Chitando, “If My People...” A Critical Analysis of the Deployment of 2 Chron 7:14 ...number of orphans and vulnerable children increased significantly.
Grandmothers were called upon to parent one more time. As death
became an integral part of life, with urban cemeteries filling up at an
alarming rate, many wondered whether in fact the crisis represented
“the last of days.” Undoubtedly, there was a catastrophe (Bourne 2011).
In particular, preachers seized on the crisis and proclaimed the need for
immediate repentance. Only this, they suggested, would lead to restora-
tion.
“If My People...” The Reading of 2 Chronicles 7:14 during the
Zimbabwean Crisis
As Zimbabweans sought to come to terms with the crisis, the bible
served as a powerful resource. The bible was resorted to in the quest to
find meaning. It was widely read in the search for answers in a stifling
environment. Suffocating and gasping for breath, many Zimbabweans
found respite in the bible. The promises that God issued to the Israelites
a long time found immediate relevance. In particular, the following
verse ignited a lot of interest:
If my people, who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray
and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from
heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land (2 Chron 7: 14).
To a very large extent, 2 Chron 7:14 became one of the most popular
biblical texts during the Zimbabwean crisis. If national jingles called
upon citizens to remain steadfast, (“Rambai Makashinga”), 2 Chron 7: 14
enjoined the Christian faithful to remember the divine promise. A lot of
emphasis was put on the condition set by God, “if...” Socio-economic
salvation would only be experienced if Zimbabweans would “humble
themselves and pray and seek” God’s face, as well as “turn from their
wicked ways.” This confirms the observation made by Gerald West, a
leading South African biblical scholar, that readers of the bible bring
interpretive interests and life interests. It is necessary to cite him at
considerable length:
Interpretive interests are those dimensions of text that are of interest to the
interpreter, while life interests are those concerns and commitments that
drive or motivate the interpreter to come to the text. Life interests shape the
questions which we bring to the biblical text. Prevalent life interests in Af-
rica have been and are religious and cultural concerns, socio-political com-
mitments, and questions about race, class, gender, healing, protection and
HIV and AIDS. Life interests come from our experience of the world and