telling the world that her unemployment days are over, all thanks to prayers by her “spiritual father” — in a video that circulated on popular social media platform WhatsApp, about three months ago.
Posting the video on social media doesn’t make it any less bizarre. One would be forgiven for entertaining the idea that the woman was, perhaps, paid to make a charade in front of the camera just to earn a few silver coins. After all, social media is an unforgiving universe of its own with millions of users patiently waiting behind smartphones and laptops ready to dissect, critique and mock such videos.
Which begs the question, do people still believe in prophets and their perceived miracles or it’s all just a show for social media.
Prophet Thabiso Ngwenya, known as the “Bombing Prophet” says he does not hire actors to record testimonies as doing so goes against his values as an honest spiritual healer and church leader.
Which begs the question, do people still believe in prophets and their perceived miracles or it’s all just a show for social media.
Bombing refers to clients smashing bottles against a rock as they say whatever they wish to happen about their problem(s) when they visit Prophet Ngwenya.
“It’s against my beliefs and values to hire someone to lie that they got help from my prayers when they did not. A lot of things have been said about church leaders who hire actors, it tarnishes the Church and some of us who have been assisting people with their problems for many, many years stay away from such practices,” says Prophet Ngwenya.
Over the years, he has stumbled on videos or recordings on social media of people thanking him for assisting them with their problems but says such individuals do it out of their own volition.
“One woman thanked me in a video saying I had helped her meet her life partner, who is now her husband, and such people record the videos without my knowledge and it will be their own choice. Maybe it’s their way of showing the world that no matter what one is facing in life, there is always help around the corner,” he told +++–
South African Pastor Alph Lukau at Alleluia Ministries in Sandton.
Sceptics of miracle testimonies have plenty of examples to give in support of their cynicism. Who will forget how a Zimbabwean man known at the time as Brighton “Elliot” Moyo was “resurrected” from the dead by South African Pastor Alph Lukau at Alleluia Ministries in Sandton. Reports of the “resurrection” stunned the world. The man later died a mysterious death in his rural home in Lupane. Mpopoma resident Smilo Nkomazana doesn’t buy it.
In her world, the testimonies are nothing but an act for the camera.
“If the prophets can really perform miracles, why are they not assisting mentally challenged people that we see roaming the streets of Bulawayo every day?” she asked. A priest with the Anglican Church, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said modern day “prophets” are manipulating biblical teachings to make their church members believe in non-existent miracles. “While the Bible abounds in promises of healing, it remains God’s sole preserve to heal in his time and through means he sees fit.
“God cannot be manipulated by ascetic tendencies and overzealous emotions which are theologically inconsistent with sound biblical teaching and acceptable societal values.
“Miracles are part of God’s agenda in carrying out missions, but they must be within the confines of correct scriptural interpretation and ethics,” he said.
Covid-19
During the Covid-19 pandemic, at a time when gatherings and travelling were tightly restricted by the authorities to curb the spread of the virus, many churches turned to online services to reach their congregants. While other churches restricted the online services to just bible teachings and sermons, others took a totally different route. Testimonies on how prayers by spiritual fathers changed their lives became the order of the day on some church online services. — Sunday News
