FOR THE CHRISTIAN, the principal rite of entry into this sacred life is baptism. In baptismal vows, one makes a commitment to renounce the devil and all his works, flee from sinful desires of the flesh, trust in Jesus as the son of God, and obediently keep God’s holy will and commandments. Essentially through baptism, Christians commit to living a life void of selfish ambition to the glory of God. Whereas the precise age for baptism has long been debated amongst Christians in various denominations (infant baptism or adult baptism), the spiritual significance of baptism itself has always been agreed upon. In the biblical texts, Paul the Apostle defines baptism for Christians as dying to self – or putting away of all immoral behavior – and being made alive by God through Christ (Colossians 2:11-15). Essentially, the waters of baptism (ought to) signify death to one’s sin and initiation into a new life in Christ Jesus. Baptism is the principal indicator that Christians are decidedly "born again.”
However, history of our own country, through the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994, proves that the baptismal vows taken by those who proclaimed to be Christians, those who are now-convicted killers, were never truly solemn. Rwanda, pre-genocide, had more Christians per-capita than any other African nation, yet these same Christians, who had supposedly been baptized into a new life in Christ, showed that their craving to massacre was more desirable than their commitment to follow Christ.
Paul the Apostle writes again in Romans 7 about the conflict of his two natures: the sinful nature (flesh) and the new nature in Christ (spirit). For the Christian, conversion to Christ is not a one-time fix. It is not about saying one prayer that makes a Christian. It is not even about partaking of the sacraments that makes a Christian. These things aid in worship and closeness to God but do not make a Christian. It is about the attitude of death to sin, and constant fighting against the errant urge to revert to the old immoral life, all while persistently submitting to the power of Christ through his spirit. This is what it means to be a Christian. Baptism is the first step, but it does not end there. Being dunked into water proves that one has the desire to follow in this new life, but it does not signify that it is done and sealed. Fighting temptations for the Christian is an everyday battle. Even the temptation to massacre an entire people on the basis of their "Tutsiness.”
Jesus Christ, the being upon whom all Christians owe their allegiance, gave his followers one commandment to follow before his departure from them. This commandment was, "to love one another, just like he – Christ – had loved them.” He continued by saying that it is only through love for one another that all people would know that they were truly his children. Love, like baptism, is interwoven into the life of a Christian. To love is to be Christ-like. Love manifests itself in various forms, the most basic of which is care and concern. If you love someone, you feed them. If you love someone you do not let them starve. If you love someone, you protect them. If you love someone, you do not kill them. Therefore in 1994, the killers who professed to be Christians, could not have been further from the truth. It is impossible to be a Christian, a baptized and loving Christian, yet opt to slaughter your neighbors. It is impossible to be a Christian, a baptized and loving Christian, yet opt for death of neighbor as opposed to death of sin.
Thankfully, in post-genocide Rwanda, we have seen Christians across the country stand for truth, unity, and reconciliation. We have seen Christians confess and commit to teaching principles of Christ that are grounded in the truth of what the expression of their faith teaches. We have also seen churches work alongside the central government to provide basic necessities to those in need. Slowly but surely, we are seeing the church growing out of its old shadow, and this is a great signal. For when the church is healthy, it produces good Christians, who understand what it truly means to be baptized (death to sin) which then translates to loving one’s neighbor (not killing them) just like Christ commanded it.
Rwanda is on a new path, and in my opinion, Christians today are right at the heart of this positive change.
Having been raised in the church, Darius has always had a passion to study theology/Christianity and its effects in an African context. He is a pastor at Christ Anglican Church in Phoenix.
editor@newtimesrwanda.com