Thursday, November 10, 2011

Is it not written?

If I have learnt anything in this life, it is that the only sacred thing in this world is human life not skyscrapers, cars, clothes, money, food, or anything for that matter. And this sacred thing is being defiled on a daily basis, yet religious people tell me “we will keep praying”.

As long as the boat is not rocked, it’s ok.
As long as they are within their comfort zones, it’s ok.
As long as their salaries are being paid, it’s ok.
As long as the bank accounts of leaders are swelling, who cares?
As long as they have access to the good things of life, what else?

Y’know what, it’s not ok to be satisfied with  the status quo and not do or say anything about it. According to Albert Einstein (who may not have been religious by Nigerian standard) “The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil but by those who watch them without doing anything. The Christian faith will not be destroyed by liars but by those who know truth and refuse to speak up for fear.

What makes one different from the marauders who pillage our resources right, left, back and front? As long as your voice rises in defence of men who allowed (and profited by) the degeneration of nationhood and not in defence of the defenceless, the widows, fatherless, the poor, you are in the camp of the oppressors. As long as you have not bound the words of truth about your neck, pray tell how you differ from those who lie and deceive others.

More than ever, the people who know the truth are required to declare it to the world where lies and deceits are daily breads of most families, organizations (religious and secular), governments, nations. Wake up Nigerian and particularly the Nigerian Christian (soldiers), wake up Africa. Let the truth that you know set you free. Any truth that makes one to cower in fear needs checking again for veracity.

While sharing with a friend the day before yesterday (during a visit to her house), our discussions drifted to matters of spirituality. She asked what I thought about Jesus living in our present day, whether he wouldn’t be using a jet. We weighed it together and came to the conclusion that he wouldn’t. The woman with the issue of blood would have had no access to him if he was that high class. Many beggars and commoners who thronged about him will also not have the opportunity they freely had. In his days, there were many rich and influential men and women but his messages to them was always simple – where your treasures are, there your heart will be also or go sell all you have and give your monies to the poor.

The message is simple but we have made it so complex that a lot of people have been misled. Many now believe in sowing seed offerings so much that they will steal from anyone and anywhere just so they can get the approval of the pastors (who will not be interested in the source but the amount). Many Christians now believe so much in “ori oke” (translated mountain top) so much that they despise their own prayer sessions in their bedrooms. They have been so brainwashed that they cannot see that Jesus himself advised that few words were required in prayers and he encouraged praying in secret. Many no longer have secret places; they are either at crusade grounds, church auditoriums, camp grounds, mountain tops, etc. And it doesn’t amaze them that the conditions oftentimes worsen. They keep lingering on the words of the man rather than on the words of life. They have been brainwashed, you can’t blame them much; the blame lies at the doorstep of those who have been given the mandate to feed the sheep (with truth) but instead fleece the sheep and grow rich. How long more? Many can’t see that Jesus’ words are true even now which said “they are like sheep without shepherd...the harvest is plenteous but the labourers are few”. Jesus never taught rocket science, his words were clear, he said the kingdom of God must be received as a child (faith). We see what is wrong yet we find explanations as to why it is not condemnable. Our minds have become twisted. Our love has waxed cold (perhaps we never even knew what love was?).

Little wonder why some groups of Christian leaders will agree with the government’s plan to remove fuel subsidy on behalf of Christians in Nigeria. Shortly after this was made public, Northern Christians (in the same body – it’s a wonder how the maths doesn’t add up) in the daily line-of-fire quickly spoke out against such declarations. I didn’t hear anywhere that this was a topic on any pulpit the next Sunday. Everyone carried on as though all is well yet many human lives (the sacred) are still being lost and targeted as we speak. The bible declared (not me) that it shall not be well with the wicked (I don’t care if such wicked persons are clothed in pastoral garments, papal regalia or apostolic frocks or taskmasters’ suit).

When we quote scriptures, we usually steer clear of any one which connotes evil on us or requires responsibilities on our part like the scripture which said “if my people who are called by my name would humble themselves and pray (we usually stop here) AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, I will hear from heaven and heal their lands.  Take note that there is turning away required before the healing of our land. In the same vein, we stop at the blessings of Deuteronomy and will not speak (as was instructed the Levites unto all the people of Israel) with a loud voice “Cursed is he that perverts the judgement of the strangers, fatherless and widows. And the people shall say Amen....”
"If you will not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day, that all the curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee. The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness and astonishment of heart. ....And thou shall become an astonishment, a proverb and a byword among all nations where the Lord shall lead thee.....”. "Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people (let he that has eyes, understand) and thine eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all the day long and there shall be no might in their hands. THE FRUIT OF THY LAND, AND ALL THEY LABOUR SHALL A NATION WHICH THOU KNOWEST NOT EAT UP (does this sound familiar?) AND THOU SHALL BE ONLY OPPRESSED AND CRUSHED AWAY.... "
(Excerpt from 2Chronicles 7 and Deuteronomy 28 )

 Are our eyes popping and our ears tingling or they have been so dulled by fat that they can’t see and hear? These words are not mine or is it not written? Were the Levites (church leaders of today) not commanded strictly to speak it out loudly in the ears of the people and also to remind them constantly?
 
For such a time as this are we children of the most high. We must sound the message!

2 comments:

  1. It is “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” researchers Rob Willer, Ko Kuwabara and Michael Macy devised a set of ingenious experiments that showed how distressingly easy it is to make people go against what they believe to be true.
    One of the experiments involved wine-tasting, in which participants evaluate both the wine and one another’s wine-tasting skills. The participants were given three samples of wine. In reality, all three samples were from the same bottle. One had even been tainted with vinegar!
    Before they delivered their evaluation, they listened to other participants, who were plants, who praised the vinegar-laced wine as the best. Half of the participants went against their own taste buds and joined in praising the vinegary concoction.
    Even more interesting is what happened next. Another participant, who was also a plant, told the truth about the wines. But when it came time for the participants to evaluate each other, some of them were permitted to do so confidentially, and the others had to do so publicly.
    The ones who gave their evaluations confidentially praised the truth-teller. But those who had to evaluate the truth-teller publicly actually turned on him and gave him low marks.
    The researchers call this phenomenon “false enforcement,” which they define as “the public enforcement of a norm that is not privately endorsed.”
    What sustains the norm isn’t its popularity, much less its validity but, instead, the desire to “avoid a negative social judgment from one’s peers,” according to the report. Important words.
    And the desire to “avoid a negative social judgment” feeds what German sociologist Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann called the “Spiral of Silence.”
    Simply stated, out of a desire to avoid reprisal or isolation, people go along with what they think is the popular opinion — even if they object to that opinion personally. Instead of voicing their objections, they remain silent.
    Stephen Enada

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  2. Mr. Stephen Enada, wow, look at that.... research bringing out human intents and behaviours... very interesting indeed. I do understand that many people fear isolation (many fear to be alone for a minute or a day), such people will have to keep going with the flow in order not to incur the desertation of the people around. It's no wonder the road to truth is narrow and only few tread it. Truth liberates. Thanks

    This life must be lived above feelings in order to live the higher life.

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