Reflection

A Term Paper
Presented to
Dr M. Burges
Theological College of Zimbabwe

In Partial Fulfilment
of the Course
BATH 403
Christian Ethics and Justice

By
Craig Muhawa
23 Shiri Street
Dombotombo, Marondera
16 September 2022
+263 772 941152
Email: [email protected]
Reflection
The ethics course has shed much light in my comprehension pertaining right and wrong as a
member of a community and more significantly as a Christian. I was one of the people who
confused ethics and religion because of their close relationship. However, I was enlightened
of their distinct points of departure or sources. The relationship between ethics and religion
is said to be the same as that of revelation and reason. This aided me in understanding the
two since it is of paramount importance to know their sources inorder to be able to notice
the difference and moreover to create an appropriate base of commonality.

I have understood that the quest of an ethical ideal (ie the Summum Bonum), standards of
behavioural measurement and the pragmatic application of those standards in life situations
is the goal of ethics. I have learnt that we are human beings who are ethical by design in
concurence to Kant who proposes a categorical imperative of which its feasibility is by the
aid of God as we are in a fallen world. As we are people living among other people in
different communities, circular or religious, the issue of ethics is fundamental. We
encounter distinct life situations and as part of others in the community our reactions to
those situations are closely related to other people around us. In this regard, ethics comes
to play when a situational dilemma is encountered and a decision between feasible courses
of action to take is needed. Ethics is also considered in evaluating a chosen course of action
or consiquent results.

I got informed of Natural Ethics and Christian Ethics and it came to terms with the
comprehension I got pertaining the confusion between religion and ethics. Since there is
moral norms in these two, the basis from which the moral norms emanate was mainly
humanistic for general, circular ethics. A divine basis was that from which religious norms
emanated. This is somewhat the same with Natural Ethics and Christian Ethics. The former’s
point of departure is a philosophical enquiry into moral reality. The later’s basis is divine,
that is, it underscores and focuses on the place of God; the role of Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Considering the generalist (consequentialist) and absolutist approaches, accountability is

As Christians we have our way of deciding what is right and what is wrong. Christian norms
or standards are extracted from Scripture thus our decisions are based on what the bible
says or teaches. We practically apply the norms with the assistance of the Holy Spirit.
However, currently, Christians have enemies even in the church. In this regard, we as
humankind descended from Adam and Eve and were made in the image of God in
accordance with Genesis 1:26. Humankind disobeyed God because of the influence of Satan.
Consiquently, the problem of sin entered the world and it was inherent to every human
being. The devoid of peace and justice among humanity resulted. This is why it is evident
even in the church.
This is truly contrary to the amalgamation of the decalogue underscored by Jesus Christ
about the vertical and horizontal love, that is to God and neighbough according to Mark
12:29-31. The world is now fallen and sinful characterised by hopelessness, oppression,
despair, war, injustice, immorality, selfishness, lawlessness, power seeking and all the
negatives.

As followers of Jesus Christ, it is imperative to love our enermies. Initially because we are
not perfect in ourselves and we do not deserve by our deeds to be Christians but God loved
us. He loved us even when we were yet sinners according to Romans 5:8. For this reason we
ought to love our enemies. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the ideal example for us to emulate with
the aid of the Holy Spirit. On the basis of his sermon on the mount, that is Matthew 5-7,
Jesus commands us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Romans
12:20 we are taught to give food to our enemy if he is hungry, give him drink if he is thirsty.

Furthermore, a statement which is rendered The Golden Rule in Christianity which I stated
above about loving God and our neighbough is our ethical basis. I have learnt that our
neighbough is anyone who is in need, seeking for assistance. Considering this, our enemy
can also be our neighbough because he or she may be in need in our presence. We are
mandated to love and assist him or her. We have to be concerned and care for them. The
parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) is an example of what we must do as
Christians.

In the same sermon and in the peripheries of how we should love our enemies in the
church, Jesus heightens the law in substantiating its spiritual and ethical aspects. Our enemy
in the church might initiate evil towards us. Our response must not be legalistic as that of
the Pharisees as our righteousness has to surpass that of the Pharisees. As it was
understood as ‘an eye for eye’, we as Christians must not reciprocate evil as Paul teaches in
Romans 12:14. Instead, we have to bless them. In addition and according to verses 17-21 of
the same above chapter, we have to be at peace with all men. In obedience to God, we have
to give room for the wrath of God because vengeance is not ours as Christians but it is for
the Lord. Our response must be to overcome evil with good. We must do the right thing.
The love of neighbough is also heightened to the love of enemies.

As Christians who love God, this act is intertwined with loving our enemy or neighbough . In
accordance with 1 John 4:21, if anyone says he or she loves God yet hates his brother, he is
a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God,
whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also
love his brother. So loving God and loving others are linked together. Christians are to love
God and others because God loved them first.

The Macarisms or Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-11) also contain some Christian ethical
characteristics. These we have to dispose even to our enemies as well. We must not hold
grudges with our enemies as that may contaminate our hearts. Rather we have to maintain
our hearts pure as the reward says we shall see God. We have to be gentle to them at all
time. We also have to stay at peace with our enemies because blessed is the peacemakers
for they shall be called sons of God.

It is of paramount importance that as we are in a fallen world we cannot execute all these
Christian ethics by our own might as we are not perfect. However, with the aid of the Holy
Spirit we can manage and ideally in the next life. We have to attempt to fulfil them and
God’s Spirit will give us the ability. As we are made in the image of God, it is our duty to
image him in spirit, intellect, emotion, volition, in environmental and social dimensions of
human being.