YOU SHALL NOT DIE!

’Pmark

 ---I’m not afraid to die, I just don’t want to be there when it happens.

Very close to our apartment in Sapele is a church whose generator noise and fume constitute a menace to our comfort. This is spiced with the recurrent loud shouts of “you shall not die in Jesus name!” every Monday and Friday, during their prayer sessions. This prayer received the loudest affirmation and cries of “Amen” whenever it is been echoed in the church. Subconsciously I began to initiate my thoughts towards their “doctrine of human immortality”. I thought to myself: if this were true, if indeed there is a possibility that we would not die physically. For us to live forever. Paradoxically, two weeks before my resumption to school, a member of the congregation died of cardiac arrest. I sarcastically added that his death ensued from the rigors that came with the noisy shouts in the church.

Most pertinently, I came to a realization that a core, undisputed fact that can never be altered is the reality of death. No matter the mechanism we employ, either self-delusion or denial, it remains a truism. Death is inevitable! Whatever way we look at it, we are increasingly close to it, with each day that passes by.

We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born. The potential people who could have been here in my place but who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of Lagos beach. Certainly those unborn ghosts include greater poets than Keats, scientists greater than newton, fighters greater than Mohamed Ali, athletes greater than Bolt, wrestlers greater than D Undertaker and writers greater than Chinua Achebe. We know this because the set of DNA so massively exceeds the set of the actual people. In the teeth of these stupefying odds it is you and I, in our ordinariness that are here.

We are destined to close our eyes someday and never open it to this side of life. We fret over the thought of this especially when we are privileged to have the best things life can offer. We must know that we are “option-less” over this datum; so the faster we accept it, the better it helps us cognize life better.

A consciousness of how slim our lives are, helps us in building our lives on the right path. It’s not in how long we live, but it’s how much our lives have impacted on the lives of others.  We live not just for ourselves, but for the benefit of the whole, the world around us. It is dismaying how people live their lives thinking everything in life is for their grasp. They choose to trample on other’s rights. They may get away with their acts of inhumanity but can never get away with death. There are those too, who have appreciated the dying phenomenon. These persons apprehend that someday they will die. The real deal is not in dying or when shall death come. The Kpim of the death phenomenon is: what would you be remembered for? To answer this question right, we must realize that we must begin to act now about what and how we wish to be remembered when we are gone.

What will you be remembered for? This question goes to every one of us. Imagine you are dead now and you close your eyes and open it at the other side of life to watch your friends, acquaintances and family. What do you think they will be saying about you?  What about your neighborhood and beyond? Who will be able to string his life to the benefit you have offered before now?

Obviously, no one wants to talk about death. But, we cannot help but tend to think about it when we are in serious danger and pray we don’t get caught up in its wings. The fear of dying is so horrid that it could leave a gory tale behind. More so, it steals in unnoticed and storms out a victor. Its victory over our human existence is short-lived only if we do know the real essence of our living. We live to bless, to add value, to make impact, to uplift and promote God’s kind of life on earth. What will count after we are gone is not the posh buildings we lived in, neither is it the fancy posh Venza, GMC, Lexus or Jaguar we drove in, nor the chains of industries and companies that we were able to acquire. It is the lives we have impacted, the lives we have helped transform during our journey through life; they are the stars that will speak for us for we shall be remembered not for what we would have done, but for that thing which we have done.

It is axiomatic that the best talents are found in the grave, people who have given their bests and who would give more of their best if given another chance. Since we are still alive, we must maximize the opportunity to transform our “Lenbenswelt” – our lived world. While you still live, you’ve got a chance to leave your footprints. The sands are still fresh and are bellowing at you: “c’mon make your impact” those dead heroes we recognize today once tread on this half of life. The world remember them because they inflicted their imprint on the people of their time and reckoned with history to remember them for their acts of bravery. We read about their hurdles and triumphs and wonder how they got to do it. It’s simple! They understood one certain fact that all that mattered was not their personal benefit but a sacrificial living of their lives for humanity. While most of them might have died as peasants, they left us wealth that encompasses all of their wisdom.

When ruminating on this, ask yourself: will I be just another statistic on this side of life that would just come and go? Will I be a force to be reckoned long after I am gone? Before I die, before all they know of me is my name, I can begin to make my impression. Now is the time. What is it that that I can do to effect some positive and quality change in my society? I must begin now. And I say to you, look around you to find some need you can solve, get at it! Your only chance to do it is now. Tomorrow may just be a story that should have been told. Remember, death does not give you an invitation letter and it does not require one from you. It can come five seconds from now. Are you prepared?

WHY I CAN NEVER FORGIVE

Eroma  ’Ruona Paul-mark

I was in JSS 3 when it happened. And as all true stories begin- Once upon a time…… Jide, who was a young privileged boy came to our school and as tradition would have it, every new member of Zik secondary schools must be greeted and welcomed by classmates. I was not feeling well so I didn’t go to greet Jide upon arrival. And that was the starting point of our fracas.

The precursory signals were somewhat uncertain. Jide had developed a jaundiced view about me because I never acceded or subscribed to his ideologies. So our relationship was really on the ropes.  We had a tiff but settled almost instantly….or so I thought. Until he evidenced it, I never really thought he was that vicious! On that fateful Thursday afternoon, we were in the class judiciously doing the classwork given to us by our fine art teacher when Jide loomed my desk and requested I gave him my water glue. I fervidly repudiated because I knew he was up to no good. He persisted and each time assuming a more pugnacious nature. I didn’t know what came over him. It ensued so fast I couldn’t escape Jide. I could not make any gist of the scenario. My eyes were literarily on fire! Jide had collected the water glue and emptied it in my eyes and I could hear his voice saying “I told you I would get you”. After series of sluicing with water, we discovered my eyelids were glued together and my iris was already affected. The optician had endorsed 3 major operations, two of which had to be done abroad. I was going sightless!

In the midst of all these morass, Jide, in his usual slackness came with his parents to offer monetary apologies to my parents but I averred that I would never forgive Jide. He was not even contrite. The procedures ultimately recorded successes but 15 years later I still remember, every time I pick up my bifocals to wear, every day I see the lens, I remember the hurt, the pains I felt, I remember Jide’s voice echo in my ears “I would get you”. I thought I was vindicated to keep the pains, to hold Jide in contempt but all that came to me was “why must I keep these thoughts” I thought I had forgiven Jide a long time ago, but I needed to let go, I needed to painfully forgive him. Yes! I forgave him although have never forgotten.

During and after the episode, I could not help but cogitate on the true nature of forgiveness. This led me to change my axiom about Jide from “never” to “I must forgive”. Forgiveness I learnt was the source and the rock of those who share their lives, to forgive and forgive and forgive and be forgiven just as many times. It is the cement that binds us together. It is the source of unity. It is the quality of love that draws togetherness out of separation. Forgiveness is understanding and holding the pains of another; it is compassion. It is the recognition of our own brokenness, our own weakness, our propensities to falter; it is a revelation of our human nature.

Forgiveness is letting go of unrealistic expectations of others and a wish that they be more than they are. Forgiveness is liberating others to be themselves, not making them feel guilty for what may have been. Forgiveness is to help people flower, bear fruit and discover their own beauty. Forgiveness does not need the drama of tears and emotional hugging. It is a simple gesture, signifying that we are together, part of the one body, called Jesus, in a covenant with one another.

Forgiveness is peace-making, struggling to create unity to build one body, to heal the broken body of humanity and our community. Most pertinently, forgiveness is to follow Jesus to be like him for he came to give and forgive and to take from the shoulders of people the yoke of guilt that locks them into a prison of sadness and sterility and prevents them from flowing and living freely. At the heart of Jesus’s message is his commandment “love your enemies and pray for those who hate you, pray for those who curse you”.

Forgiveness is the most powerful thing that you can do for your physiology and your spirituality. Yet, it remains one of the least attractive things to us, largely because our egos rule so unequivocally. To forgive is somehow associated with saying that it is alright, that we accept the evil deed. But this is not forgiveness. I thought it was enough for Jide. Forgiveness means that you fill yourself with love and you radiate that love outward and refuse to hang onto the venom or hatred that was engendered by the behavior that caused the wounds. Forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself, it is an act of strength, and it is a sign of self-love, when you forgive, you find peace, and most importantly, if you forgive you will be forgiven.

Jesus points out that it is easy to love those who love us, we do not need a special strength or love for that. But by ourselves it is awkward to love our enemies. Our natural instinct is to defend ourselves either to attack or to run away. But with the gift of his spirit, Jesus leads us along the path of peace-making. Before being a mandate, the words: “love your enemies……” are a promise: I will give you my spirit to do what you cannot do by yourself, I will teach you compassion, how to love and forgive those who hurt you, who criticize you behind you, who abandon you, those who stifle you, who slap you in the face. And as we enjoy the mammoth benefits of the year of mercy, we are called to be merciful like the father. We have the onus to reevaluate our conclusions on matters that would require us to let go and let love rule us. Yes! Forgiveness is not impossible and with Jesus, the impossible becomes possible, even forgiving the person who almost made you blind and eyeless becomes effortlessly possible!

                                                                                                                                          Let love reign    

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THE CHANGE TRAGEDY: THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE

  'Pmark

Either that the Nigerian people are wholly impatient or the government of Buhari is having a disappointing and vacillating start- something is undeniably not adding up.

Prior to the 2015 general elections the status quo in Nigeria was simply horrendous. Life was as its lowest ebb. The government of the day was busy pursuing shadows. Mayhem and complete insecurity of life and property was the order of the day.

Now the elections are over. There is a new government with promises of change. Salaries of most workers at both federal and state civil services have still not been paid, health workers at different states of the federation are on definite strike, the oil prices have fallen, the currency has been devalued (as at Friday 15^th  January 2016, the rate of exchange is N305 to $1 which is the lowest rate for over 40 years), economic austerity measures are choking, the insurgency of the “boko haram” sect is not ending, kidnapping and maiming of life of innocent citizens is on a daily basis, empty political campaigns and promises for various public offices are going on unabated, political wrangling, rumors and speculation about Nigeria’s disintegration is widespread with the problematic of Biafra rising, and now our budget for 2016 has suddenly developed wings to fly out of the national assembly? There is general disorientation and a sense of hopelessness that loams large among the citizenry. One might begin to wonder what the so called general elections brought in. One is poised to think that the prospect for a better change in Nigeria is less tenable and we might just end up with another change disaster.

 With the present, there seems to be no shift in paradigm as promised by the propaganda government led by General Buhari, who hitherto, continues to make scandalously insurmountable promises that might never come to fruition. Things can only be changed for better by change-agents of vision, not some propagandist. And we are all part of this process. Nigerian situation will only change for the better through the sacrifices of such men of vision like you, who would use their time and talent for the common good. The history of great nations has always borne witness to the volume of commitments and sacrifices of its patriots and statesmen.

 I dare to say that Nigeria does not need a hoopla of a government that will ultimately do nothing different, what it needs is dedicated pragmatism for this change to occur. This entails conscious efforts directed at solving problems in practical ways. It means people would have to start thinking and acting differently from the way they used to. This is when re- orientation comes in. It is believed that for handy change to occur, good orientation has to be entrenched in the lives and consciousness of the citizenry.

This re-orientation is premised on the fact that Nigeria has lost direction at a point of our political cum social development. Thus, re-orientation implies orienting the one that has been oriented before but veered off the right path. That is what our government need. That is what Nigerians need!

The present dispensation claims to have what it takes to change the future of the country. They promised to deal with issues decisively and within time. They promised that every facet of the country would change and above all, they would hit the ground running.

Perhaps, it is not the case that Buhari, underestimated the problems of Nigeria or that he over rated his administration before coming onboard, it seems rather, that it’s the case that he has discovered that the nation is not where he left it about 40 years ago. Whether or not he knew his promises were unrealizable within the time frame that the constitution allots him would not be tenable on the day of reckoning. It is in collective interest that he makes ample use of his time, knowing full well that his days are already numbered.

Nonetheless, the collective enterprises of the citizens in service of the common good are the index of a nation’s development. No nation can develop above the well-being of its citizens, it is the well-being of the citizens that determines the parameter of its national development. The Nigerian state needs chivalrous contributions of its patriots and statesmen for the needed socio-economic transformation that everybody is preaching. The questions are: Do we really have a change of leadership? Are the citizens alienated from this mishap? Can this change be attained? Would we ever get to the Promised Land? And can Buhari be the Moses of Nigeria?

               

              Let love reign!