Thought Picnic: The result of excusing bad behaviour

When we excuse the inexcusable

I have sometimes been concerned if not worried about the way we reward bad behaviour by excusing things because of our better nature, accepting things because they are out our control, commending things because another characteristic of the person appeals to us, or through some lack of moral fibre in us, we allow such until that behaviour becomes commonplace.

From the observation of many things as close as within my family or further afield in political leadership in places that would have been bastions of good manners, the vilest of characterisation has emerged that one is both filled with revulsion and disgust as one recoils into some sort of recluse unable to comment about each particular issue.

How broken fences cannot be fixed

That I deployed myself to specifically address one such instance, which was the culmination of a series of mistakes and mishaps we had allowed to fester and had been fostered more by filial relationship than anything else had drawn the most out of our better nature, we had to draw the line somewhere.

It is too easy to be taken advantage of because of the familiarity and the reading that we cannot follow through with the inconceivable. It only takes a little more disrespect and discourtesy to breach that thin curtain that veils what we conceal of the worst of what we can be.

For safety and self-preservation, which might be selfish and sinful, we find that essential resolve against emotional blackmail.

Witchcraft cannot be understood

Rebellion, the good book says, is as wicked as witchcraft, and in witchcraft is an unmistakable recognition of the inexplicable, because nothing reasonable or logical is understood from what you find yourself perceiving.

The thought that people might recognise and seek a space for self-reflection on their own flaws rather than regard themselves under siege is one we rarely find as the appropriate resort.

In certain relationships with friends and even leaders, elements of affection and regard will wane, in family, it creates drift and exacerbates rift. Does one have the energy for making peace?

This only depends on whether things are redeemable from an initial point of people willing to engage and listen. You cannot get far if the default at the mountain is obstinacy, and some mountains are better not climbed or scaled, there are other meadows for appreciation.

Facing down the schoolyard bully

On the leadership front, on which I would rarely want to comment because too many are entrenched or enthralled, my heart goes out to Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He has come from a comedy to exemplify Ukraine's fighting spirit.

To stand up to bullies who have become so powerful because we have always excused bad behaviour and accepted an inexcusable narrative masquerading as truth is the greatest danger we now face, but only a few can face down.

There comes a time when bad behaviour should never be excused again, I know where my red lines are and where they have been crossed, I have done the selfish and sinful, yet within the human sphere of things, it is a needful and rightful thing.

Facing down the schoolyard bully just takes one person, courageous enough to challenge the seeming potentate and call out the abuse of power, to the wherewithal to stand their ground. Of such men, few remain.

Thought Picnic: On these sententious Nigerian streets

Skeletons on the streets

I have watched aghast, disappointed but probably not too surprised a series of exposés about rotten corporate leadership, workplace abuse, untrammelled impunity, corporate malfeasance, domestic violence, and generally reprehensible conduct that leaves one gasping in astonishment.

Whilst I do not intend to revisit any of the issues, I have noticed that the concept of a moral compass is totally missing from the biases that emerge from the sides and neutrality of those who are either invested in the situation or cannot hold their counsel for the need of notoriety or to exacerbate the situation for their continued entertainment.

Private misdeeds revealed

What is more galling is the vaunted public morality and uprightness of the persons involved as juxtaposed with the private atrocities and mendaciousness of the same people. A total lack of integrity and character with the feeling that they are inviolable, infallible, and untouchable by reason of the means they have and the influence they can peddle.

However, social media democratises even if not for the best, the information space, but with the way things are, someone somewhere needs to keep us honest even if the methods and means are not to our liking. If those with means, power, or status cannot find in themselves the necessary controls to demonstrate good virtues whether under observation or not, then, some external feature needs to engage their minds to redress the situation.

It might well be that such people need to step back from the public coalface for a time of reflection towards possible redemption, if possible and that after contrition and genuine apology, along with restitution to set things right.

Messing more with the mess

Besides, the sententiousness of the commentariat leaves much to be desired, in the excusing of the inexcusable or the defending the indefensible, the absence of a frame of reference that gives regard to humanity and virtue is an astounding thing to behold, with unrelated issues, joined to distract and a penchant for the disingenuous revealing a default for dishonesty, dissembling, and a mockery of anything wholesome or good.

As we are so schooled to respond, deploying the device of argumentum ad populum becomes the refuge of the scoundrel, they appeal to our patriotism or beliefs by trotting out religious texts to find some cover from scrutiny by calling the divine to witness. That you have taken an oath is no guarantee that you would not perjure or suborn. They seek to deflect rather than address and we have seen this many times before.

Fix up or shut up

No one is interested in what you believe, however, if you are the object of scrutiny, it is only right to address in particularity the issues, allegations, or accusations made with simplicity rather than with sophistry and solipsism. We have seen it all before, who are you when no one is watching and as we are not gifted with omniscience to see as the divine sees, you are left to speak for yourself in the language we understand or admit you have been found out and face the consequences of your decisions with a sense of responsibility.

There is a lot more to be said and exposed, they who think they stand should beware lest they fall by reason of the things that come to light that are questionable and below the standard of equity and probity. If your hands are dirty, they will only get washed at a prominent public faucet in an overcrowded Coliseum of the baying mob asking for your head. Selah!

It's my blog

Keep thy commentary angst to thyself

It was with amusement that I read a comment posted to my blog yesterday about Samuel Windsor closing down which we later learnt would be reopening under new ownership soon.

The curmudgeon who probably has too much time on their hands and very little to do apart from giving vent to their unremarkable lives by posting comments on forums to elicit argument, rancour, and animus went on a rant about my mentioning Brian twice on the blog and how we have shared getting shoes and clothes from Samuel Windsor.

Why that bothered them, I cannot tell, and indeed, Brian is my boyfriend as they deduced before going on about whatever they thought might be going on between us before taking issue about my not keeping the matter of Brian private.

Hello, it’s my blog, not yours

Maybe we should address a number of issues, for this blog might not be necessary, yet some things need to be said just to clear the air. I have it on good authority that is my blog, my space, my journal, and where I choose to express myself in whatever way I desire. On my blog, I write about myself, who I am, my relationships, my ideas, offer opinions and perspectives, debate issues and support causes.

That my blog is public, means I invite commentary, but that does not mean all commenters have carte blanche to write any nonsense on my blog. All comments are moderated, many highlighted and published in blogs, so they are not lost to my readers. Many other comments are spam, people looking to push their wares on my blog without permission. As my blog is not commercial, I do not promote anything herein apart from when I am reviewing stuff.

One exclusive right I have on my blog is I can choose what to publish and what not to publish, I cannot edit the comments, so, if they do not follow decent and topical rules of engagement, I delete them. As some people do not bother to include a name or a Blogger profile when they post comments, I have no way of asking them to review their comments.

The cultured are cultivated

This blog is now in its 19^th year, which is quite longstanding in web history, I enjoy writing and engaging with people who can begin and maintain polite conversation. I make no apology for what I choose to do on my blog and really if you have issues with anything I have written, but cannot find the niceties of decorum in your repertoire of breeding, then my advice to you is to write a rejoinder on your own blog because your odious views would get no airing here.

It’s my blog after all and that is not negotiable, to the many who have in all decency and consideration found my blog interesting, engaging, and probably funny, Thank you for your readership.

To those unaware of what it takes to comment on my blog, I refer you to the Comment advisory and guidelines of my blog.

Thought Picnic: The enduring art of wordy silviculture

Seeking the words for a tapping

“When ideas fail, words come in very handy.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Sometimes, I am caught on the horns of a dilemma, seeking ideas for a blog and failing to find any form of inspiration, insight, or direction. That way, I apparently run into a wall, what they term Writer’s Block.

I would not arrogate to myself the status of a writer, my stuff is whimsical and light, where silliness collides with levity that if anything I published here were to find another forum not in my control, I risk being dismissed with the risible laughter of a braying mob.

Limited courage to extend

That belies my constant angst of reaching beyond the comfort of my blog, I do not have the myriad opportunities for returning to correct spelling or grammatical errors. Many of those I submitted articles to have not bothered to proofread my copy, they publish as it was delivered apart from changing the formatting to suit their aesthetic preferences.

One would think anybody receiving copy for syndication would have a pendant ready to pore of the text, not so much to change the editorial slant, but to help it pass the muster of grammatical rules. Though, nothing scares me as much as to have someone change the context, tense, import and content of anything I have submitted for publication.

The safety of your island

Worse still is where the publication offers open commentary with liberal rules suffering for the freedom of expression without allowing a modicum of courtesy or politeness. In that, you are left at the mercy of the elements. Invariably, the words of Roger Scruton the philosopher who passed on in January ring true, “The mob is by nature innocent: it washes its own conscience in a flow collective indignation.”

Yes, you risk a pile-on and it is not in any way pleasant. Maybe there is contentment in just having your personal blog that has existed for 16 years. I can live with that; I seek neither fame nor infamy, maybe relevance in the insignificant.

My blog is an island you can view from afar and visit by express permission. It becomes the safety my seed words need to gain a life of their own without the tares of malevolence choking the process of growing a forest of words that become trees.

I Am Not Your Negro

Finding meaning in the dark

At the Easter weekend, my friend of 33 years visited and for the three nights that he stayed over we had a social event of sorts which included watching films and having dinner.

Of the films that we watched, I was seeing Moonlight for the second time and I Am Not Your Negro for the first time. On Moonlight, which was a coming of age story dealing with drugs, addiction, relationships and sexuality, there was another element of bullying that I thought I should write about, but that piece has not been conceived yet.

When I did first watch Moonlight, I wrote a blog which not so much a review of the film itself but a reflection of how addiction regardless of the substance or activity does have the same destructive effects on all directly and remotely attached to the said addict. The blog is referenced below:

Blog - My own #Moonlight story is not a movie

A fake quote with sentiments

Now, almost four years ago, I wrote another blog that has garnered over 20,000 page views, I was surprised when just a few days ago, there was a sudden surge in readership that added another 2.700 page views to the blog in a week.

Apparently, the subject of the blog is making the rounds again, a case of Internet Apocrypha, a quote contrived by someone and attributed to a historical figure which then cast as genuine.

Blog - Opinion: Lord Macauley did not address the British Parliament in 1835

With this new activity came a new comment, there have been many comments, many objective, some subjective and others just downright nasty.

I bit my tongue

This new comment that came from Fausto who is probably French going from his other comments on other forums failed to address the topic I blogged about. He started by damning with praise by calling me a ‘Smart Man’, before belittling the context of the blog and then suggesting that I should embark on another scholarly activity which I excerpt and quote below. All grammatical errors left in the text.

“I suggest you spend even more time and your wisdom sir to find out what atrocities were caused to the African continent by the British You owe that to your own kind sir. as black man regardless of your motive you cannot be the devil advocate of the devil.” [Link]

Now, I do have stringent commenting rules on my blog, that might be the reason why I rarely receive that many comments on the blog itself, but I do find engagement on Twitter and Facebook though links to my blogs posted therein.

The audacity of a cretin

Much as I can be quite tolerant of people, there are times when odium and the purveyors of it need to be put in their place. For a stranger to come to my blog, my own personal space to dictate what I opine about is disrespectful, abusive and smacks of the audacity of a cretin.

Then to use the phrase, “You owe that to your own kind, sir, as black man.” Should have me spitting tacks before I descend into acrimonious verbiage eviscerating every notion of his being until it shrinks into completely forgettable ignominy, but I was kind.

In context of sorts

To digress, the second film, I Am Not Your Negro was a construct of the unfinished work of James Baldwin who died 30 years ago and it was a documentation of the history of the African-American Civil Rights Movement through the lives and assassinations of three friends,  Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr.

All of them died in their late 30s leaving young families, James Baldwin compared and contrasted the men, talking about his relationship with each of them and articulating the causes of the Negro as African Americans were called in then in his [published writings and debates around Europe.

I left the showing of the film with a sense that James Baldwin had a compelling mastery of words and communication that people wanted to hear what he had to say whilst the FBI sought to denigrate him for his homosexuality.

Why it matters

Yet, I cannot properly review the film here, only suggest that any opportunity to view the film would provide a teachable moment on the civil rights movement.

As we left the cinema, we discussed the issues of identity, of privilege, of demonstrations and causes and how that affects who we are today.

As the thoughts about the film percolated in my mind for days, the comment left by Fausto seemed to crystallise into what I wrote below, to inform my interlocutor that my wiliness to engage does not confer the right to dictate how I should think, what I should write about, where I should express opinions, what my identity is and how I should express my own thoughts.

To encroach is to invade my territory, disrespect my person and arrogate upon himself an entitlement he could never earn which much be contemned completely, and so my response.

I Am Not Your Negro

The purpose of this blog was to debunk false material being circulated as fact which came within my social media space almost 4 years ago.

Now, I have no idea what the purpose of your comment is apart from attempting to serve as a distraction from that primary aim.

If you had bothered to check other details about me, you would realise that I am both an Englishman by birth and a Nigerian by heritage. If anyone had posted an inversion of the truth about slavery into my social media space, I would have performed the same activity of taking the time to address it as I addressed this matter.

Now, if you have an opinion about what I have written, I would expect you to state those views rather than attempt to project some inferiority complex upon my person.

I am aware of the many atrocities of the British in their colonial fiefdoms and I also have to bear the burden of the fact that I cannot divorce myself from the shared identity of being both British and African.

What I would not do is repudiate one for another to satisfy a victim complex, I am a black man of great privilege and I would not deny who I am.

In the spirit of the recent documentary about civil rights in America, may I clearly state to you without equivocation - "I am not your negro."

e-Sword - A veritable Bible study resource

Introducing e-Sword

I have found no better Bible study resource than that provided freely by Rick Meyers at e-Sword [1]. You have the choice of Bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, maps and devotionals, most of which and free and the premium versions are quite inexpensive.

At a time when religion and religiosity appears to be turning the Church and Christianity into some sort of Churchianity where we get entertained and spoon-fed with doctrinal interpretations that fly in the face of grounded scriptural basis one is left with two clear exhortations.

One that Paul gave to Timothy 2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (KJV) and the observation made of the Jews in Berea in the Acts of Apostles Act 17:11 They were treated a lot better there than in Thessalonica. The Jews received Paul's message with enthusiasm and met with him daily, examining the Scriptures to see if they supported what he said. (Message)

Study is essential

There is a need to study rigorously and examine the Scriptures in what conforms with Ronald Reagan’s view of America’s rapprochement with the Russians with regards to their nuclear arsenal negotiations – Trust, but verify.

We can trust a lot of what we hear but we must expressly, actively, enthusiastically and seriously verify through study those things imparted to us.

It is amazing that one can have 30 Bibles on screen with the option of selecting one verse and comparing that verse across all the versions you have; I am no parson or preacher but the need for effective research in all areas of knowledge cannot be taken lightly.

Useful practical commentary

As I studied the import of (Eph 3:16 KJV) That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; I was lead to one of the 19 commentaries I have installed that have varying levels of exegesis but the Jon Courson's Application Commentary (Amazon) stood out in the story it had to tell in practical terms of Jesus at home in your heart.

I reproduce the story below but what I have to say about e-Sword is, it is useful, easy to use, allows you to create study, topic and journal notes with amazing search and referencing capability – it just cannot come more highly recommended if you intend to understand better the Scriptures and expand your capacity for deeper revelation.

The main e-Sword application contains the King James (Authorised) Version Bible and a download engine to facilitate the download and installation of Bible, Commentary and Dictionary sets. Enjoy!

Source

[1] e-Sword – Where to get the Bibles.

A long post from Jon Courson’s Application Commentary.

Jesus: At Home in Your Heart - A Topical Study of Eph_3:14-17

Confusion must have filled their hearts. Questions must have flooded their minds, for hadn't Jesus said, "In My Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you" (see Joh_14:2)? Why, then, a few moments later did He say, "If a man love Me, He will keep My words. My Father will love him and We will come unto him and make our abode with him" (see Joh_14:23)?

"I'm going to prepare a place for you," Jesus said—"and yet I will come and live in you." We see Paul the apostle using the same imagery in our text when he says his prayer is that Christ will dwell in our hearts by faith. The Greek word translated "dwell" is katoikeo. Oikeo means "to dwell in a house." Kat means "down." Therefore, katoikeo means "down home."

The idea is that Jesus would be completely at home in our hearts.

"Behold, I stand at the door of your heart and knock," Jesus said. "If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with Me" (Rev_3:20).

Holman Hunt's famous painting, depicting Jesus standing at the door of what appears to be an English cottage, hangs in St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

"There's a problem with your painting, Mr. Hunt," a critic is reported to have said upon first viewing his work. "There's no doorknob on the door."

"Ah," Mr. Hunt is said to have replied, "the door handle is only on the inside, for it's up to the one within to respond to the knock of Jesus."

Jesus will not force His way into a heart. He won't barge in where He's not welcome. He's a perfect gentleman who knocks and says, "If you'll respond to Me, I'll come in and dine with you. But the choice is up to you."

Most of us have made that choice. We heard His knock and said, "Come in, Lord. Come into the home of my heart." And He did.

The Living Room

The first room He saw in the home of my heart was the living room. "Nice room," He said.

"Thanks, Lord. It's one of my favorite spots because it's relatively quiet and secluded."

"I'll meet you here every morning of every day," He said. "Before the day gets going, I'll meet you here in the early morning, and we'll talk about what's ahead. When I walked in Israel, I needed instruction and help daily from My Father. So morning by morning, the Father spoke into My ear, giving me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary (Isa_50:4). And now I'll do the same for you."

What followed was great. I would come into the living room, a fire would be crackling in the fireplace, and Jesus would be there, ready to talk with me and listen to me. It was a great way to start the day. As time went on, however, things got busy, or so I thought. Rushing out the door to a meeting, I caught a glimpse of Him, sitting.

And I realized I hadn't met with Him for a number of mornings. I stopped in my tracks and walked sheepishly over to where He was sitting, thinking He would lecture me. But He didn't. There was a smile on His face and a sparkle in His eye as He said, "As I was saying…" continuing the conversation we had shared the last time we were together. And I understood then, truly, that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom_8:1).

He just continues to make Himself available morning by morning to help me speak wisely and to navigate life successfully.

The Study

As the morning drew to a close, Jesus said, "What is that room over there?"

"Oh, that's my study. Come on in." He followed me in, and I noticed He was looking rather intently at the books on the shelves.

"Look, Lord," I said proudly, "I've got all the latest bestsellers: Winning Through Intimidation, Watch Out for Number One, I'm OK You're OK, Dressed for Success, and Awakening the Giant Within.

"Do these books work?" He asked.

"Not really," I answered. "That's why I keep collecting more."

"How about a book trade?" He asked.

"Sure, Lord. What do You have in mind?"

You give Me your books, and I'll give you sixty-six books bound in a single volume—one that will make you unashamed as you study to show yourself approved unto Me (2Ti_2:15), one that comes with an incredible guarantee that if you meditate upon it day and night, you will navigate life prosperously and successfully" (Jos_1:8).

He took my books. I took His. And suddenly my study was filled with a Book that would intrigue me for the rest of my life.

The Family Room

"What's that I hear down the hall?" Jesus asked.

"That's my family room," I said, opening the door. My kids stopped their playing and rushed toward Him.

"Back off, you guys," I said, laughing.

"I think I've heard that before," He said, "when some other disciples tried to keep their kids away from Me (see Mat_19:13). Allow them to come."

So they tackled Him, and He wrestled with my kids on the floor. They had the time of their lives. Then He calmed them down a bit and began telling them stories. I could see my oldest son nod his head in agreement, and a smile on the face of my youngest daughter. Suddenly, a peace enveloped the room that was usually so rambunctious, so disorderly, so chaotic.

"This is amazing, Lord," I said. "You've altered this room radically."

"That's why I asked you, as head of the house, to let me into the family room," He said. "I'll alter your kids, your marriage, your home, if you will build a family altar to Me. You see, more than any other group of people—more than your congregation or your elders or your friends—your wife and your kids are your primary disciples. So bring your family together, and learn of Me. There's nothing more important you can do."

The Recreation Room

Hearing a knock on the door, I opened it to find my buddies. We walked down the hall into the recreation room. "Lord, You wouldn't like it in here," I said. "This group is real rowdy. So I'll meet you in the living room in an hour or so."

The boys and I grabbed our pool cues, turned on the radio, and began doing what we did every Tuesday. But this time, it didn't work. The jokes just weren't as funny, and the conversation suddenly seemed shallow and empty. Even the lyrics of the music bothered me. After half an hour or so, I heard a knock on the door. It was Jesus.

He began to talk with my buddies, and I was absolutely amazed because they all loved Him. Oh, a couple of guys got upset and stormed out. But I learned later they weren't my friends after all. They just wanted to use my pool table.

I learned that Jesus is the Life of the party in the truest sense of the word. I also learned that I'm free to do anything as long as I have Him with me because He changes the atmosphere.

Now, if I go into a party and the party changes me, then I must leave. But if the party changes and people start thinking about Jesus as a result of my being there, I am free. And I discovered that Jesus Christ had spoiled me—for I had too much of Him to enjoy the old spots. So I've learned to bring the Lord with me to all of my recreational pursuits, and to watch how He infuses them with His life.

The Dining Room

After working up quite an appetite, I said, "Lord, let's go get something to eat." We went into the dining room and sat down to my usual meal.

"This is what you eat?" the Lord asked.

"Every day," I answered.

"Really? This is the way you satisfy your appetite?" He asked incredulously as He looked at the large glob of cotton candy on my plate.

"This is the way I try to satisfy my cravings," I said. "I must admit, however, that although it looks good, when I take a bite, there's just nothing there. That's why I follow it with a hot fudge sundae.

I eat the ice cream and the hot fudge and the whipped cream, and there's something there, all right—but every time I'm done, I feel sick. So I decide never to have another one. Then about five hours later, I think another hot fudge sundae would taste pretty good, so I dish one up again. But although I feel full—I never feel satisfied.

After hearing this, He went into the kitchen and came back a few minutes later with a most interesting meal for me: a little cup full of juice and a little piece of unleavened bread. "This is My body, eat of Me. This is my blood. Drink deeply," He said.

Something happened at my table that evening. It became the Lord's table. And it became incredibly satisfying to commune with Jesus. Feeling satisfied in a way I never had before, I suddenly understood what He meant when He said, "Whoever drinks of the water I shall give shall never thirst again" (see Joh_4:14).

Brother or sister—if you're thirsting today, it's because you've gone back to the old watering holes. If you're feeling empty and troubled, it's because you've gone back to the old ways. Whoever drinks of the water of the world will thirst over and over again, for it will never be enough. But whoever drinks of the water Jesus gives, will be satiated at last.

The Workshop

"What's behind that door?" the Lord asked.

"That's my workshop. I don't go out there much anymore," I said, opening the door, to find some unfinished wooden planes and cars on the worktable. "I've lost interest in these things," I said, "Besides, I'm not that good at woodworking"

"I'm a Master Carpenter," He said. "I can give you some help on these projects." So He gave me some advice on putting them together.

Then He said, "Now take those toys—the hobby you've been pursuing—and give them away."

So I grabbed my little toys, found some kids at the park, and said, "You guys want some planes and cars?" Their eyes lit up. And suddenly my hobby made sense.

"So that's what You meant, Lord, when You told us that in the measure we give out, it will be given back," I said (see Luk_6:38).

People garden, paint, remodel, bowl, and collect things only to get bored and go on to the next hobby. If hobbies, however, were used for someone else, what a difference it would make. You who like to garden—mow someone's lawn for free next Saturday and leave a note on the door saying, "God bless you." You who like to bake—make some cookies and give them to someone in need in Jesus' name. You who like to ride bikes—how about taking a kid who doesn't have a dad on a ride around the lake?

In this way, biking, gardening, and baking have meaning because you're in the workshop using the talents and interests God gave you to share with others. Use those talents only for yourself, and you'll be boring and shallow. But give them away, and you'll be blown away with blessing.

What a difference the Lord has made in my heart. The workshop has meaning again. The family room is not so chaotic. The dining room satisfies the appetites and cravings of my heart. The study is rich with wisdom and insight.

But one day, the Lord said to me, "From the day I came in here, I've smelled something foul. It's making Me ill—not because of how it affects Me—but because I know it is poisonous to you and your family. There's a toxic dump somewhere in this house, and I've determined it's behind that door right down the hall."

"Oh, Lord," I said, "that's just an old closet. I'm going to take care of it sometime. I know it stinks, but You'll grow accustomed to it. Trust me, I've had it for a number of years, and I don't even notice anymore."

"Can I have a look?" He asked.

"No, Lord," I said. "I've given You entry into every room in the house of my heart. But that one closet is mine. I know it stinks, but it's mine. You're welcome to go where You want and do what You wish in every other room—but that closet belongs to me."

With that, He slipped away into the farthest corner of the home. And suddenly, the family room lost its life. The study became tedious. The old songs began to be played in the recreation room. And the dining room table held only cotton candy and hot fudge sundaes.

After several days, I said, "Lord, I don't want You stuck off in a corner of the house. I want You to move around freely. I need You in my family room. I need You in my study. I need You in the living room. But I can't deal with that closet, Lord. I don't know what to do."

"All I'm asking," He replied, "is that you agree with Me that it stinks and that it's got to go. I'll do the rest—but you must give me your permission." That's what confession is. Confession simply means to agree. That's why the apostle John says if we confess our sin, He will be faithful and just to forgive our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1Jn_1:9).

I had forgotten how good a house could smell. I was reminded of the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Mary poured ointment on Jesus, and John records that the fragrance filled the whole house (Joh_12:3). In other words, the whole house smelled like Jesus.

"Lord, You have been such a wonderful influence in the house of my heart," I said. "From now on, it's Your house. I'll be the guest. You be the owner.

Smiling, He said, "I have a better idea. Now that you've given Me your house, let's go to My house. I've been working on it for two thousand years. I can't wait to show you what I've prepared for you."

Once I gave Him control of my home, His work was done. Now He could take me to His home. And that's a whole new story. I can't tell it to you because eyes have not seen and ears have not heard the things God has prepared for those who love Him (1Co_2:9). It's a story beyond description.

That's where we're going, gang. You who, by faith, have allowed Christ to dwell in your hearts, to be at home in your hearts, will soon find yourself at home in the place He's preparing for you. In the meantime, while we await that day, we can experience a bit of heaven in our lives presently as we allow Him to be at home in every room of our hearts.

May the Lord help us to give Him the keys to every closet, the title deed to the home in its entirety. May we be those who say, "Come on in, Lord. It's all Yours."

Nigeria: The need for improved English education

The need for Nigerian expression

I read Nmachi Jidenma’s blog titled Why every Nigerian on the Internet should start a blog [1] where she coordinates the editorial activities of CP-Africa.

One can easily see the premise of her argument; as usual some blogger with a big magazine profile receives a scam email purportedly from some Nigerian along the lines of what is commonly known as a 419 Letter [2] and finds the opportunity to fulminate.

When Peter Reilly who contributes to Forbes.com first wrote about the letter, he noticed a subtle change in the tone of a 419 letter from that of persuasion preying in the greed of the victim to fearful threats and is was only normal for him to default to stereotype with the headline Nigerians Switching From Greed to Fear [3].

It took one well-placed comment by a Nigerian resident in Nigeria to get Peter Reilly to change the title of his blog though the underlying URL still registers the original title; he then went one step further offering insightful research about the original of fraudulent scams and the resolution of some interesting cases.

Effective communication presages change

In the comments under his first blog he engaged the commenters and it appeared he was contrite enough to write the follow-up blog Fraud Has No Nationality- Apology to Nigeria [4] in what I felt was a display of maturity and interesting raconteuring, you had to hear him out.

However, back to the purpose of this blog, Ms. Jidenma noted that a Google search for “Fraud” almost always presented contextual results that made Nigeria prominent and this is exacerbated by the fact that there are not enough positive Nigeria narratives on the Internet to minimise the association between Nigeria and fraud.

That thinking is well placed but there are problems we do need to address, the comments posted on the Forbes.com posts ranged from a dispassionately objective criticism of stereotyping to somewhat unnecessary but naturally expected defensiveness.

An underlying problem

Now, having blogged for almost 8 years and reviewed many comments and blogs of fellow Nigerians on many Internet sites, I doubt flooding the Internet with Nigerian opinion without attention to content, quality and intellectual ability is the answer to the dissociation of fraud from Nigeria.

One statistic that buttresses this view comes with the announcement that only 30% of students passed English and Mathematics [5] in this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results and whilst this is an improvement on the 25% last year it is appalling.

The problems are self-evident, maybe the strictures of mobile Short Message Service (SMS) known as texting does have an effect where the restrictions of 160 characters forces users to use abbreviations and strange spellings of words that depend on some sort of decoding to make sense; that form of communication is becoming so mainstream that it might have crept into formal communications like what students put down in examinations.

The low results in mathematics are worrisome too because it suggests that students are not leaving school with basic numeracy skills needed for further education or the workplace.

A failing curriculum

Even though English is my mother tongue by reason of it being the first language I could speak and the circumstance of birth but I do remember the attention paid to our English classes from primary school in Nigeria where reading, writing and spelling lessons and tests were part of our curriculum.

In secondary school, we were voracious readers, the girls on everything that Barbara Cartland [6] wrote and the romantic pulp fiction of the Mills & Boon series [7], we the boys started off with Nick Carter [8] crime novels then James Hadley Chase [9] and graduated to Harold Robbins [10]; we all not missing the African writers and compulsory Shakespeare texts in formal English classes and the traditional English novels by celebrated writers as Kipling, Twain, Shaw, Haggard, Dickens, Orwell and others.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the James Hadley Chase novels even had the Nigerian price on the dust jacket or back cover of the paperback novels.

The English syllabus contains essential guides for reading and comprehension, composition, context, interpretation which should result in communication that is at least structured and coherent with the possibility of it being concise, maybe precise and hopefully original belying some admirable intellect.

What is needed

I dare say, only a few expressions on the Internet have passed the muster and much as I would love to see more Nigerians on the Internet with blogs, comments and opinions that show Nigeria in more positive light, there is much more that needs to be done in terms of the quality of communication they present whilst it goes without saying that the slide of examination performance was not sudden much as it seems precipitously low.

Too much time is being spent on religious and motivational books and very little on those with useful literary value that would broaden outlook and improve expression, we have become clones of “How To” themed books.

The need to return to formal and traditional modes of English and language expression cannot be overstated and it starts with correct spelling, structured sentences, the ability to crystallise thoughts, an understanding of correct punctuation and tenses, the daring to be objective and a broadening of the reading curriculum.

Then we can ensure whoever decides to own a blog is at the least redounding to the positive narratives of Nigeria with good communication, clear thinking and commendable expression.

Sources

[1] CP-Africa.com | Why every Nigerian on the Internet should start a blog

[2] Advance-fee fraud - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[3] Forbes.com | Switching From Greed to Fear

[4] Forbes.com | Fraud Has No Nationality- Apology to Nigeria

[5] AllAfrica | Nigeria: WAEC Results - Only 30 Percent Pass Maths, English

[6] Barbara Cartland - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[7] Mills & Boon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[8] Nick Carter (literary character) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[9] James Hadley Chase - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[10] Harold Robbins - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thought Picnic: Where circumcision beats choosing lipstick colours

Where expression is unsafe

I have observed over time that the Nigerian chat and comment space is fraught with imponderables and probably worse.

In fact, the safest place to offer an opinion is probably my blog and the comment advisory that probably creates a high entry level to those who have opinions that are best left unspoken and unwritten.

Twitter is also a good place to offer views, the compelling need to be concise and precise whilst offering a view is a great challenge for many even if they have to use applications that break the Twitter default of 140 characters for succinct expression.

Facebook however brings you in contact with another different crowd, the people that I have chosen to befriend appear to be quite reasonable having learnt well the purpose of comprehension exercises we took in English classes.

The problem is usually with those other friends of friends who you end up engaging with when you express a view on a friend’s status.

The gulf between reading and comprehension

Strangely, much as many of them can read, very few understand what they are reading, much less have comprehension and fewer still can be objective or proffer any logical analysis on the status under review.

Sadly, in the process of trying to contribute, clarify and raise the standard of discourse you get drawn into some exchanges that leave you utterly flustered if not flabbergasted and outraged. Much as one’s English reserve kicks in, the need for a public putdown becomes necessary one of which ended with the praise of a contributor’s talent with hands rather than with his brains.

The beauty of many procedures

In the last week, one instance was with the news story about a young and upcoming female artiste who felt that a butt augmentation procedure would improve her career; she ended up in a hotel in America where the injection of industrial silicone cost her life.

The exchanges went well until someone suggested male circumcision was cosmetic surgery for the purposes of looking good as a manicure, the application of make-up and the shaving of beards. At which point we enquired as to how that line of thought was plausible and as the person went off on a diatribe and a tangent with the licentious use of inclusive plural pronouns we were stumped.

Now, to refer the origin of circumcision to Abrahamic traditions of religious covenant keeping or its recent presumed usefulness in the prevention of the transmission of HIV especially in Africa became an insurmountable task of the attempt to share knowledge – there was nothing else to say.

Attitudes to homosexuality lead to jail

Then there was the case which included the presumed attempt to force a 17-year old Nigerian resident into marriage which on examination of the issues and the reported detail linked punishments, exorcisms and lifestyle to the desperate actions of a mother to convert her seemingly gay son back to heterosexuality.

Under the presumed notion that sending her son back to Nigeria from the UK would separate him Western influences and restore his supposed heterosexuality in an environment hostile to homosexual expression she risked jail.

That was because her son had sought the advice of a gay charity and taken out a protection order against his parents; within 6 days of receiving the order, he was carted off to Nigeria and the parents felt they had escaped the ambit of the Forced Marriages Act that their son had sought the protection of.

The law and sentiment disagree

Now, there are many strands to this situation; those for strict and overarching parental rights over their wards who must be fully obedient and acquiescent to every diktat of their parents because good intentions and possible bad judgement are always in the best interest of the child – one can sympathise.

There is also the fact that the basic letter of the law had been broken; a direct order from the court to produce the child in the UK was ignored and the mother having held the court in contempt was sent to jail for 8 months.

The cross-border influences between Nigeria and the UK on the matter of a Nigerian child who was wise after the possible protections the law provides against his parents’ untrammelled control in the UK as opposed to in Nigeria can excite strong emotions.

The labour of hands and heads

There might be many wrongs but the facts are what they are; a young gay Nigerian resident in the UK against his Nigerian parents caught between Western protections and Nigerian indifference to the rights of minors when pitched against their guardians but could there ever be a balanced view of these stack realities – hardly.

By the time we broke off, each side had been insulted as one who laboured with calloused hands and the other with ideas.

How hard it is to resist the need to help with comprehension first and then the appreciation of basic logic when our schools school too many in rote learning and regurgitation rather than the ability to research and convey ideas in coherent and engaging ways – the refuge of a blog can suddenly offer the best security from the absurd as one admires the beauty of circumcision with confusion of colours for lipstick.

Holiday snaps: A lounge to lunge from

An apology, I say

If anything, the “lounge” at the Madrid Barajas International Airport is a complete let-down, it exudes the worst of Spanish hospitality and comfort.

The furniture that probably looked cool years ago is dated, the fittings are cheap, the sockets are broken and falling apart, the choice of snacks leave much to be desired and to add insult to injury, one has to pay for wireless access.

Apart from the peace and quiet from the hustle and bustle of the airport terminal below, one can easily sit elsewhere with ear-plugs and be at peace.

Just not up to scratch

For a capital city airport, it is appalling, but then, I have been to the lounge at the Barcelona airport too and really, that takes the concept of lounges to a new depth of despair, it is the equivalent of the Ryanair of air travel comfort.

A bargain basement allocation of space for travellers to swear never to visit again; even if offered a bye to enter on the cheapest class of air travel available. Generally functional, rudimentary to the core and primitive at best.

I am surprised that there has been no clamour to get the managers of these lounges to polish up their act, with all the resorts and holiday locations the Spaniards squandered billions on in the property boom, upgrading these lounges to the healthy status of Spanish friendliness and comfort should have been a doddle.

Lunge from this lounge

It is not like one wants to spent the whole day here for any reason when you are on your way somewhere, either waiting to depart from Madrid or in transit through Madrid.

On the ratings scale my verdict is, the Madrid Barajas Airport lounge is a lounge to lunge from, probably headlong too.

Facebook: From figleaf privacy to fully dressed discretion

More Facebook about-face

Many of my friends and readers of my blogs would have read a number of postings about my experiences with Facebook.

There is no doubt that Facebook serves some purpose, I now have connections that date back to primary school about 40 years ago, a good number of secondary school friends are back in my social circle and I am also in contact with close and distant relations along with different acquaintances from all walks of my life.

In that way, Facebook provides a rich social networking experience, the problem arises when having put in all the information that creates the conditions for making, renewing or reestablishing connections you find that you have minimal control over who get access to that information.

Your privates are exposed

Facebook is a sponge for every detail of your life and everything you inadvertently put in can become global knowledge beyond your relations and friends to potential employers, detractors or worse.

Facebook itself is not known to have exemplary ethical conduct in the management of the privacy of its patrons, the company is in flux trying to determine who all this information from over 400 million accounts can be commercialised and monetarised without us having a say over what get push to us by our details or as a result of our relationship.

AllFacebook.com recently posted an article on how the default privacy settings had changed on Facebook between 2005 and April 2010 – I winced at how exposed I had become, it was like an involuntary strip-tease as you clothes were ripped off till I was left with the postscript of a tweet I posted – You only have a fig-leaf for your privates.

The animation of that graphics were originally published by Matt McKeon with the title - The Evolution of Privacy on Facebook – He includes information on how the data was sampled and the comments that follow do help one understand what might be at stake.

Rapidly evolving rules

What is driving the quest for more privacy and sometimes the exodus from Facebook is that the Terms of Service and rules are changing rapidly in favour of the company just exposing more and more of our information in the name of helping more social interaction – nothing could be further from the truth about that.

Personally, I have been actively locking down areas of information that I have put on Facebook just because I do not have much control over where all that information might end up.

Now, for those who are not as technically savvy or understanding of the finer details of privacy, secrecy and confidentiality – if you may know, these words are not synonyms, they mean completely different things, but you have to secure your privacy, manage your secrecy and definitely do not trust strangers with information you feel should be confidential – the underlying question being who can you trust with detail about what you like, what you do and what you’ll rather not share.

How to …

Jason Perlow, a writer for ZDNet; a technical magazine offers some advice in a video which can be very helpful in Lock Down Your FaceBook Profile in 20 Minutes (Video) – some of his suggestions take it to the extreme with the assumption that only friends that already know you are your default contacts, but you need to leave in enough information to distinguish you in some way to old friends like schools and other basic historical information.

You need something to network with but be smart about what you leave in, what you take out and in a more granular setting create lists of most trusted friends and give them more access whilst closing access to others.

Let us use Facebook for what we have intended for it to help us do, link up with friends and family and thwart attempt by the behemoth to convert our precious relationships into filthy lucre.

One piece of advices you should take away from this is to check your profile every month to see that it is still as watertight as you want it to be as Facebook shape-shifts around your privacy. Use Facebook but do not let it use you unethically and unfairly.

Sources

[1] INFOGRAPHIC: The History Of Facebook’s Default Privacy Settings

[2] The Evolution of Privacy on Facebook

[3] Lock Down Your FaceBook Profile in 20 Minutes (Video) | ZDNet

Nigeria: Abba Abacha sues the Swiss for Nigerian loot

Speechless and more

I read it with a sharp intake of breath, the effrontery of it all, the shame-faced boldness of hereditary impunity that started from leaders the generation before ours, is perfected in their children and beyond belief in their offspring.

One can only wonder what drives these people, so despicable, exuding of privilege and unearned entitlement with the means to buy the hearts and souls of those who would pawn their beings for filthy lucre.

Yes, Abba Abacha, the son of the despotic and heinous Sani Abacha [1] who plundered Nigeria till she was bereft and squeezed her till her pips squeaked has taken the Swiss to court [2] to challenge the order to return ill-gotten assets to the tune of $350 million.

Brigandage to the extreme

It is conservatively assumed that Sani Abacha as Brigand-in-Chief robbed Nigeria of $2.2 billion, of which the family after his death returned about $700 million.

That was not in taxes and definitely not in restitution, they were just so blatantly open with their kleptomania the momentary tinge of guilt that extracted that return now seems to have faded away completely.

In making a claim for the return of the moneys, I would suppose Mr. Abba Abacha has hired a crack legal team that might be offering services on a no-win no-fee basis with their greed latched onto a percentage of the returns, if any.

The lies would amaze

The perjury, perfidy and falsehood that would consist the weight of evidence in this case might make the devil innocent, because one can only wonder what business activity or providence might have created this largesse of wealth for the Abacha family without any noticeable commercial entity to back the sources of the wealth.

The gall of it all is breathtakingly beyond belief, Abba Abacha has grown so accustomed to the bilking of Nigeria that he can see no wrong in having his hands on stolen moneys and is ready to defend to the utmost the right to be labeled a thief as his father so obviously was.

There was a time people would hang their heads in shame and not be seen in public for the disgrace of dishonesty, lies, treachery and distrust – now, if you have the money, you can never be wrong no matter how bad you have been.

Swiss roll him into jail

Mr. Abba Abacha has been refused a visa to Switzerland to attend the hearings, but I should expect if he does return, the Swiss should happily accommodate him in gaol on the technicality of having rescinded the suspended custodial sentence he received in November 2009.

Everyone has the right to fight for what is right, but this is wrong, it brings unnecessary opprobrium to an already battered reputation of Nigeria and Nigerians, he as a member of a criminal organisation now needs to face justice and hopefully the return of most of what allows him to strut about with outrageous arrogance.

Sources

[1] Sani Abacha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[2] BBC News - Son of Nigeria's Abacha challenges Swiss $350m order