For the past few months, it has been burial here and there. People have been wondering why people are just dying, and there seems to be burials every day and everywhere. Many have attributed this to so many imaginable and unimaginable things. The truth is that people must die because death is a necessary end that must come when it wills. It is no respecter of anybody, whether rich or poor.
I discovered that most prayers people do these days center on binding and casting out death because it is not their portion, but the truth is that death is inevitable. When it is a man’s time to go, he must go and funny enough, he must go empty handed; mansions, cars, money and other earthly things that the world crave for would be left behind while the spirit goes to answer the creator’s call, the body returns into the earth and turns to manure to nurture the earth, to make it fertile for the living. What people should pray for is for long life, and that when death comes, let it come in a peaceful way and not in a way that the body may not be recognized. However, any way it comes, death is death.
Man sees death as a wicked and unforeseen force, and despises it because it strikes with such cruelty and crudity that it chooses most often as victims, the best amongst the living. But of all its savagery, death is sometimes the dead man’s best friend. This is because if the dead had lived an exemplary life, death immortalizes and makes the dead a hero of some sort. It showcases his positive contributions to the society, his peace initiatives and his moral impartment to the society when he was on earth. Death makes his legacy to live and speak for him. Death is final in the life of man on earth. However, many religious bodies have given account of what happens to a man when leaves the planet earth. The African religious worshippers and other knowledge based religious groups believe that the dead reincarnates to start a new life circle; that is, if he lived well in his former life. This group believes in the law of Karma. The Christians believe that the righteous will go to heaven to meet the Lord while the unrighteous go to hell. Although, some Christian sects believe that some will inherit the earth. Whichever belief that we attach ourselves, the truth is that they identify good and bad.
Recently, Mother (Mrs.) Grace Amugi Ituwe, aged 107 was laid to rest at Issele- Uku, Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State. Mrs. Ituwe was one of those who started the missionary work with Reverend Dr. S W Martin of blessed memory, who also died at the ripe age of 107. This woman was born in 1916. She and her husband, late Deacon James Ituwe were the first couple to be wedded by Rev. Dr. S W Martin in 1937. She and her husband, James, became the first beneficiaries of the Rev. Dr. Martins legacy of dogged faith in Christ, hard work, peace, love and generosity among others.
Speaking at the funeral service, Rev. Dr. Paul Anyasi,the immediate past President, Anioma Baptist Conference dwelled on the inevitability of death and the need for people to know that death is a price that everybody must pay, no matter one’s status in the society.
Rev. Anyasi wondered why people commit all sorts of atrocities to acquire wealth, bearing in mind that they would take nothing with them when they are called by their creator.
The Reverend gentleman spoke well. The truth is that so many people do not remember that their sojourns on earth are for a while and that their days are numbered; they are carried away by their wealth and splendor of power that they hardly remember that they are mortals, whose days are numbered.
The evil and hardship we experience in this country today is because people do not believe they will one day leave this world. They do not remember death at all, except they went for burial, but that is just for a moment, and they are back to looting, killing and all manner of evil. Why should a man through manipulation acquire the entire wealth meant for the generality of people for himself if he remembers that there is ‘death’ that he must answer the call whether he likes it or not and at a time, it pleases the creator.
People are suffering in this country. The poor ones are getting poorer while the rich are getting richer. Those in the oil rich communities are suffering because the high and mighty are stealing their natural resources; their crude oil through well-established international cabals. Sometimes poor community members are killed, driven from their ancestral homes for atrocities they did not commit.
The problem is that when they commit these atrocities they are made judges in their own case because they hold the knife and the yam. What a world! The truth is that these ones do not believe that there is death that awaits everybody on earth. Whether we like it or not, that day must surely come.