“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you cleanse the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and rapacity. You blind Pharisee! first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the plate, that the outside also may be clean.”
Excerpt, Gospel Reading, Tuesday 27th Aug. 2024 – MATTHEW 23:23-26.
So, today is about what we call in local parlance, ‘eye service’. One of my primary school teachers calls it, ‘Asobi-Aso’. One wonder what language that is.
Take the former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele (Meffie, for short), for example.
Dude was supposed to be a diligent monitor supervising heads of Commercial Banks against involving themselves in what he’s presently defending himself in the courts of law and has since been convicted of several profligacy.
While he heard sway as CBN Governor, he would have indicted several bank heads found wanting. Whereas, he was the offender in chief, dwarfing the offenses of all the erring bank heads put together.
However, Meffie isn’t just the one caught in such kind of a predicament.
We, too, in our small ways in every day life postulating ‘holier than thou’ attitude could be equally culpable.
In most markets in our country, almost every morning before commencement of trading, there’s usually a session of Christian praise worship and prayers. Not leaving out the Muslims who never miss any of their five times day prayers.
However, after such fervent display of piety, we go back to our trade and continue as life usual.
The people who measure grains as well as garri to sell, usually have two measures. That is what we typically refer to as ‘mudu’.
The first is the usual one known. This is supposed to be used for standard measurement.
This is what they take to the market when they want to buy and ensure that farmers or middlemen use in measuring for them.
The order is just like it, however, it is smaller. Five ‘mudu’ of the standard size will give six ‘mudu’ of this smaller one.
Now, that is the one they use to measure and sell to people after praying and singing praises to God.
Then, some will sprinkle water on garri and make it swell. One who doesn’t know and buys such garri, once it is kept in an enclosed place, it will not last beyond 24 hours and will go bad.
Those that sell ‘amala’ flour. Just so as to maximise more profit, they mix the usual ‘amala’ flour with cassava flour and present it to buyers as ‘amala’ flour.
Then, there are these shop-less middlemen in the market. Hmm! Dem, dia matter full bucket. It will be talk for another day.
The market example suffice because, often times, people are chosen randomly from among us to give exhortation. We are always quick to point fingers at the ills of authority people in government while we preach. Forgetting too quickly or choosing to ignore our own little failings that add up to the failure of the society at large.
While not saying that one who has erred shouldn’t be called out, we, too, doing the calling out must first seek to be in good standing. Then do it purposefully for love instead of just pointing finger.
When Jesus Christ said, He Who is without sin should cast the first stone.” Each of the malicious accusers left.
Dear friend, love hurts, but love heals when love reigns.
#SAINT_MONICA! #Blessed_Carlo_Acutis! #Pray_for_us!
– Akase F. Agabo
27th Aug. 2024.