Our lives, says Martin Luther King, Jr., begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. When God saved me two times from deadly thunder storms, I understood Him perfectly. Life is a gift and for a purpose. It was difficult discerning His will for me out of many alternatives. Then came that night I can never forget as I sat before God in sober reflection with tears strolling down my cheeks. All I could request after a graveside silence was: “Thy Strength Oh Lord”. This is the origin of the 3-stanza prayer that I later adopted as my priestly mission statement:
THY STRENGTH OH LORD…
To give not only sacred host but bread;
and yet separate religion from philanthropy.
To adore the pulpit and respect a platform;
and yet differentiate Jesus from Luther.
To proclaim the Gospel and recite a national anthem;
and yet keep a distance between Mark and Marx.
To teach not just doctrines but alphabets;
and yet see an island between Rome and Greece.
To learn not just value of prayer but value of work;
and combine God’s providence with social security.
To raise up not only saints but activists;
and commend Marys before Marthas.
When my strength is low and tasks high,
and I need to smile but have to sigh;
when I need friends but find only allies,
Crucified Saviour, keep me united with Golgotha,
on my Good Friday, may I heave with you:
“It is finished!” Amen.
© Felix-Uche Akam (2012)
As I face the Jerusalem of this mission, my mood at the moment is that of gratitude. This piece is a literary pat on your back, a telegram of my warm gratitude for the period we shared in the Newspaper. I would have wished for different medium, but it looks this is my only lifeline to appreciate your readership.
At a moment like this, I hasten to remind you of my last lines in “Dream Never Dies” which have turned prophetic: “Never kill your noble dream. On the path to realizing one’s dream, one may be brutalized by agents of government and men of lose virtues, but there are no problems; only opportunities. Dream never dies; it changes form.”
We have come a long way. For 10 years we have kept our thought pattern open to public readership and criticisms in newspaper. In 2012, we launched “Dragnet” campaign in the same tabloid. Since then, I have anchored on your behalf our joint project. ‘You spot a problem, we discuss it.’ We have travelled through the world of ideas, events and personalities. We have come face to face with the hippos and by asking questions especially ones leaders do not like to answer, we stepped on toes. Wherever, whenever, or however they happened and whoever would be involved, we would drag them into our net.
We were able to learn on our mistakes because your patience was quite edifying. I have met the beauty and the beast. I have seen cynics, skeptics, pessimists, and optimists. I have argued with the god-fearing and secularists. Remarkable has been our humble disposition to submit to superior argument. Those who shared different opinion must acknowledge that we were willing to defend our righteous lines.
We did not expect all to be comfortable with us. Hence, this moment has not come to us by surprise. Some read to find our faults. Some in defending narrow interest gave us names reserved only for animals. Concerned ones had fears for me, my family, my friends. We felt the heat of party fanatics and personality worshippers. But the love of you fans would move me to tears. Some took up my mantra. Some bought my wars and fought them with loud intelligence. Some sacrificed their personal interests and swallowed them for our common cause, all because you believe in our common brotherhood.
For or against, nothing means more to me than the brotherhood we share. If not for anything, we are in an agreement that we have problems and our enemies are not hidden. They are our leaders. If our cause for just soceity of love were not worthy, our enemies would have swallowed us up long ago because they have the means. As relocation and studies weighed on me, the general decline in goodwill and public morality strengthened my faith that neither betrayal nor withdrawal would be an answer.
How do I say it? I humbly wish to inform you that we are officially off tabloid for reasons beyond us. Our online presence is still a definite-maybe. Should I suddenly take a bow here too, God forbid, keep in mind that I remain indebted to your friendship.
Frightened by the fierce persecution that greeted Christianity at her infancy stage, the early church took refuge in tunnels to worship God and celebrate mysteries of His Son’s love in the Eucharist. Contrary to the calculation of Caesars and emperors to strangle Christianity, what emerged was church of Catacombs that hid Christ in rich liturgical symbols that have survived more than 20 centuries. What public proclamation could not do, symbols conveyed them in striking manner such that the post-catacomb church despite her unlimited freedom has been a footnote on the Catacomb.
Four years ago I wrote: “Imagine that a friend said to you, “I’ve been driving for years, and I have never had a wreck, so I’m going to stop using my seat belt.” What would you say to convince him of danger he’s courting? How would you persuade him that the other driver might be at fault, or that there might be a mechanical failure, or that the weather might cause a crash? The point is, long term success can lead to overconfidence and a lack of imagination.’ Those in doubt should Google Napoleon Bonaparte, a beneficiary and most cruel victim of power.
The church has seen Caesars and emperors; she has been patronized by Rockefellers but it emerged from catacomb to hold her Council twice on a hill called ‘Vatican.” You cannot light a candle and keep it under a bushel; it makes no sense. Until the day called tomorrow, I ask you to fear only fear.