What
comes to mind when City of God is mentioned? And how will you feel if you hear
that there is a City of God in your neighbourhood?
These
were but few curious questions that crossed my mind when I first heard the name
City of God. I wondered where this City of God could be? Could it be the haven
of heavens? What does it look like?
Generally,
names like City of God comes with a reverence that inspires holiness and hope.
My first encounter with the name was several years ago when I heard of St.
Augustine of Hippo’s classic De Civitate Dei contra Paganos, translated in English as The City of God Against the Pagans or The City of God.
Considered as one of St.
Augustine’s important works, the 5th
century book, which espoused Christian philosophy, was in
response to allegations that Christianity brought about the decline of Rome.
Many scholars agree that The City of God is a cornerstone of Western thought,
expounding on many profound questions of theology, such as the suffering of the
righteous, the existence of evil, the conflict between free will and divine
omniscience, and the doctrine of original sin.
After
St. Augustine’s book in the in the 5th century a lot of literature
and other audiovisual materials have been produced on the City of God.
In
Accra there is a shantytown along the Odaw River and the Korle Lagoon,
originally christened Old Fadama. Old Fadama, with an estimated population of
over 80,000, and makeshift kiosks, has derogatively been referred to as “Sodom
and Gomorrah”.
Similar
to the classic of St. Augustine, the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra through The City of God is laying a cornerstone of evangelising people, bringing
relief to the suffering of the righteous, bring light to dispel the darkness of
evil, as well as reorient Ghanaians that the people of City of God are good and
godly people created and loved by God.
With
demand far outstripping inadequate social amenities such as sanitation, running
water, medical services in the midst of heaps of waste, including electronic
waste and metal scraps, life in the largest slum in the Ghana could be
perilous, dangerous and uncertain or unreliable opportunities for social advancement
and progress.
As
inhabitants of the place are largely stigmatised for where they live, with
constant threat of eviction by governments without a corresponding degree of
commitment to support the inhabitants, leave much to be desired. But Rev. Fr.
Subash Chittilappilly, MC, says there are Gods people living there and that,
Ghanaians have no right to describe the place derogatively.
He
says there was need to consciously support the people there overcome their
challenges instead of stigmatising and neglecting them totally.
In
his two years duty stay at the City, Fr. Chittilappilly of the Missionary of
Charity, urged stakeholders to support the people of Old Fadama, and entreating
retired teachers and the youth of the Catholic Archdiocese of Accra,
particularly those with expertise in English, Mathematics and Computer Science
to volunteer their time to help train some of inhabitants at the City of God.
It
is true there is a City of God at Old Fadama, striving to improve upon the many
lives of people living there and help improve their living standards, as well
as erase the offensive name and stigma given those living there.
As Jesus
Christ invited his disciples in John 1: 39 to come and see his place, Fr.
Chittilappilly also throws on open invitation to all to come and see what goes
on at the City of God.
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