Early last week a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck cities and towns in Turkey and Syria. At the last body count close to fifty thousand souls had been lost to the gigantic trembling of the land with buildings collapsing and trapping residents inside the debris. It was one of the cataclysmic occurrences in recent memory. Before nature’s relentless fury a staggering fragility of human life is exposed.
Horrible apocalyptic images emanated from the scenes. In the last body count close to fifty thousand souls had perished in the tremor of the ground! Video images of dead bodies, the wounded and children (some babies!) circulated online, hundreds of thousands pulled out of the rubbles. Miraculously some babies survived while their parents lost their lives!
Now some tons of humanitarian aid from many countries have been sent across to the areas worst hit as millions are left in the cold without homes and basic amenities of life.
The Turkish and Syrian dictators, Erdogan and Assad, had both visited the worst-hit areas offering their sympathies and outlining measures to ameliorate the lives of tens of millions displaced and those grieving their lost loved ones.
President Erdogan was heavily criticised for the poor slow response to the tragedy. Often impervious to constructive criticism and very vitriolic in his interventions against his traducers the Turkish strongman had reacted angrily to the charges indicating that in a monumental disaster of this magnitude it was practically impossible to prepare adequately for the aftermath.
Initially there were genuine concerns expressed by the donor nations over humanitarian aid getting to the rebel-held areas in northern Syria. Fortunately, corridors had been opened up for the much-needed supplies to go through.
Indeed, we are living dangerously in a world of wars and disasters, some man-made, others natural. There is practically no part of the world today not affected by conflicts or wars. Terrorism remains a huge challenge.
In Europe President Vladimir Putin had invaded the neighbouring Ukraine causing massive destruction and displacements. The war is still raging as dead bodies pile up and entire neighbourhoods and towns and cities levelled to the ground especially in Ukraine. Dictator Putin is determined to re-write history and unilaterally change internationally-recognised borders.
Without mincing words, we hold that our beautiful planet is challenged on all fronts. We have issues of overpopulation, dictatorships and diseases, from the COVID-19 pandemic that claimed millions of lives a few years ago to Ebola virus and malaria, to contend with.
In Africa wars are as rampant as diseases and misery. In the Congo-Kinshasa there is this war of attrition in the eastern part of the natural resources-rich country sponsored by Rwanda over the control of the huge mineral resources. In Somalia one has lost memory of the genesis and evolution of a long-drawn conflict. In Libya post-Gaddafi a failed state is starring humanity in the face!
In Israel the historic conflict between the Jewish state and the ‘stateless’ Palestine continues unabated. The controversial corrupt Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahou, a master in political intrigue, has since bounced back to power in a coalition that is set to emasculate the justice system.
The late Yasser Arafat had tried his very best to see to the establishment of a Palestinian statehood but he died trying! Mahmoud Abbas is the direct opposite of the charismatic Arafat. Hamas can only bring more suffering to the Palestinians.
In Nigeria we are more or less in a war situation all things considered. War against poverty, war against terrorism, war against corruption and one against division. Besides, there is a raging war of secession in the South-east. Biafrans no longer go home for fear of being kidnapped or killed by the state and non-state terrorists.
Daily we hear or read about killings and kidnappings. Even my beloved home town of Ihiala in Anambra State is not spared of the bloodletting as the so-called unknown or known gunmen hibernate in the bushes.
Another world war (this time fought with nuclear warheads) is threatening the Adamic elements. With unaccountable nuclear warheads piling up in major cities across the world there is this apocalyptic spectre of a third world war looming and loading!
The Scripture tells us that the Creator regretted ever creating man in His wonderful image and liking! The vast beautiful garden otherwise called earth is being destroyed by climatic change and abuse by man.
Make no mistake about it all: Armageddon is here, ladies and gentlemen! In the Holy Book we are told about an impending Armageddon, a cataclysmic event that would herald Rapture and the consequent ultimate Judgement.
Now given the global apocalyptic trends we hasten to declare that Armageddon, one ‘unprophesied’, is here! Who will save the world from itself? And us from ourselves?
While Armageddon is prophesied in the Bible, the omnipotent sounding of the trumpet from above signalling the end of all things, the Armageddon that happened in Syria and Turkey was one ‘unprophesied’. The real predicted Apocalypse could come in our generation or the generation after us or one after the next.
As we await the fulfilment of the prophecy, convinced that no word spoken by the Supreme Being had ever bounced back unfulfilled, dear Lord, we beseech thee, may our days be long!
Not all of us will make heaven even in the event of Armageddon happening today. But our prayer is that we shall be among those chosen to be raptured meeting Jesus the Christ and Jehohah in the paradise promised.
We extend our solidarity to the victims of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
SOC Okenwa
soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr
