The Audacity of Faith...and Love

There’s something absolutely, positively inspirational about Eugene Peterson’s The Message translation of the Christian Scriptures. I so often enjoy moments of total quiet delight when I get into The Word as translated in contemporary language by Professor Peterson.

So there I was, expectantly and gleefully reading the book of Romans. And there, even in the first few verses, was poignant and cheering instruction. In verse thirteen of chapter one St Paul writes to the Romans: Please don’t misinterpret my failure to visit you, friends. You have no idea how many times I’ve made plans for Rome. I’ve been determined to get some personal enjoyment out of God’s work among you, as I have in so many other non-Jewish towns and communities.

Whoever said the Scriptural life had to be devoid of enjoyment, dull and dreary, even if devout?


Taking Pleasure in The Walk
If St. Paul was determined to get some personal enjoyment out of doing God’s work even as a leader and teacher, you’d better make sure you do the same in this very twenty-first century.

I have often joked with friends that God Himself is going to hold some of us accountable for the good times and exposure He had empowered us to enjoy (financially or geographically for instance –imagine shunning a trip to Mauritius because the hotel may be jam packed with tourists in bathing suits?) but which we omitted to take hold of in the name of religion.

Isn’t that the same reason why some can go to war in the name of religion?

I overheard someone protest the other day that there are no ‘Christian’ places to socialize and hang out in this city. And I thought to myself: “Yes, and there are no Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish places to socialize and hang out.”

Short of hibernating in an igloo or in make-believe world, interdependence is one thing that is guaranteed on Planet Earth. We’ve grown so accustomed to limiting our options of socializing (living, in fact) to only those of the same faith – as if there was a guarantee that those of the same faith would always hold dear the same Scriptural and social values as you hold dear.

Tolerance and Interdependence
St Paul buttresses this point in the same chapter verses fourteen and fifteen when he wrote: “Everyone I meet – it matters little whether they’re mannered or rude, smart or simple – deepens my sense of interdependence and obligation.” That spoke volumes to me – I could be as much in need of the company of my simple Christian friend, as I am of the company and friendship of a smart Jewish friend. And, I could, and should even legitimately choose to socialize with the latter.

The cry of humanity - interdependence and obligation

The Audacity of Hope

It's Super Wednesday. The morning after Super Tuesday, and America has voted. As we wait for the results of the voting in the primaries, I am impatient with hope.

A Tribe Called Quest
Remember the song they did years, years back called Can I Kick It? And the chorus rhymed in response: "Yes you can!". Well, Barack Obama and his supporters are also rhyming "Yes we can!" Here it is - their absolutely, positively, awesome clip of hope and the coming glory.

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=3374

On Football and Religion

Two things you should never discuss, right? Well, this is Ghana and the Africa Cup of Nations football tournament is ongoing.

I never realized I had a hint of patriotism nor any affection for the game in me until I began to notice that every other car that drove past me in this city had a Ghanaian flag clipped on to its window.

Driven by this passion for football and country, I bought my own Nigerian flag and clipped it to my car window. Each time I saw another car in town with a Nigerian flag on it, I hooted, and hooted and hooted them down. It got even better.

I bought one of the Nigerian football jerseys (No. 10 – Mikel Obi – not that I knew who he was, mind…) to wear for the Nigeria matches, and also bought a funky, funky, cute little girly top with ‘Nigeria Rocks’ written all over it in green and white, for the Friday and Saturday nights out.

Patriotism or madness? Call it what you like.

Then Nigeria team qualified for the quarter finals – only to meet Ghana.

Aware of the risk of being deported if I cheered Nigeria on too much, I thought: ‘you know what? This babe is proudly Nigerian,’ and support Nigeria I did.

In the midst of the one thousand and one Ghana t-shirts and fans, I went to the Fan Park today for the quarter finals match with Ghana - wearing my No. 10 Nigerian jersey.

Well, the game is up now and our national football team lost. But I remain proudly Nigerian. - not least for watching our team cuddled together, praying, during half time.

Know yea all men that the Super Eagles will yet rise. And they will fly. Very high!

God is still Nigeria’s God.

Roll on South Africa 2010. Go Nigeria!