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Okonkwo remembered that tragic year with a cold shiver throughout the rest of his life. It always surprised him when he thought of it later that he did not sink under the load of despair. He knew that he was a fierce fighter, but that year had been enough to break the heart of a lion. "Since I survived that year," he always said, "I shall survive anything." Things Fall Apart_Chinua Achebe I heard someone say that when we are long gone, our great grandchildren will say of our time; Their world was suddenly stricken by a strange disease. It had no cure. Many fell under its unrelenting grip. When it had run its course, men clasped their hands, glad that they had survived. From the chocking confines of their homes they emerged, wearied by months of being hemmed in. They looked up and sighed, At least the sun was still there . But then, s ome picked up guns. A great battle broke out. No one could stop the war. Many were killed, much more than they had thought po...

There is a precious sliver of scripture that Christians like to quote on their WhatsApp and Instagram:  " I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" But can they? To gauge ourselves, let’s see what was going through Paul's mind when he wrote that statement. The first hint is in the context of the passage. The text is ensconced in a portion of Paul's letter expressing gratitude to the Philippian church for past support even as he makes another appeal for future help (Philippians 4:10-19).  “I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do e...

Against a backdrop of competing ideas, Paul wrote to the Ephesians; "Wake up,  O sleeper, rise from the dead,  and  Christ will shine on you." Ephesians 5:14 Be very careful, then, how you live-- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16 I recently chanced upon the disaster movie- The Day After Tomorrow  where a super storm finds a crowd of survivors hunkering down in a government building.  Soon they spot another group of survivors trudging towards some unknown refuge. A debate breaks out in the hallway as to whether they should remain in their present shelter or join the group outside. A young man desperately tries to convince them to remain within the building arguing that his father, a climatologist, had warned him that the weather would deteriorate very rapidly. Anyone caught outside would instantly freeze to death. Only a few listen to him. The majority brush him aside and join the group o...

Except for the so-called covid millionaires, the pandemic has taken its toll on everyone else.    To varying degrees each one of us lost something or worse, someone. For me 2020-2021 felt like one long year. How about you?  Many thought that 2020 was bad and hoped that 2021 would bring relief but alas!  Perhaps we can take a lesson or two from Winston Churchill who, at a particularly difficult time in British history said;    “Never let a crisis go to waste!” What did he mean?  The rather obvious answer is that in every crisis there will be either opportunities to be exploited or lessons to be learnt. Of course, it could also  mean that as far as it depends on you, do not be found on the receiving end of opportunists. It seems to me that even though the covid crisis seems to be petering out, the world will continue to face major challenges. Therefore, I advice three things:   1. Only children and fools tell the truth 2. Adversity comes ...

Moses the servant of God was dead. Joshua had taken over the reigns of leadership. Now the Israelites were on the cusp of entering the promised land. There was one major hurdle over. Before them was the river Jordan, and it was at full-flood stage. How were the 2-3 million desert wanderers going to cross this raging river?  The Book of Joshua (chapter 3) tells us that God did a miracle-the waters stopped flowing some distance away and the Israelites crossed the dry river bed to the other side. This may sounds like fantasy to modern sceptics but let me say this; recorded quakes have dammed the Jordan River more than once, in 1160CE, 1267, 1534, 1834, 1906   with the most recent in 1927 when the waters were held up for 22 hours! Did God use this mechanism to enable the Israelites cross the river? If He did, then the miracle would not be so much that the river was dammed (as that is possible via purely naturalistic events) but rather the timing of the event. However, today w...

  ♫ Lay down the burden of your heart, I know you'll never miss it. Show your Father where it hurts, And let your Father lift it. ♬ watch here Or if you prefer, here is the equally lovely ORIGINAL VERSION    by Jesse Winchester, which I must one day sing to my daughter too . For bed-time stories, we were reading scripture with the kids and got to the story of young King Solomon conversing with God.  At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” 1 King 3.5   Thinking that this could be an opportune time to find out their hidden concerns in life, I turned first to my son and asked, “If you were Solomon, what would you have asked for?” “Uhmm, I think I would want to be king forever!” “And why would you want to be king forever?” I probed. “Dad, do you think President Uhuru can afford to have pizza whenever he wants?” I knew where this was heading and so I quickly turn...