Popular Musician, D Banj's son's demise. A lesson On Empathy.

Way I see it, a lot of Nigerians are already on their way to the same hell fire that they condemn secular artistes and Illuminati worshippers to. 

Their only saving grace would be if Jesus delays his return long enough for them to repent of the insensitivity they have been displaying since morning. 

Many people hide behind their monitor and phone screens to throw bile against other people. Other people whose offence is none other than being rich, famous, or living a lifestyle that is totally different from theirs. 

A very popular Nigerian celebrity has just lost a child, and the next thing that comes out from some Personal Assistants to the Lord Jesus Christ is "it serves them right. That's what they get for joining the Illuminati".  

Some others are blaming the loss of the child on the parent's carelessness, while yet another group are obsessively fixated on the uber-luxurious lifestyle of the celebrity, having an indoor swimming pool (in which the child drowned).

Let me say, first off, that many who will be met with Jesus' "I know you not" on the last day will not be disqualified because they did not prophesy (Matt 7²²), praise,  pray or fast enough. It would be because of lack of empathy and compassion for their fellow men. Fellow men. Not fellow christians.

I think people either aren't aware, or easily forget, that their neighbours as stated in the bible aren't exclusively made up of those who share the same faith and ideologies as they do. 

Your neighbour is also the transgender, the muslim, the prostitute, the lesbian, the devil worshipper even. 

You are not commanded to subscribe to their lifestyle. You are commanded to LOVE. 

Sometimes your show of love could be as basic as choosing to keep your thoughts and comments to yourself, especially when others are grieving. 

But where is the love in the average Nigerian's response to the news? Oops, they left it on their seats back at their places of worship yesterday. 

Looks like this news picked a wrong day to trend. Not on a holy (sun)day when Nigerians grab their bibles, prepared for their places of worship and for heaven, but on a Monday when they are the most frantic, impatient and savage version of themselves. Issokay, God is seeing us. 

If you are reading this, I beseech you by the mercies of God, resist the urge to blame parents for the injury or death of a child, no matter how apparent it seems to you that they are at fault. 

Most times, we think we are doing them a favour by "calling a spade a spade", meanwhile, all we are really doing is lending our voices to the devil as a PA system to condemn and torture them. They feel terrible enough already without us berating them. 

Don't be part of the insensitive and uncultured folks who will choose to lecture the parents (either physically or via the internet) on the need to have installed safety rails around the  swimming pool, or on how they could have been more careful WHILE they are still mourning. Resist it. 

Moreover, if you read your bible well, you'll see that what we are expected to do is to comfort grievers, not lecture them. The bible is complete! 

Also, don't be part of the petty ones who will blame people for owning indoor swimming pools in the first place. Check it, these ones will jump at any opportunity to gloat over the misfortune of the rich. Children of the poor die from domestic accidents too. Ordinary kulikulu wrap (plastic bag) is enough to kill a child. 

Finally, to those who have chosen to be selective with their sensitivity, and to be empathetic only when it is a fellow who shares their ideologies  (and who practices those ideologies the exact same way they do it) that is affected, I can only pray that the eyes of their understanding be enlightened.

25.06.18