BY: Felix Khonte
Since the creation of the world by God Almighty, and his subsequent creation of human beings to fill the earth thereof, man has been a stubborn and delinquent component of the Lord’s majestic hand work. The first human beings that misused the love of God for mankind were Adam and Eve. They were Gods first creation and placed them in the Garden of Eden. God warned them not to eat the forbidden fruit in the middle of the garden, which was the tree of life, and of knowledge and of good and evil. The serpent used his cunning tricks to persuaded Eve and lured them into eating the forbidden fruit. “And The Lord God Commandeth The Man, Saying, Of Every Tree Of The Garden Thou Mayest Eat Freely”. “But Of The Tree Of Knowledge Of Good And Evil, Thou Shall Not Eat Of It, For In The Day That Thou Eatest Thereof, Thou Shall Surely Die”. For this act, the Lord drove Him away from the Garden Of Eden, “Therefore The Lord Sent Him Forth From The Garden Of Eden, To Till The Ground From Whence He Was Taken”. (GENESIS: chapter 2 verses 16 and 17) and (GENESIS 3 verse 23) respectively.
In the book of exodus, when the Israelites were suffering under the bondage of Pharaoh, the Lord rescued them from the hands of the Egyptians through Moses. The Lord miraculously crossed the Israelites through the Red Sea and was leading them to the Promised Land, ‘a land full of milk and honey’. They went through the wilderness of “SIN” on their way to the Promised Land. When Moses left the people of Israel to go and have an encounter with the Lord on Mount Sinai for forty days and nights, the people became angry. They confronted Aaron and complained bitterly about the where abouts of Moses saying, “He had abandoned us to come and die in the wilderness for lack of food and water”. They told Aaron to make them gods that they can worship and to take them to the Promised Land. “And When They Saw That Moses Delayed To Come Down From The Mount, The People Gathered Themselves Together Unto Aaron, And Said Unto Him, “Make Us Gods, Which Shall Go Before Us, For As For This Moses, The Man That Brought Us Out Of The Land Of Egypt, We Don’t Know What Is Become Of Him” (EXODUS: chapter 32 verse 1).
That was how ingratitude, ungratefulness and selfishness started right across the human race. These have been the hallmarks and back bones of intrigues, deceptions, betrayals, trials and tribulations that have characterized and enveloped the entire universe. From one generation to the other generation, we are hearing and witnessing incredible stories that can be likened to the biblical days. But let us don’t lose sight of the fact that all generations are descendants of Adam and Eve, as the first creation of God Almighty, running through to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. No matter the color of your skin, or the continent you were born, we are all tied up to that lineage. “And The Lord God Formed Man Of The Dust Of The Ground, And Breathed Into His Nostrils The Breath Of Life; And Man Became a Living Soul”. (GENESIS: chapter 2 verse 7)
Although time and circumstances have drastically changed the sequence of events in shaping the world, there are clear signs that point to the fact that the good Lord who is watching with keen interest from his abode in Heaven, is not pleased with the prevailing events in our beloved nation. The Bible or the Quran that our leaders take to administer the oath of office to govern the citizenry with uprightness and justice have been defecated upon. “Truth, which is a fundamental moral weapon for equity and trust, stands afar off like a toothless bull dog, aiding and contributing to the death of justice”. These circumstances have led us to be abandoned by the international community. “How Doth Thy City Sit Solitary, Which Was Full Of People? How Is She Become Like a Widow! She That Was Great Among The Nations, And Princess Among The Provinces, How Is She Become Tributary”? (LAMENTATIONS: chapter 1 verse 1)
Passions have monumentally given precedent to cold calculations in the machinery of state governance, as we navigate along the journey of political brouhaha! The political climate that hangs over the country requires an ‘immediate and humane divine intervention from our creator’. More immediately serious is the lack of harmony among the protagonists of the opposition in the Legislature on one hand, and the senior executives on the other hand. These are the components in our society that are entrusted with the due responsibilities to cross check the excesses of the ruling class in our fragmented and highly polarized nation. That said, it is incumbent and realistic that the people’s representatives in our country’s parliament wake up from their slumber and rekindle their energies for a consensus building for the sustenance of democratic best practices.
The compromises that our political Godfathers have entered into are suspiciously leading our democracy to become moribund in the eyes of civilized democracies across the globe. This is what the bible tells us about leaders: Wherefore Comfort Yourselves Together, And Edify One Another; Even As Also Ye Do. And We Beseech You Brethren, To Know Them Which Labor Among You, And Are Over You In The Lord, And Admonish You; And To Esteem Them Very Highly In Love For Their Work’s Sake. And Be At Peace Amongst Yourselves. Now We Exhort You, Brethren, Warn Them That Are Unruly, Comfort The Feebleminded, Support The Weak, Be Patient Toward All Men. See That None Render Evil For Evil Unto No Man; But Ever Follow That Which Is Good, Both Among Yourselves, And To All Men.( 1ST THESSALONIANS chapter 5 verses 11 to 15) respectfully.
What has really gone wrong in this nation that has kept us all in servile fearfulness? Something has gone amiss that we need to reflect upon, and take decisive actions to forestall sanity in the land that we love. As the old adage goes, “Prevention is better than cure”. The unnatural events as they unfold are parallel to the monstrosity of the evil machinations that are being undertaken by our leaders through their governance systems. The period leading to the multi-tier elections of June 24th 2023, was a brazen spectacle of unprecedented constitutional trampling at its worst in living memory. The parliamentarians who are paid from the consolidated revenue fund to advocate on behalf of the people who voted them, all compromised their functions. The Judiciary is just a laughing stock as it has nothing good to write home about because it dances to the tune of the executive.
Our moral guarantors, the Human Rights Activists, Civil Society Organizations, all have become docile at a time the people need them the most to speak up against injustices. It beats my imagination for the first lady to stop church activities for a whole Sunday for the initiation of secret ‘Bondo’ society in Kenema! There was not a single word of condemnation from the Council of Churches for that action, except a few individual men of God who came out on social media criticizing the action of the first lady. The bible says: “Whosoever Denieth The Son, The Same Hath Not The Father, (But) He That Acknowledgeth The Son, Hath The Father Also”. (1st JOHN: chapter 2 verse 23).
“All is well that ends well”, as it was in the beginning of creation, so shall it be unto the end of mankind on planet earth. We came into this world with our hands closed fisted, and we depart again with the same hands open. That was how the good lord designed the world for mankind, that we came into this world with nothing in our hands, and we depart again from this world with nothing to take along with us.
This simply teaches us that in whatever position you may find your self today, be mindful of how you treat others, as everything in this world is temporal, and can never last forever. “Remember, yesterday it was another person that was sitting in that seat you are occupying presently, today, it is your turn to be in that seat, tomorrow is going to be another person to take over that same seat you are occupying today”.
Therefore, be mindful of how you treat others when you are in authority, because everything in this world is temporal and is just for a matter of time! Dear Lord, as we navigate through these turbulent times in our nation’s history, we implore you, O God, to “Let Thy Kingdom Come”to rescue us from our corrupt politicians. The bible says: “For The Eyes Of The Lord Are over the Righteous, And His Ears Are Open Unto Their Prayers; But The Face Of The Lord Is Against Them That Do Evil”.( 1ST PETER: chapter 3 verse 12)
LET ME END THIS PIECE WITH GOVERNOR CLARKSON’S PRAYER FOR SIERRA LEONE: O Lord, I beseech thee favorably to hear the prayer of him who wishes to be thy servant, and pardon him for presuming to address thee from this sacred place. O God, I know my own infinity and unworthiness, and I know thine abundant mercies to those who wish to be guided by thy will. Support me, O Lord with thy heavenly grace, and to enable me to conduct myself through this earthly life that my actions may be consistent with the words I have uttered this day. Thou knowest that I am now about to depart from this place, and to leave the people whom it has pleased thee to entrust to my care. Guide them, O merciful God, in the paths of truth and let not a few wicked men among us draw down thy vengeance upon this colony.
In graft into their hearts a proper sense of duty, and enable them through thy grace to conduct themselves as Christians, that they may not come to thy house without that pleasing emotion which every grateful man feel when paying adoration to the Author of life. But I have a great reason to fear, O Lord, that many who frequent thy church do not approach thy presence as becomes them, and that they may partly be compared to the Scribes, Pharisees and hypocrites.
Pardon, O God, their infirmities, and as thou knowest their weakness from the manner in which they have formerly been treated, and the little opportunity they have had of knowing thy will and getting acquainted with the merits of the son, our savior Jesus Christ. Look down upon them with an eye of mercy and suffer them not to incur thy displeasure, after they have had an opportunity of being instructed in the ways of thy commandments.
Bless, O Lord, the inhabitants of this vast continent, and incline their hearts towards us that they may more readily listen to our advice and doctrines, and that we may conduct ourselves towards them as to convince them of the happiness we enjoy under thy Almighty protection. Banish from this colony, O Lord all heathenish superstition and let the inhabitants know that thou art the only true Lord in which we live and move and have our being. If these people who protest thy religion will not be assured of thy superior power, convince them. O God, of thine anger for their profession without their practice, for thou knowest I brought them here in hopes of making them and their families happy, both in this world and to all eternity.
But I fear they may not be governed by my advice, and that they themselves and their children forever by their perverse and general behavior. I entreat thee not to let their evil example ruin the great cause in which we have embarked, but I would rather see that place in ashes and every wicked person destroyed, than that the chance we have now an opportunity of bringing to the light and knowledge of thy holy religion should, from the wickedness of a few individuals will continue in their accustomed darkness and barbarism.
They know that I have universally talked of their apparent virtue the goodness, and have praised thy name for having permitted me to be the servant employed in so great and glorious a cause. If I have been deceived, I am sorry for it, and may thy will be done, but I implore thee to accept the sincerity of my intentions and my best endeavours to improve the talent committed to my case. Only pardon the intuity of my nature, and I will trust to thy mercy.