IT’S ABOUT TIME!

A few days ago, I read the story of a 22 year-old student of a university in the South-West of Nigeria who hung himself. In his suicide note he wrote that he felt like an old man and didn’t see any purpose in living anymore.

It gives one cause for concern. I begin to wonder how much of life an individual has experienced for that amount of time that qualifies him to make such a conclusion. As far as I’m concerned that incident had a deep-seated underlying cause.

Such is the world we live in. This sort of occurrence for similar reasons is particularly common in the western world. It’s just a reflection of emptiness. There are a lot of people around today who have similar perceptions about life and don’t have the ‘courage’ to take such drastic action.

Not a few people ponder their continued existence as a waste. A lot of folks live life with the “let us eat and drink for tomorrow we shall die” mentality. There are others who see life as a vicious cycle of repeated events.

Some people try to find meaning in life by immersing themselves in work – using workaholism to cover a problem lying at the very core of their being. Making it an end in itself and not just a means to an end. Similarly, some others involve themselves in charity work just for the same reasons.

Emptiness is the cause of many things we see in our world. It manifests itself in body piercings, orgies, addictions, substance abuse etc. In my opinion, these amounts to running a tap of water at full speed into a basket – water flows into it but it never gets filled. An exercise in futility.

We often talk about square pegs in round holes and vice-versa. It is also a principle of life. God created us and put in us a craving that He alone can fill. A God-shaped vacuum that he alone can adequately occupy. In the words of Saint Augustine, Thou hast created us for Thyself, and our heart is not quiet until it rests in Thee.”

Jesus said in John 10: 10 Amplified Bible: “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have {and} enjoy life and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows”). Of course, we Christians have tapped into this (and that’s the essence of our faith anyway).

Unfortunately, when we observe products of emptiness as evidenced in the lives of those around us we either turn a blind eye or just look at them in pity or worst still criticise them.

In Matthew 5, Jesus refers to us as salt and light of the world. I’d like to relate this to a lighthouse. A lighthouse is a navigational tool used at sea. It is actually a powerful light that gives them signals particularly at night to make them aware that they are close to the river bank to avoid accidents. In the same vein, we Christians are lighthouses that are supposed to warn people and encourage them to leave their wrong lifestyles.

This is particularly important as we move closer to the end of age. We are called to change are world. We have been commissioned to bring others to Christ. We have been seasoned for influence.

So, what are you waiting for? If not you whom? If not now, when?

It’s about time!

Of Glass Houses and Stone-Throwers

The saying goes ‘those who live in glass houses should not throw stones’. They should also prevent others from pelting stones at them and their houses.

Or how do you explain a situation where a ‘glass house-dweller’ stands in his house making faces and poking fun at passers-by? This is exactly how many Christians live their lives.

Jesus in Matthew Chapter 5 used some symbols to represent christians viz. salt, light, ‘a city on a hill’. These mean our lives can’t be secret. We’re meant to change our world. It means everything we say and/or do is in public glare.

However, due to the fact that Christian values are not usually in agreement with what the world around hold so dear, christians are hated. If they can’t bring Christians to change their values, the world around them seeks every opportunity to bring them down.

To make matters worse, many Christians don’t live by the values that are supposed to define them. This gives non-Christians ample opportunity to tear them down. Hence, dragging the name of Christ in the mire.

This’s a clarion call to fellow believers to live right. Not only because we want to please God but also because we are watched and our every mistake counts.

We are the letters others read. We live in a glass house and should prevent others from pelting us with stones