Where is mahali pema peponi (eternal peace?)

Friends,

Personally I feel we are too harsh to those who use these statements;

1.May God rest his or her soul in eternal peace (mahali pema peponi). Any one knows where that place is? How do people get there?

To me I feel this statement is not wrong and it has its merits. First we ought to look at the statement semantically and understand that it is prayer to God that God may rest the departed person in eternal peace. The key words here are May which is a subjunctive, it denotes that  it depends on God to grant or not to grant this plea. No one is forcing God to take the dead person to heaven. Pastor Birai I expected you to help the flock in understanding matters of eschatology because the Kiswahili translation here does not bring out the English rendering of eternal peace. What religious people here mean is that when a person departs from this life, he/she rests from the troubles of this world. In a sense this is a valid belief because even without Christianity, we knew that people go to another life somewhere beyond where our eyes can see.

Looking at the Kiswahili Mungu aiweke roho yake mahali pema peponi we know that our national Language is an African language and hence the understanding that since we now know that there is a God who owns the heaven and earth, we plead with Him to keep the soul of the departed in a good place where spirits dwell. The word peponi here may mean heaven and if you want to know where this place is, I will take you to Genesis 1

⁶ Then God said, “Let there be ^[e]an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” ⁷ God made the ^[f]expanse, and separated the waters which were below the ^[g]expanse from the waters which were above the ^[h]expanse; and it was so. ⁸ God called the ^[i]expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.  ⁹ Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good

In Kiswahili this place is rendered as Anga- Mungu akaliita anga hili Mbingu. Wherever the dead go, we who are still living pray that God may keep their souls in a good place and this does not mean we are bluffing the hearers. It is God who is the ultimate Judge of the living and the dead and our prayers can never change the destination of the dead.There is nothing wrong using this statement, the only problem would be if the speaker says that this makes the soul to detour.

2.God decided to take him or her? Really? Where do people get that from?

Now Pastor you're asking good questions here, don't you think that all these come from the Bible? look at this in Job 1: 21, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”

the Lord Gives, the Lord Takes Away. “...the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away...” (Job 1:21) It was Job who said these words. He  said because it was God's prerogative to create a life and also bring it to an end. It is only God who can terminate a life and when he does it, it is good that is why Job says Blessed be the name of the LORD. When David was pleading with God to spare the son he had got with Bathsheba, he knew fully well that the baby was being taken by God 2 Samuel 12

²¹ Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? ^[j]While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” ²² He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ ²³ But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

So I also do not see anything wrong with this statement.

3.He or she has now become an angel and is looking down on us? Are you serious?

This last statement is new to me but nevertheless it still can be seen that there is some resemblance to a verse in the bible in Hebrews12:1-2   “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

The cloud of witnesses here as many Christian bible expositors teach, is made up of our beloved ones who went to be with the Lord. Because the Previous chapter gives the names of such faithfuls.

In conclusion, I would like to ask my fellow labourers in the Lord's vineyard, to size the opportunity and preach the Kerygma ( κήρυγμα, kérugma) when such an opportunity arises so long as it is called today. We should not trivialize issues and start living like civilians-using St.Pauls' analogy in 2Tim.2

 ¹ You therefore, my ^[a]son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ² The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. ³ Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴ No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. ⁵ Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he ^[b]does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶ The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. ⁷ Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

 ⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, ^{9 [c]}for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. ¹⁰ For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. ¹¹ It is a trustworthy statement:

   For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him;
¹² If we endure, we will also reign with Him;
If we ^[d]deny Him, He also will deny us;
¹³ If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

We should be ready to explain the word of God clearly to those who ask us why we believe. God bless us.