The Cult of Personality

One of the criticisms that the ANC breakaway party has of the ANC is that it has become involved in a 'cult of personality'. In other words they believe that Jacob Zuma has become more important, as a personality, than the principles of the ANC. The African philosophy of Ubuntu says that people should be committed first to the community and that individuals should not take centre stage.

Bill Hybels and Greg Hawkins, pastors at Willowcreek Community Church in the USA, have been promoting a process that they carried out in their church. They wondered whether people were growing in Christ in their church. They wondered whether Jesus was at the centre of their church members' lives. They found that many people were willing to say that they followed Jesus, but had not reached a point of being able to say that he was central to their lives.

We can follow many things - people - like politicians or evangelists, ideals, or interests. But we can only have one centre to our lives and we need to choose that carefully.

Look at this picture:

Where would you say you are in the picture? Where would you like to be?