GO TELL JESUS – KOFI ANYIDOHO
“Go
Go tell Jesus
That his messengers have come
But have forgotten all his words
Ask him if he said
Men are all equal or men are un – equal?
Who did he say God is?
A bearded old Boogy
Sitting far up in the skies
Watching and not caring?
Go
Go ask Jesus
Whether he really said we cannot reach our God
If we do not pass through him
Tell him to tell you
The fate of my ancestors
Who lived and died before,
He the Christ was born
Will all of them be damned?
Go
Go ask Jesus why he did not tour the world
To spread the word of death
But gave it to a chosen few
And in parables they can’t explain
Tell him
Tell Jesus
That the little peace I enjoyed
Before the messengers arrived
Has been disturbed
And I cannot sleep and dream
Until it is restored
Tell him
Tell Jesus
There is chaos in my house
My sons have left their heads and hearts
My daughters their hearts and heads
They are screaming shrieking
Burning each other’s soul
All because
His messengers have come
But have forgotten his words
May it please him come again
That we may see the truth
That the truth may make us see
That peace is not a piece of bread in wine
Go
Go tell Jesus
His messengers have come
But have forgotten his words of life”
Analysis of the poem
The poem is about the clash between Christianity and African traditional religion. Jesus represents Christian religion while ancestors represent African religion. Kofi Anyidoho criticizes Christians for negligence of duty especially when they forfeit the practical aspects of their belief and engage themselves in activities that God did not assign them. Some Christians for example do not practice what God asked them to do but they consistently criticize the behavior of unbelievers of Christ.
Anyidoho takes a critical stance against Christianity’s annoyance with African traditional religion. In the lines of “Go, go tell Jesus, his messengers have come, but have forgotten his words of life”, Anyidoho states his concern on the purposeful distortion of Jesus’ message as an act which harms and destroys African culture. Some Christians preach the virtue and practice the vice because they have forgotten the actual message God gave them. Some Christians are mere preachers of the word of God because their behaviors seem they do not understand leadership by example.
Do Christians really understand all men are equal? what about love one another and even forgive each other? Anyidoho says “ask him if he said men are all equal or men are un – equal?” because he realized that the unfairness, double standard and hypocritical life of Christians towards African traditional believers are unbearable. If everyone worships the same supreme God, then there is no need for Christians to discriminate against African traditional believers.
Anyidoho believes some Christian precepts are untrue. He therefore doubts if Jesus authorized them in the sentences of “Go ask Jesus whether he really said we cannot reach our God if we do not pass through him”. The extent to which Christians project their religion amazes Anyidoho. He therefore seeks to find out if Christians are true worshippers of God in the lines of “Go ask Jesus whether he really said we cannot reach our God if we do not pass through him, tell him to tell you”. According to Anyidoho, the means of worship or channeling one’s request to God does not matter like the purpose of honoring God and receiving answers to one’s request. If Jesus Christ is the only means to reach God, then where is the fate of Ancestors who died before Christ was born? Anyidoho clearly state this in “tell him to tell you, the fate of my ancestors, who lived and died before he the Christ was born, will all of them be damned?”. Thus, will God accept or ignore the ancestors? For example, if God accepts ancestors and their worship, then he will accept their generations that hold on to their practices of worship and culture.
Anyidoho for instance is not comfortable with church activities like prayers and songs that are accompanied by clapping and loud instruments that disturb the peace of unbelievers of Christ. Anyidoho outlined how his peace of worship and living are disturbed in the lines of “Tell Jesus, that the little peace I enjoyed before the messengers arrived has been disturbed and I cannot sleep and dream”. Another thing that upsets the writer is about Christians casting their fellows into fire by shouting holy ghost fire. Anyidoho says “They are screaming shrieking, burning each other’s soul” as if judgement is no longer in God’s hands.
The writer laments on the damages that Christianity caused to Africa traditional religion. He bemoans the loss of traditional values and relationship between fathers and children due to what the messengers have preached to them. This is stated in “There is chaos in my house. My sons have left their heads and hearts, my daughters their hearts and heads”.
The extent to which Christianity destroys African culture compelled Anyidoho to describe the messages of Christians as words of death. Anyidoho blames Jesus for not presenting his words of evangelism in simple and clear words rather than parables that his messengers do not understand. Anyidoho prefers Jesus spreading his own gospel throughout the entire world than assigning few men whose lifestyles and practices go contrary to the message. Anyidoho’s worry is stated in “Go ask Jesus why he did not tour the world to spread the word of death but gave it to a chosen few and in parables they can’t explain’. Anyidoho desires that Jesus should come again and clarify the message and purpose of Christianity. The poet emphasizes this in the sentence “May it please him come again, that we may see the truth, that the truth may make us see”.
To sum up, ‘Go tell Jesus’ points out that, Christians distort the message of Jesus’ and condemn Africa traditional religion because they forget the message of God.
Credit to MADAM SITSOFE GANU
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE
S. D. A. COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
ASOKORE – KOFORIDUA.