Look at your face; look at my face; and look at all other faces. We are simply alike. Simply, we resemble our creator… These are translated words in a song which was done by a reggae artist in the name of Evison Matafale whose musical talent earned him a title as king of reggae in Malawi and arguably in Africa. Some called him a prophet, saying he emphasised, “I don’t fear death because my Bible tells me that I should fear the one who kills both body and spirit, not body alone.” But, alas…! He died under very much suspicious circumstances aged thirty two. May his soul rest with God in eternal peace.
Talking about his death, some people are made to believe that his death was hastened by his detention in custody of police. Briefly, the late musician had released a document outlining a number of allegations against central government. It is in this view that he was regarded as a political activist. He was arrested on 24th November in the year 2001 on charges of sedition. That time Evison was a malaria patient, a fact which was also made known to police officers as his mother groaned that detaining him was more likely to worsen his health. But police officers disregarded it, arguing he would be okay. An autopsy by a medical doctor showed he died of severe pneumonia, but this was contended by his brother who claimed the late was tortured by police officers.
True to song words as recited above, we are alike, having been created by one God who, according to Genesis 2: 27, created people in His own image. It follows that no matter differences we have, be it colour, race, sex or just anything, we are equal, and should treat one another as such. The same God who created us gave us a code of conduct in ten commandments which require us, among other things, not to steal, not to murder, not to tell lies. In simple terms such rules were made that there must be a coherent human society. However, it appears most of us have always gone against the rules. No wonder today we have a lot more laws than God gave us. Suffice to say that there is a thin line between God’s commandments and laws made by the world authorities. Whereas the latter are somehow unfair and unjust.
Well, laws are not as complex as they seem to be. It is the application system that complicates things. As already alluded to above, laws emanate from nature. Therefore it is expected of all and sundry not to find it difficult to abide by laws, because they give us a reflection of the ten commandments which were made by the creator.
In this article, we have to sample and discuss the fourth commandment that says “you shall not kill a fellow human being.” Today’s world constitutions in have a provision which authorises a particular agency to kill somebody on being convicted of specified offences. In accordance with world laws such offences that are punishable by death are categorised as capital offences. Of course, one wonders if some offences are more serious than others… In my view there should never be somebody with a perception that a gravity of one particular crime differs from another. To the contrary, all sins are equal. In the like terms, there should never be somebody thinking that he or she can commit a crime within powers of a particular law.
Like what Prophet Isaiah tells us at Chapter 1 verse 18, God says though our sins are like scarlet they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as a crimson, they shall be like wool. As per this biblical reasoning, why do we have laws that to demarcate a line between some wrings from others…? In the same vein why do we have laws that give power to legal authorities or political authorities to kill people on account of orders made by a court of law…? I mean, does a mortal have to kill another mortal simply because the latter has come into conflict with laws…? As we are talking right now some world leaders exercise their so-called powers to assassinate their political opponents. Such killings are carried out in disguise of invoking a doctrine of necessity.
In conclusion, the main argument herein is that any law should be made and enforced with the underlying fact that nature is the source of law. In this way, all laws are subject to God’s ten commandments.
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