Rev. Wainaina to politicians: Leave spiritual matters to those called to serve God

In an exclusive interview with Spice FM, Rev Canon Dr Sam Wainaina speaks on the interchange between politics and the church and why the clergy needs to be vocal in speaking the ills bedeviling our country. 

You are now serving as an advisor on Anglican Communion Affairs. What does your role entail?

My role basically entails advising the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has historically been the spiritual leader of the Anglican Church, particularly on matters of the Anglican Worldwide Church Communion. My office is based in London though my job requires me to travel to various parts of the world; representing the Archbishop or engaging with different challenges that the church faces.

What have you learnt so far as your work is concerned?

I have learnt that culture affects religion to a great extent and vice versa. In this sense, the church must constantly grapple with its context. Every context is so unique and different and there can be no uniformity. For instance, the Asian context is far different from the American context or African one.  Besides, it is good to understand that even the politics of a country can affect the church and vice versa. The church context is a complex situation but this is what I have been called for now.

Before you left the country for your church assignment, you had begun a mission of “speaking truth to power.”

It’s true and as you know, Jesus was born in a particular context, political, economic, social, and what I assume people do today is to assume that the gospel today doesn’t address the context today.  Sometimes I wonder all these pastors with all the theology we have done get me asking myself; was the school I went to so different from others? However, as Christians, we need to understand that we have a role in speaking against the ills prevalent in the society today.

We have a responsibility to make our country a comfortable place to live in. My role as a pastor just like Jesus did is to challenge the structures of the time.

You have said in the past that those in government essentially hid themselves in the eyes of Christianity to get their way. What did you mean by this?

Well to clarify on this, this government was made to look as the godliest government. You will see them frequenting churches. However, from my view, politicians should leave matters of the church to the church people. I don’t think it’s a prerogative of politicians to lead spiritual events such as prayer rallies and so forth. These should be entirely left at the hands of the clergy.

In fact, this public display of spirituality and Christianity is being questioned by people who don’t subscribe to our faith. For instance, some people are asking why those people who campaigned and were portrayed as if they had all the solutions, turned around quickly and are now overtaxing the very people who voted them in. They can’t listen to the poor Kenyans anymore.

What don’t you like about politicians in Kenya as compared to those in England?

The opulence and public display of it. Why for instance do some politicians go with 50-car motorcades to a church service, with ministers each coming with 20? Truly, this is being wasteful. In England you will find senior state officials with only two vehicles and two outriders.

In this government, the political elite seem to enjoy so much, including the trappings of power at the expense of Wanjiku.