Warren, God’s warrior

Joining us in the country very recently was the mega-superstar, American pastor and author, Rick Warren, doing what he does best; that is opening ears that had long been clogged by wax to the sweet and enchanting melodies of the The Word. Because I’m not a regular member of church and worship congregations, save for when there are special occasions, there is not a lot that I gleaned from his otherwise powerful sermons. In other words, and sadly and shamefully, I do not have alot of classified info on the Man-a-Gawd as I type this. Which is really to say that for the first time, my foot is not on the ground. (Am I losing it or what?!) So, who is Rick Warren? According to Ken, a no-nonsense-looking fellow journo who also writes for this paper, and whose piece on the man-a-Gawd was well-received last weekend, Warren is just about the only known moneybags who can’t afford something as simple as a decent designer suit, allegedly showing up in the country in the same suit for the last seven years. But the business of preaching and advocating Godly values is rather unfamiliar territory to me, so let’s restrict this dialogue to the side B of Warren’s recent visit. All I know is that he is a man of God, and not only that, a tight buddy of Rwanda, who was here for a gospel concert dubbed Rwanda Shima Imana. And did I just say gospel concert? Actually it wasn’t exactly a concert –rather, a mega festival in honor of Imana’s providence. How could I even call it a concert in the first instance, when it is a known fact that Rick Warren is no singer? Well, blame it on the not-so-well-behaved, and equally not-so-God-loving/knowing “Generation X-ers” of today, some of who I happen to know full well. To the best of the knowledge of these naughty teenage rebels, it is the American rapper Rick Ross (aka The Boss), not Rick Warren that they made sighting of in Kigali recently. The two seem rather similar (and confusing, especially to those naughty, not-so-Godly urban youths), if even just on account of the sheer similarity in name. But then again, and above all, have you seen how physically imposing -almost to the point of intimidating the two men are?