A man we will call Tafizozi is well established in secular music. Early this year, he accepted Jesus Christ to be his Lord and personal saviour—Born Again Christian. Everybody expected change in his lyric: the thing he did in the song [Kuyerekeza] that made his fans feel marked the manifestation of the new person in him.
The gospel lyric in Kuyerekeza was for this tune alone. For the past month, he has released songs that centre on anger, violence, sexual feelings and ego; worse than those before he became a Born Again. He also holds on to the gangster trade name.72
Secular hip-hop is also full of diss, Tafizozi has not yet let go of this as the microphone battles with those in awkward relationships rage on.
“Everybody knows I am a Born Again Christian (BA). I will not change my style, if you can recall, I never said I will be doing gospel music [not changed to gospel artist],” that is the answer to those who question his lyrics following his confession as a Born Again.
Not judging, but one wonders, can a BA Christian be still embracing earthly ways?
Reverend Joseph Thipa of Masika CCAP in Zomba begins by defining Born-Again Christian as a Holy Spirit-led person induced to act towards holiness like Jesus Christ. He says the likes of Tafizozi are heretics as they do not portray the fruits of Holy Spirit.
The reverend, who also lectures in Systematic Theology at Chancellor College, a constituent college of the University of Malawi (Unima), says action determines more one’s character than words.
“He [Tafizozi] is not a Born Again Christian. The fruits from him contradict those of the one led by the Holy Spirit. According to Galatians 5, enmity, anger, party spirit, carousing and immorality are for the flesh. The Holy Spirit influences one to be a Born Again, which is called sanctification. You do not have time for old deeds, you are changed for the better,” says Rev Thipa.
He adds: “Jesus Christ showed the human race that it is possible to live a righteous life on earth with the help of the Holy Spirit. One has to repent, and like in Psalms 51, David asks God not to take the Holy Spirit from him. He [Tafizozi] needs full dedication to God to cleanse his heart for good deeds.”
Pastor Gift Tikiwa of Faith Life Church in Limbe, Blantyre says Tafizozi is a satanic manipulation; his fruits are not righteous.
“In Revelation 3: 15-16, we read that our work matters most than confession. What he portrays are not fruits of a Born Again Christian. He is deceiving himself. God is love. He should sing love, not anger. He should show that there is a change of attitude towards sin, not embracing it. What Tafizozi is singing intensifies sin in his fans, which is bad,” says Tikiwa.
He advises people like Tafizozi to find men of God they trust to change their life styles for good.
Centre for Religion and Public Affairs (Crapa) executive director Alex Business adds that everything of a Born Again Christian is associated with deeds of Jesus Christ.
“It is not on for a Born Again musician to sing about anger, violence and all other evil stuff. The gospel is the Good News of Jesus Christ they should proclaim. Character cannot be controlled by people, but the Holy Spirit.
In this case, contents of Tafizozi’s songs should have Christian values, not evil values,” says Business.
According to Galatians 5: 22, the fruits of the Holy Spirit that manifest in a born again Christian include love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithful, gentleness and self-control. n
