10 Apr 2017

Artistes express themselves in many ways; while others speak through song and dance, others are in novella publications, all aiming to pass the intended message to the public.

When many chose different genres, 23-year-old business management graduate, Diphetogo Segare chose to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ through poetry and said he reckoned himself a fulltime author as he was working on two more books yet to be published.

Speaking in an interview, Segare said he published a compilation of 30 poetry book titled Window Shopping Christianity end of last year and is currently working on its distribution.

He said he wrote and recited poetry in English as it attracted attention unlike Setswana, where people only wait for a part of ululations and whistles, paying less attention to the message.

He said he sold his book in bulk to churches, individuals and was currently in talks with University of Botswana library that have shown interest in his book.

He held that as a Christian he believed the Word of God was the solution to all problems, hence his focus was in the gospel of Jesus Christ, especially that the church continued to lose its essence.

“The title of the book Window Shopping Christianity comes from the realisation that a great number of people that go to church have created personal altars to an unknown god. There is very little that has been opined to remove such ignorance, which moulds a god that not only negates the Holy God, but also the godly way of the Christian lifestyle,” Segare explained.

He further stated that the book was personally challenging, adding that each poem would compel the reader to introspect, appreciate and come to a state of developing an aptitude for the Lord with godly fear and reverence.

Segare also said the book was not a substitute for the Bible, but a means to get readers to adhere to the Bible with more awareness and spiritual alertness.

He said some poems were written from personal experiences, observations and revelations that came from the undiluted Gospel of the cross preached at church.

“Some pieces are meant to demystify the fog surrounding the grace dispensation that we are in, where sometimes we find people living in sin while professing regeneration by the spirit of God. These often tarnish the image of the church in the society. Such a piece is Window Shopping Christianity, which is the fulcrum of the book, written by the grace of God to help the reader understand the state of the church and see where one stands in regards to the weakened message of holiness, purity and godliness,” Segare elaborated.

Moreover, he explained that pieces like Dying Breed and Did You See Him were based on sympathy from those who once lived a life of soul-winning and intercession, of which there seems to be no one to hand the baton to.

Some poems like Covenant Keeping God and What Good Did; He See In Me rejoice in praise of the finished work of the crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection, ascension and glorification of the soon coming king.

They preen on the peace and prosperity guaranteed to the heirs of salvation.

Poems like Pilgrims, The Derek Amad and I’ll Rise Again cite the contentment and encourage the reader to pursue the ultimate price being heaven and eternal life rather than immersing in sinful immoral acts, which are only temporary and a cause of hopelessness and misery.

He also said he has received positive feedback from readers. 

Despite his success, Segare pointed out that he had faced a number of challenges, especially monetary challenge to publish, marketg and advertise the book. He also decried minimal rate of reading culture in the country. ENDS