Tasteless Salt, Dimmed Light?

"Papa, it's broken! You need to fix it." These are statements that my 2 daughters occasionally tell me. This is always in a case when a particular toy or device is not working correctly or as before. Whatever it is, I am immediately called on a mission - "Papa Duty", to attempt a fix - to the delight of my 2 young girls.

There are 2 passages in the scripture that outlines the mission objectives that Christ gave to His disciples and the embryonic church. The first is the Great Commission in Matthew 28:16-20 while the second is the calling in Matthew 5:13-16 to be the salt and light of the world.

These are calls for those who would follow the resurrected Christ to be evangelical, calling all people to repentance, teaching Jesus' simplified fulfilment of the rather complex, unattainable mosaic laws, [to be] useful in highlighting the true purpose of this existence, preserving godly order and acting as a guide to Christ. These objectives are the first "Mission Impossible" ever given. In fact, it would have remained impossible, were it not for the Pentecost.

Despite the intense, persistent and sometimes lethal persecution, the early Church flourished far beyond the composite abilities of its leaders. Were the early Church and its leaders flawless? Far from it but it is clearly evident that the noise arising from its flawed nature was far less in comparison to its work towards the mission objectives.

If we compare the workings of the present-day Church & the Christian against these mission objectives, an interesting but complex picture emerges which requires simplification [for this medium]. There are elements within the body of Christ who are working tirelessly according to the mission objectives - teaching the undiluted gospel while at the same time useful at being the practical salt and light of their communities.

However, the noise arising from all kinds of scandals, bankruptcies (morally and spiritually), excessive love of money, pursuit of political influence and its [the Church] apparent ineffectiveness in the community, is becoming too loud to ignore.

I went to the cinema recently to watch Man of Steel - the latest release in the Superman films. One of the film's pleasurable moments to me was to watch the fictional, almost indestructible superhero go to a Church for guidance when he faced a moral crisis.  

Where does the ordinary person go to, when s/he faces a moral crisis?  Therapy, counselling, drugs, drunkenness, life experiences and all kinds of self-gratification acts very often are put ahead of a visit to the Church. This begs the obvious question - what, on earth, has happened to the mission objectives?

These seem to be strange times when the Church's efforts at its perceived mission objectives appear to be drowned by its own ungodly noise. Where is that biblical salt that is preserving the saints for the bridegroom and enhancing the true meaning of this life for all who would listen? Where is that light which is undimmed, guiding all along the narrow road, lest they stumble?

I sometimes hear some mature Christians say that their spiritual lives are getting increasingly stale and that they are praying that God's impact in their lives be restored to what it was before - "God, if only you could be like you were in my life before". I hear some lament about how it was easier to serve God in the past than in today's hectic and increasingly godless society.

When the body of Christ is observed through these glasses, I am tempted to borrow my daughters' plea for help - "Abba Papa, it's broken! You need to fix it".

The Ecclesiastes is one of my favourite books of the Bible. Oniwaasu [in my mother tongue], literally means Preacher, which is also the meaning of Ecclesiastes. In the book, Solomon tried to find meaning in the various and seemingly dysfunctional life scenarios that he observed. From trying to find godly meaning in these microcosms of life, Solomon escalated his quest to the meaning of life itself.

Using almost the same approach, Oniwaasu is plotting a course to examine the body of Christ. Is it broken? If it is [broken], does it need fixing? Will it be fixed?

The critical questions that Oniwaasu will endeavour to answer are - Are the mission objectives compromised? Is the salt indeed tasteless? And is the light now too dimmed for purpose?

Prologue: We don't have to be just sheep!

In The Tempest, Shakespeare wrote "What is past, is prologue". This is an indirect insight that reflects human's linear perspective of past, present and a possible future. Irresistibly, the present slips from our grasp into an unreachable past, constantly propelling us to a future that is pregnant with all kinds of possibilities.

Last year, I celebrated a landmark birthday that was much to my surprise bigger and well-orchestrated than anything I had in mind. Perhaps due to maturing years, I tend to be more reflective these days. I have tried to be a good Christian for most of my adult life. However, a good prologue would not be complete without a glimpse of the backdrop that has led me to this slipping present.

I grew up in a fervent Christian home - both my late parents were very active in the church. My father was made a deacon during my childhood and was very much involved in church administration. My mother was a strong member of the church choir and the select off-shoot that became a recording choral group. As a result, I have always known about God throughout my growing years but it was not until the time I was becoming an adult that I started to have a personal relationship with God. It was simply an unexpected development in different perspectives.

These days, I am a husband to my lovely wife, Funke and we are truly blessed with 2 wonderful daughters. In recent years, my periods of meditation on a not infrequent basis would pull me towards the following thoughts -

• What do I believe?
• Why do I believe them?
• Of what consequences are those things that I believe?

Throughout my adult life, I have found God to be like an infinite set of layered mysteries. The more I delve into knowing God, the more that remains to know. No matter how many layers I pull back, there are still countless more underneath!

The question now is "why am I writing a blog?".

Quite simply, a continuous rumbling of my thoughts and processes over the years have led into this decision. The purposes are to inform, share my insights, elicit some feedback and to be educated.

This is a prologue introducing you to my blog, of which, there will be various themes according to the curiosities that God has blessed me with. There will be themes along the line of theology, economic, current affairs, politics, financial matters and my favourite - jideizm, but not limited to them.

I am reminded of a cartoon called 'The Far Side' that I read many years ago. It was that of a sheep among the herd, standing on its hind legs, screaming at the top of its voice, saying -

"Wait! Wait! Listen to me.....we don't HAVE to be just sheep!"
 

When possible, I have always sought to think differently, learn differently, understand differently, all in a pursuit to gain a deeper and better understanding.

Those rumblings that I mentioned before are pulling me in a direction....to do differently.

Welcome to my blog.