The internet awashed with clips and episodes of tributes. So touching tears rolled down my cheeks, flowing like a flood.
Severally I went back to those clips, watched, rewatched and watched again, nothing but the emptiness of life jumped at me each time.
I cried, yes for the way and manner the trio exited gruesomely in one day, but more importantly I cried at the emptiness of life, we struggle, slave round, step on toes, kill , destroy, defame, loot etc to amass only to leave all and go empty and bare.
Though I knew that life without an assurance of a place in blissful eternity is empty, but its reality dawned on me so strongly watching those video clips of their funeral.
A very devastating moment for me, one wonders how devastated their family members would be.
I watching some of the tributes about Chizzy his first son, I didn’t know when I sobbed, asking God why? Why?
He was such an enterprising young boy, who found his path in life early, pursued it, achieved merit, defining his personality amidst the already intimidating profile of his Dad..
His dreams, his aspirations, his purposes etc all dimmed in one second turning all into ashes. If he had known , he would have stayed back.
But would one make bold and conveniently say God brings, God takes, glory to God? In his case ? Would one say it was all for good that he died? Would the biblical passage of everything works together for good …. be applicable here?
If I were God I would just like he did in the case of Jesus, lazarus, the son of the Shunammite woman etc jolt life once again in their life. Is anything too difficult for God to do? What about their dismembered or burnt to char bodies? Would that be a problem to God? Have you not read about the coming to life of dry bones? Nothing is too difficult for him to do. Why didn’t he do it?
But before I answer that, permit me to paint a scenario under which I would raise them to life if I were God.
I wouldn’t raise them at the point of the crash no! I wouldn’t raise them when their bodies were flown back to Nigeria in cartons, no! I wouldn’t raise them when their bodies were laying in state in their family house and neither would I raise them during service.
I will wait for the funeral service to be over, sermon preached, tributes read, gratitude shown and their bodies lowered in the grave, muds thrown at their coffins all walked away mournfully.
I will wait for them to start sharing their properties, their monies and dismantling and usurping their legacies, then I will raise them in power and might, with the newness of body, glowing and radiating like the dazzle and shines of the transfiguration scene.
Then I will raise them to see the futility of life and the deception of the human hearts. I will raise them to see that all that glitters are not gold and not all glittering white teeth displayed in a seeming cheerful way come from a place of genuine love not conspiracy.
I will raise them to see the conspiratory idiocy of a human mind, lurking around playing the good boy morality for self interest only to evolve real self when the chips are down.
But why wouldn’t God do it? Greater things shall you do In my name! Is this in your bible? Even the Pastor of a church he spent greater percentage of his money building projects in couldn’t wait for their funeral before rolling out red carpets to celebrate his wife’s 60th birthday. Such is humans in their real nature.
Dry bones shall raise again! Though buried for days, dry bones can raise again. But who will be the Ezekiel of this generation through them the mighty power of God as in the old would flow? They have all turned into merchants of the gospel, driven, distracted and infected by the material virus of ostentatiousness.
Miracle no dey tire Jesus! They can be alive again! If only there can be a willing Ezekiel. Sadly none for now!
Rest in Herbert, Chizoba and Chizzy. May your legacies be upheld and the things you left behind not be a rallying point for hatred, controversy, fighting, killing and animosity but more that would make the family more united and formidable.
Life is empty! The grave a place to go. When? None knows!!
Jarlath Uche Opara Jarlathuche@gmail.com
