Would you pay RM42,320 for a laptop that costs between RM5,350 to RM6,500?
Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi Mara Balik Pulau in Penang not only
paid the price but bought two units of the same brand – Acer Aspire-5052ANWXMI, at a whopping price of RM84,640, said the Auditor-General’s Report. In addition, the college purchased 450 units of computer CAD with network card at RM3.45mil for 12 labs. Each 19-inch monitor costs RM8,500 while a 17-inch monitor costs RM7,500. (Yeng Ai Chun, “RM42,320 for a laptop,” The Star Online, Thursday October 22, 2009)
The above was part of the findings in the Malaysian Auditor-General’s report, released recently. And while the finding should disturb us, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Remember the set of four screwdrivers costing RM32.80 that were bought for RM224.94? That interesting bit of information was found in the Auditor-General’s report for the previous year. While we may find such snippets of information funny (my friends in Singapore are aghast at such reports), it means that every year, billions of the rakyat’s (people’s) money is lost to corruption and mismanagement, money meant to help the poor and the needy, money meant for nation building. Why aren’t the people outraged? Why aren’t more Christian’s outraged? This is a moral issue. This is a spiritual issue.
In a recent ministry trip to Malaysia, a new friend asked for my opinion as to whether Christians should be involved in politics. She had one group of friends who were encouraging her to be more involved in politics, folks who wanted to bring about societal change though political engagement and felt that Christians should be at the forefront of such initiatives. On the other hand she had another group of friends who were very concerned that Christians were spending too much time in political action and neglecting evangelism. This group believed that politics can never bring any real change in society, and that real change only came when people’s hearts were transformed through the gospel. This new friend wanted to know what I thought.
Regular readers of this column will probably be able to guess my response. First, I told her that I shared the concern of the group that feared that political action can distract us from our mandate to make disciples (Matthew 28:16-20). Indeed the greatest need of humankind is to be reconciled to God through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many evangelical Christians have neglected social engagement for so long that they seem to be making up for lost time. Besides social engagement also finds us in the company of new friends. Political activism finds us in the company of good people of other faiths who welcome our partnership. However, when we do evangelism we often find ourselves isolated and alone. We must never lose sight of the primacy of the gospel. But we cannot neglect social engagement as well. It is tough to find a balance but we need to be concerned for both evangelism and societal engagement. We need to do both.
It has to be both. We are to make disciples of all nations but the salt and light mandate (Matthew 5:13-16) means that we are also called to bring biblical values into all spheres of life. This includes caring for what happens in society and using whatever influence we have to see things more in line with God’s will, to see His will more actualised on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). We are to preach the gospel but the God of the gospel is very much concerned for justice and for protecting the poor and the weak. The heart of the God of the gospel is evident in passages like these:
Certainly I am aware of your many rebellious acts and your numerous sins. You torment the innocent, you take bribes, and you deny justice to the needy at the city gate. For this reason whoever is smart keeps quiet in such a time, for it is an evil time.
Seek good and not evil so you can live! Then the Lord, the God who commands armies, just might be with you, as you claim he is. Hate what is wrong, love what is right! Promote justice at the city gate! Maybe the Lord, the God who commands armies, will have mercy on those who are left from Joseph. (Amos 5:12-15 NET)
“Hate what is wrong, love what is right!” If the Spirit of this God indwells our hearts, how can we stand by and do nothing in the face of corruption and gross mismanagement? Not all of us will be called to serve in the political arena. But we can write. We can give. We can vote. And we can pray.
As followers of Jesus, we must be God centred, not cause centred. As we carry our crosses and follow Jesus, we will hear Him call us to make disciples of all nations. And we will hear Him remind us that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world.