There is a short narrative in the gospel books that only Matthew (a former tax collector) recounts. None of the other gospel writers gives us this little snippet of information. At the end of the 17th chapter of Matthew, Jesus (in the company of Simon Peter) is confronted about paying the 2-Drachma (Greek currency) Temple Tax. There is no record in the Bible that God commanded the annual collection of this tax – at least not in the format it was being collected. Jesus tells Peter to go catch a fish, and pay the 4-Drachma coin he would find in it’s mouth for his and Peter’s tax, “So that we may not cause offense.”

SO THAT WE MAY NOT CAUSE OFFENSE. This concise 7-word footnote is loaded.

In the face of the latest provocation in Uganda – the enforcement of the Social Media (OTT) Tax, what should I do?

I have three options:

1. Pay the 200/- daily tax and carry on – Business As Usual.
2. Circumvent protocol (like I do when in China) and get my lifetime VPN subscription up and running – in Defiance.
3. For all the days am in Uganda, forget all about Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, et al – in Protest.

Number 2 appeals to my character. I hold a very dim view of bullies. Even when I was a small boy in school, I fought off bullies. What I lacked in physical build, I overly compensated for in intellect. I was the small boy you called names but rather not messed with.

What must I do?

Lately, I have been studying first century history. A cursory glance at the books detailing the history of this period points one to two pivotal personalities: One an Empire, and the other an individual – little known in His lifetime. Rome, and Jesus of Nazareth.

Indulge me here.

At the height of its dominance in 120 AD, the Roman empire extended from England to modern day Iraq with an expanse of 3.5 million square kilometers. Jesus? The farthest He traveled outside his hometown was not more than a paltry 500km. And that is a generous measure. On all counts, he was a village bumpkin whose influence could not remotely start to compare to even the Roman outpost honcho of Galilee, Herod Antipas, son to the Roman client king of Judah, Herod the Great. For all Jesus was, the two men were weary of him. Herod the Great even went as far as ordering the massacre of every male infant in Bethlehem in a last ditch attempt to kill Jesus. The same Herod who, five days before his death, ordered the arrest of several citizens and decreed that they be executed the day he died, in order to guarantee a proper “atmosphere” of mourning in the country. Coming from a 400 year period when God was “silent,” Jesus was perceived as Messiah by a sizable cross-section of His people. The promised redeemer who would free them from Rome’s oppressive rule.

If one was to sum up Roman occupation and rule, one word would do: BRUTAL. The Emperor and his cohorts ruthlessly governed the Empire. Because of the expanse of the empire, even the smallest of riots was quashed with such a show of force and finality as to act as a deterrent and example to any would-be mutineers. The different territories had tax quotas that had to be met without excuse. Unlike us though, and to their credit, fine roads ran from one end of the empire to another. Cities emerged. Aqueducts that supplied municipalities with water became commonplace. Trade flourished. I’ve visited a couple of these ancient Roman cities and even in their current state, they are quite a sight to behold. That they are still standing to this day is testimony enough. Still, the highhandedness of Rome was legendary. Public executions were run of the mill, an everyday occurrence. And into this charged environment enters Jesus. The much awaited Messiah. The one who would free his people from Roman oppression. Oh, what a disappointment He was in His time! Short of calling Herod a Fox, and using a few other choice words to describe the religious rulers of his day, he was mostly silent about Roman oppression. When he spoke, he said unpalatable things like, “if a soldier (Roman) demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.” And then went on to tell his followers not to hit back at all. That if someone strikes you, “just stand there and take it.” Whoa! Messiah. Really? Yes, much like this latest tax whose main intent is to spite Ugandans and curtail their only remaining avenue for free speech. Jesus’ peers, who had made resistance to the Roman occupation a sacred duty incumbent on all Jews, considered him a sell-out. And as if to drive the point home, he died on a Roman cross, leaving His followers grief-ravaged and distraught. What an anti-climax. Or so it seemed.

And yet within 100 years of his execution, people throughout the Roman empire became his followers. In 325 AD, Christianity became the official religion of the Empire after emperor Constantine’s conversion. Within 500 years, even temples of Greek gods were being turned into churches.

What led to the collapse of the Mighty Roman Empire 15 centuries ago? This question will forever be asked. The knowledge that even the mightiest of empires ultimately collapse will forever haunt despots and rulers who have taken to personalizing entire nations. Capricious rulers who have become so brazen in their proclamations as to think their people owe them a lifetime of servitude.

So that I may not cause offense, I choose to go against character. I will turn the other cheek. I will walk the second mile when compelled to. And Yes, I will pay the 200 Shillings. You see, when the sum is tallied, virtue stands tall. And good will always triumph over evil.