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Be a good ambassador

Opinion & Analysis
The soccer World Cup tournament currently underway in Brazil has seen some teams eliminated after group stage matches.

The soccer World Cup tournament currently underway in Brazil has seen some teams eliminated after group stage matches.

Erasmus Makarimayi

Soccer lovers are supporting their teams on various principles including continental basis.

From an African perspective at the time of submission of this piece talk was about progress made by Nigeria, agony of Ivory Coast’s so close yet so far performance and Cameroon’s unimpressive run.

I will not comment deeper, but leave it to those in the know. Soccer pundits and lovers in general had misgivings about Cameroon’s outing.

All analysis and criticism point to the fact that when you participate at world stage you are representing multitudes and should conduct yourself accordingly.

Much verbiage has been used to describe Cameroon’s performance especially after Alexandre Dimitri Song Billong better known as Alex Song was was sent off for elbowing Croatia’s Mario Mandzukic in the back.

As if that was not enough, defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto headbutted teammate Benjamin Moukandjo. The intra-team clash had to broken up by another teammate, Pierre Webo. Many from Africa thought that Cameroon was a disgrace to the African continent.

Whether this is true or harsh, I don’t know, but what I know is that whatever area of your calling, you are representing the seven billion others in the rest of the world. Many are safe from public scrutiny because their occupation is in the private domain and their mistakes go unchallenged.

All the time you vent your anger on those in public, take stock of those secret situations you survive imprisonment.

Three generations ago, Africa enjoyed so rich communal life where everyone was aware that their wellbeing brought community success. Your wealth benefited the whole clan.

This was good culture. People had a sense that they don’t live for themselves alone, but for the community. Good conduct brought praises for the whole community and any misdeed was believed to bring curses on the whole community.

If one person was involved in immoral behaviour, the whole community would appease the gods lest rain would stop and drought would affect everyone. I don’t condone appeasing idols.

The point I am making is that the type of community life brought responsibility on the shoulders of every citizen to represent the community. They existed as a block and attacked common enemies as a united people. Zimbabwe and Africa should consider existing as one.

As we go about our business as free moral agents we should be aware that there are other inhabitants on earth who need us as much as we need them. Your liberties and rights are not a ticket for an I don’t care attitude.

In the community of mankind individuals are independent of each other yet interdependent on others for sustainable development. Independence is an achievement. Interdependence is a choice only independent people can make.

God created you as a unique person with a specific mandate in the matrix of life. God created you and me in His image and dispatched us to be His representative. 2 Corinthians 5:20 records, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” First and foremost, we should live our lives cognisant that we are not our own, but envoys of Heaven.

Apart from representing God, lead your life as a role model for your family, community, country, continent and the world at large. Life is a chain that affects many others beyond your cocoon. We don’t exist for ourselves alone but in the matrix of God’s creation we benefit one another.

Those of us in the service of The Lord should be even more responsible. As priests of God we should be acceptable to Him to present His people’s petitions and be heard.

We should not live in such a way that God will circumvent us to reach His people. While under the new covenant everyone has access to God through Jesus, the office of priest was not abolished, Jesus Christ Himself being our High Priest.

Lead a responsible life that recognises the benefits others get from you. You are going somewhere.