Principle one: The Kingdom of God is based on transparency and trust. Until this is the basis of our dealings with each other, we will never see reformation. The very nature of African tribalism is not to trust. Tribalism engenders suspicion fostered by domination and control shrouded in fear.
Lawrence E Harrison and Samuel P Huntington in their book 'Culture Matters' say,
“To trust the individual, to have faith in the individual is one of the elements of a value system that favors development. In contrast mistrust of the individual, reflected in oversight and control, is typical of societies that resist development. Implicit in the trusting society is the willingness to accept the risk that the individual will make choices contrary to the desires of government. If this risk is not accepted and the individual is subjected to a network of controls, the society loses the essential engine of economic development, namely, the aspiration of each of us to live and think as we wish, to be who we are, to transform ourselves into unique beings. Where there are no individuals, only 'peoples' and 'masses', development does not occur. What takes place instead is either obedience or uprising.”
Trust inherently relates to a firm belief in the reliability, truth, or strength of a person or thing. It is the state of being relied upon. The basis of the kingdom of God is not only that God can be relied upon, but also those who are His representatives on earth can be relied upon. The foundation of this trust is that God speaks the truth and can be relied upon, and that men who are governed by the principles of God’s Kingdom will do likewise. On this foundation we can transform, not only culture, but nations.
