LIFE & DEATH: MUTATIS MUTANDIS

 

I was thinking this morning..... Last Tuesday, we all gathered at the Unity Hall of Port-Harcourt Club (1928) for the Night of Tributes in honour of our departed colleague and friend, Lady Delight Ngowari Noel-Elenwo. For me, it was all blank until Dr Precious Omuku was called to render a solo. He chose the song of Mahalia Jackson titled 'If I can Help Somebody.'

Though the song was very melodious, I was rather drawn to the words of the first stanza that says;

'If I can help somebody, as I travel along
If I can help somebody, with a word or song
If I can help somebody, from doing wrong
No, my living shall not be in vain.'

Hmm! It is true that someone can live in vain. As the words soaked into my soul, I thought about my birthday that was 2 days ahead and how I will celebrated. I searched my soul asking, can I truly say my living has not been in vain? If your life is not putting smiles on the faces of people, then you may be living in vain. If you do wrong and make others do same, you are living in vain. The life of our beloved Delight was surely not in vain because she not only helped people, she made many smile.

As the tributes flowed in a sombre atmosphere, I observed some are gaily dressed like it was a birthday celebration. Then they started sharing snack packs and gifts. Hmm!! 'Is it a time to eat and drink?' I mused. Just then, I observed someone angling for two snack packs, typical of Nigerians. Chai! We are mourning our friend, yet someone is still thinking of 'looting.' It dawned on me at this point that what is true of celebrating the living is equally true, Mutatis Mutandis, of celebrating the departed.

Whether you are celebrating the living or the life of the departed, people will always use the occasion to either make a fashion statement and/or to feast. But at the end of the day what is most important is, will your living be in vain? Philippians 1:21 says 'For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.'

Stay hopeful. God's got your back.

Happy Sunday.

......Just the thoughts of a certain Wey Mey