My Short Reflection on the indestructible Cross in a Catholic Church in Joplin

Fr. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

May 28, 2011

On May 22, 2011, a dangerous tornado hit the city of Joplin, Missouri, USA and destroyed virtually everything that was standing. Throughout the history of America, this tornado is regarded as the most powerful and the most destructive. It was so powerful and deadly that it leveled the entire city; houses even those built with bricks were reduced to rubbles, cars and huge and heavy trucks were smashed; trees were brought down and cut into pieces; everything standing before the tornado hit was shattered and littered. But in the city of Joplin is a Catholic Church, St. Mary's. The church’s building like every other building in Joplin was seriously damaged. In front of this Catholic Church is a 6-foot Cross, mounted on top of the church building. This Cross was not touched or affected by the monstrous tornado. The most powerful tornado in the history of America could not bring down the Cross. In the entire community, this Cross is the only thing standing.

In the 80’s, a tornado had also hit the city of Joplin. But this Cross was not destroyed or even affected. It stood tall and untouched after everything else was destroyed and shattered into pieces. Because the Cross had remained unaffected after two powerful tornadoes, it has after this recent mayhem become a symbol of hope for the people of Joplin who have lost everything they had including some of their loved ones. Through this indestructible Cross, our Lord Jesus Christ seems to be assuring the people of Joplin that despite all they had lost, that he the Lord of life is still there for them. Through the Cross, the Lord seems to be saying to the people, "look up here and be consoled." The Cross which has remained untouched after two powerful tornadoes reminds the people of Joplin in USA that the Lord is still in their midst. It says to them, "Before you despair, complain and question God why he allowed such a tragedy to happen to you, remember what happened to me on this cross." Do not forget my own painful experience on the Cross. Before you give up on God, look at the Cross. Remember I too suffered on the Cross. Look at this Cross, and remember that what happened on this Cross was not the final day or the final word. The final day or word is Easter when new life was born. After my death on the Cross, I lived again, and because I live, you too can live. Because I live, you can face tomorrow.

Jesus seems to be saying to the people of Joplin, look at the Cross and find hope. To unbelievers, the Cross is a symbol of defeat. But you know what happened after three days. The Cross is not a symbol of defeat; it is rather a symbol of victory. On this Cross, I won for you. On this Cross, I gave you victory. On this Cross, I brought new life to you. On this Cross, I paid the ultimate prize for you. On this Cross, I crushed the devil. On this Cross, I brought back smile again on your faces. Though your entire city and community have been annihilated, the Cross reminds you that it shall be well. You shall rise up again. Though you have lost some beloved ones, but take a look at the Cross. It tells that I am here for you. Do not be hopeless, instead be hopeful. You have lost everything, but you haven’t lost me. I am here. Remember I am Immanuel, the God who is with you.

That Cross in a Catholic Church in Joplin, Missouri, USA which has survived two powerful tornadoes is a symbol of hope for the people of Joplin and to us. In the tick of life’s crisis, the Lord is there with us. He has promised never to leave or forsake us. Do not forget the Lord’s unchanging promise to us in Hebrew 13: 5 "I will never leave or forsake you." And in Deuteronomy 31:6 he says “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." Again he says Deuteronomy 31:8, “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

Look up to the Cross of Jesus Christ. On that Cross lies our victory. On that Cross lies our hope. On that Cross lies our salvation. On that Cross lies our deliverance. On that Cross lies our today and our tomorrow. The Cross of Jesus Christ is our peace. That Cross is our smile even in the face of difficult, crisis and misfortune. That Cross is our strength. That Cross is our joy. That Cross is our hope. That Cross is our new beginning. That Cross is our rising up. That Cross is our leaning wall. That Cross is our rest. When you are down, do not look down, look up. Look up to the Cross. Jesus has been lifted up. He says in John 12:32, “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” Your love, Jesus Christ has been lifted up for you and me. Look up to the Son of Man lifted up for us on the Cross. On that Cross we lean. Lean on the Cross and live!

"If you really love me, you will keep my commandments"

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for 6^th Sunday of Easter, Year A

Holy Names of Jesus & Mary Catholic Church

Memphis, Tennessee, USA

May 29, 2011

In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments, and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth.”

In John 15: 14, Jesus again says, “You are my friends if you do what I command.”

In John 14: 21, Jesus says, “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

In John 14: 9-11, Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

Dearest beloved, today’s gospel taking from John 14:15-21 is a continuation of Jesus’ farewell speech to his disciples. In this speech, the Lord makes a connection between love and obedience. He says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” I once told a friend that in a traditional African society, people hardly say, “I love you.” Even those in marriage do not say that. Then my friend asked me, “Then how do you know that someone loves you?” I replied, “You know by the way they treat you.”

To Jesus, the best test of love is obedience. Remember, it was through his obedience that he demonstrated his love for his Father; and it is by our obedience that we must demonstrate our love for him. To Jesus, love is not just a sentiment or emotion. It is rather an expression that is always moral demonstrated through obedience. Put differently, love is a moral expression revealed in obedience. We know there are people who profess their love in words but who, at the same time, bring pain, misfortune, and heartbreak to the same people they claim to love. There are young people who say they love their parents, yet, they cause them sorrow, anxiety and sleeplessness. There are husbands who say they love their wives and wives who say they love their husbands, and who, at the same time, through their inconsideration, irritability and thoughtless unkindness bring pain and grief to the very one they claim to love. To Jesus, love is not an easy thing easily professed in words. Love is a reality demonstrated only in true obedience, faithfulness and good deeds.

The Lord asks no small thing from his disciples when he said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Keeping the Lord’s commandments is not going to be easy for anybody. Being a Christian and following Jesus’ teachings is a struggle. To be a disciple of Jesus means “to follow after him." It means following the way of Jesus who is the Way; it means keeping and living the truth of Jesus who is the Truth; it also means accepting the life of Jesus who is the Life. To love Jesus means to take seriously what he took seriously. Following Jesus entails striving to imitate him.

“If you really love me, then you will keep my commandment.” What do we do to those we love? We try to have their best interest in mind; we try to please them; we try to avoid anything that is capable of destroying or disrupting our relationship with them. We try to visit them often or call them on the phone regularly. To those we love, we cherish. To those we love, we please. To those we love, we keep. We keep them and keep their rules. That’s what Jesus expects from us. If we really love him, we will cherish him above all else. If we really love him, we will always strive to please him by being obedient to him. If we really love Jesus, we will keep him in our hearts and thoughts by keeping his commandments. If we really love the Lord, we will keep in touch and in contact with him by visiting and calling him in prayer.

The Lord says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” But does this mean that every time we sin we do not love him? Although we love Jesus, but any time we commit sin we love something or someone else more than we love Jesus. If we love Jesus more than anything else, we will keep free from sin for the sake of him. We will strive to give ourselves totally to him. And when we love Jesus with all our heart, soul, mind and strength we will not want to put anything, no matter how small before Jesus. Loving Jesus is not just an emotional feeling. It is something deeper and greater than that. Loving Jesus means changing our lives, our lifestyles, reforming our lives, working on our personalities and characters, stretching ourselves to love him. Loving Jesus is putting Jesus first, second and third before anything or anybody. Loving Jesus is making daily efforts to overcome any form of sin no matter how small it is. If we love Jesus truly, we will be working everyday to eliminate all sins. Galatians 5:24 say, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.”

St. Paul loved Jesus so much to the point of declaring, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” St. Peter loved the Lord that when Jesus asked him thrice, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He confidently replied, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”

The command to love Jesus by keeping his commandments is not an easy task. Anyone who tells you it is easy is probably not observing it. It is difficult. Jesus knows it is going to be a struggle, hence, he promised to send us the Holy Spirit: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows him. But you know him, because he remains with you, and will be in you.” Jesus knows that keeping his commandments is not going to be an easy ride for us. Hence, he promised, “I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you.”

To those who are honestly willing to love the Lord by keeping his commandments, Jesus promised to send help. He is not leaving us all alone by ourselves. He promised to send the parakletos. The parakletos is the Holy Spirit. The word parakletos has other meanings, but in this case, it means someone called in to help in time of trouble or need. The parakletos is the Advocate, the Comforter, and the Helper. Because the Lord has set a hard and difficult task before us, he therefore sends someone, the parakletos who will always help us to obey his commands. The world will not recognize the Spirit because the world does not know him. But we know him as the one that helps us to keep the commandments of Jesus Christ.

To those who are sincerely willing to love the Lord through the keeping of his commandments, Jesus again promised to give the gift of hope. The gift of hope is one of the greatest gifts a human person can know. Even in the worst of times, we are not defeated if we have hope. Nothing is more devastating as hopelessness. In spite of the horrors, wars and rumors of wars, Jesus promised us, “I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” Though the world may not see me, “But you will see me, because I live , you will live.” What other promise is greater than this? Jesus promises never to leave us alone. No matter what you face, Jesus is not leaving you alone. In fact, he said, “I am coming to you.” No matter what may happen, no experience or power can take away the hope we have in Christ Jesus. Even death cannot separate us from the love of Christ.

If we keep his commandments, if we care for each other the way he cares for us, we shall never be without hope. Loving those who hate you will not make sense in the world out there. Some people might even think that you are wimp for loving people who don’t love you back. But remember that our Lord was on top of this very thing. He loved both friends and foes, and even forgave his foes who crucified him. The greatest gospel was preached on the cross. Jesus was the one who preached that gospel.

Another promise of the Lord to those who will love him is intimacy: “On that day, you will realize that I am in my Father and you are in me and I in you. Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”

Dearest beloved, what else is greater than this? If we love Jesus, we will enter into intimacy with him and his Father. Keeping the Lord’s commandments is a demonstration of our love for him. And because we love him, the Father will also love us; Jesus will also love us and then reveal himself to us. This is an intimacy of love that is without any parallel. No evil person can ever receive the revelation of God. He may be used by God, but he can never have any fellowship with him. It is only those who are looking for God that God reveals self to. And it is only the person who, in spite of failure, is constantly reaching up to God that God reaches down for. To have fellowship with God and to have intimacy with him is contingent on love; and love is contingent on obedience. The more we love God, the more we obey him, and the more we understand him. The one who truly loves the Lord will surely keep his commandments. If you really love Jesus, then keep his commandments. Keep his commandments that your joy may be full!

I Will Never Leave Or Forsake You

God says it more than once:

· Heb 13:5, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsakeyou.”

· Deuteronomy 31:6, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

· Deuteronomy 31:8, “The LORD Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”

I love God’s “never”!

I love His “with”!

People leave. Friends do. Sometimes spouses do. Sometimes fathers do. Sometimes mothers do. Sometimes siblings do. Sometimes children.

But our Lord “goes with” me! Always “with”! He never leaves! He never forsakes.

“Leaves” / “Forsakes” = Never gives up on me. Never omits me. Never doesn’t uphold me. Never relaxes His hold on me. Never fails to take me along. Never goes away from me. Never departs from me. Never deserts. Never abandons. Never sends me away. Never leaves me behind. Never leaves me helpless. Never quits me. He’s never separated or detached from me.

How can I ever thank Him enough for His “never”? Or for His “with”.

I’m blessed beyond measure! I’m never alone with Him!

Instead of fear, believe

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the 5^th Sunday of Easter

May 22, 2011

As we live our daily life with all the challenges and sometimes the pains it brings, one thing we need to hear is what Jesus says in the beginning of today’s gospel, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, have faith in God; have faith also in me” (John 14: 1). As we experience the many storms that life brings from time to time, Jesus tells us not to fear instead believe in his Father and in him as well.

The storms of life simply speaking are those things that inconvenience us. They are those life’s experiences that bring us to tears. They trouble us and sometimes can lead to a loss of interest in life itself. The storms of life keep us sleepless at night. In extreme situation they lead some people to depression. They are those life’s experiences that make people ask questions like “God, where are you?” “God, why me?” Lord, why must I suffer?” “God, have you abandoned me?” The storms of life can come in different fashions. Sometimes they come unannounced and when we least expect them. These storms of life can be emotional, psychological, spiritual, material etc. No matter one’s state of life, storms are unavoidable. From time to time, we experience one form of storm or the other. Some people even experience more than one storm at the same time. When one is confronted by the storms of life, how he or she handles it will go a long away in determining how long the storm will last. If handled wrongly, it can lead to another storm thereby multiplying the person’s misery. This is the reason why many people go through life carrying all forms of storms without any end in sight.

Though crisis stare us in the face, Jesus says, “Do not let your heart be trouble; instead have faith in God and in him.” Instead of focusing all our attention in problems, let’s focus our attention in what the Lord can do. Keep your eyes fixed in Jesus.

It is good to sometimes think about what we have been through in life, what life has offered us. It is good sometimes to even cry for all the pains and misery we have had in life. But after all the thinking and crying let’s remember to stop at the foot of our Lord. Let’s remember to pour all our tears before his feet and make all the grieving before him. Crying and moaning before Jesus is also a form of prayer. Remember, Jesus too wept.

We are often told to prepare for disaster- to have food, water and communication plans. I would like you to have such a plan so that if something were to happen we would not be caught unaware. But Jesus would want us to do something other than take the future into our hands. He wants us to entrust our lives into God’s hand and into his hands.

Jesus also says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The Lord is saying that he is not one of the many alternatives, but that he is the answer.

Our Redeemer doesn't offer us a map, a set of directions and a compass. Jesus offers himself. The way is personal - Jesus is the way. The truth is personal - Jesus is the truth. The life is personal - Jesus is the life. You will find life not in propositions but in a person - a particular person - Jesus of Nazareth who came to announce and inaugurate the worldwide reign of God. This Jesus is the friend of the saints and sinners. He came not to condemn the world - not even his enemies - but that the world in general and those at odds with God in particular would be reconciled by his self-giving love. Jesus is the one who heals the broken-hearted without regard to eligibility, who opens his arms to the vulnerable, to lepers, and to all those on the margins. This Jesus is the one who does not foreclose anyone.

The astonishing good news of the gospel is that God has opened the way to life through the living Christ who invites us to cast our selves on him. We gain life by believing him, by following his way and by trusting him more than all the powers of this world. This is the boundless generosity of God. This Jesus invites us to be free from fear. Instead of fear, believe in him. Instead of anxiety, hope in God. Instead of cynicism, have faith in him.

Father Marcel's Bulletin Message for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Year A

The concept of God as shepherd is fulfilled in Jesus Christ who calls his sheep individually by name. The sheep follow him because they know his voice. He is also the "gate of the sheepfold" as through him the sheep are sure of finding green pasture. It is through Jesus that the people of God, called by his holy name and responding to his voice, enter into the pastures of eternal life.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who constantly calls us to follow him. Every new day, the sweet voice of the Sweet Shepherd calls us to follow him. Every day and every time, the good voice of the Good Shepherd calls us to follow in his footsteps. If we must remain part of the flock of Jesus, then we must follow him wherever he leads us. A good and faithful sheep is the sheep that knows the voice of the shepherd and follows him when he calls. In the midst of several other voices calling, the faithful sheep is able to recognize the voice of the shepherd and follow him.

There are several voices out there calling us just to distract and deceive us from following the true voice of the Lord. The voice of secularism calls us to ignore the teachings of Jesus Christ, the teachings of the Apostles and the teachings of the Church. That voice tells us that religion does not matter anymore, that God does not matter anymore. That voice tells us that satisfying the sinful desires of the flesh does not make us bad people. But the voice of the Shepherd tells us that the true worshipers of God must worship him in Spirit and in truth. The voice of the world calls us to abandon God and what pertains to God. It tells us that what matters is our individual satisfaction and pleasure. But the voice of the Good Shepherd tells us to keep God's commandments if we truly love him. The voice of Satan calls us to worship him through entertainment, fashion, music, anti-genesis behaviors etc. But the voice of the Good Shepherd calls us to "Worship the Lord our God and serve him only."

Which of these voices are we going to follow? The Good Shepherd calls us to follow him. Remember, if we want Jesus to be our Shepherd, then we must remain the Sheep of his flock for a wolf has no shepherd.

God bless you!

Archbishop Timothy Dolan: Attempts to legalize same-sex marriage are 'Orwellian social engineering'

ALBANY - The state's top Catholic Friday equated efforts to legalize gay marriage to "Orwellian social engineering."

Archibishop Timothy Dolan on his blog wrote that "history, natural law, the Bible...the religions of the world, human experience, and just plain gumption tells us" marriage is between a man and a woman.

"The definition of marriage is hardwired into our human reason," Dolan wrote.

"To tamper with that definition, or to engage in some Orwellian social engineering about the nature and purpose of marriage, is perilous to all of us."

He asks if the definition is changed to include gays, "could it not in the future be morphed again to include multiple spouses or even family members?"

Government, he wrote, would be better off fixing the school systems than redefining marriage.

"If big, intrusive government can re-define the most basic, accepted, revealed truth that marriage simply means one man+one woman+(hopefully) children, in a loving family, then I'm afraid, Orwell's works will no longer be on the fiction shelf."

Dolan denied his opposition to gay marriage is born out of hatred and discrimination - even going so far as to say those who defend traditional marriage have been targets of harassment.

He said the Church teaches against discrimination and hatred toward gays, specifying that homosexual acts are not in conformity "with God's design."

Dolan's blog post came as gay rights activists work to secure needed votes in the state Senate to legalize same-sex marriage.

Gov. Cuomo has made it a top priority of his legislative agenda.

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Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/05/13/2011-05-13_archibishop_timothy_dolan_attempts_to_legalize_samesex_marriage_are_orwellian_so.html#ixzz1MHBU9t5K

What Door would you choose?

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara CSsR

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

Holy Names Church

May 15, 2011

In today’s gospel, Jesus declares that “anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a robber.” This means there is only one door that leads to salvation, and that is the door of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the way, the truth and life. Jesus is the door. Through him alone, we find access to God. St. Paul in Ephesians 2:18 says, “Through him, we have access to the Father.” Hebrews 10:20 says that Jesus “is the new living way.” The Lord is the one that opens the way to God. Before Jesus came, humans could only think of God at best, as a stranger and at worst, an enemy. God was seen as a God that is far away from the people. But Jesus came to show us that God is with us, and he opens the way to him. Jesus is the door through whom alone entrance to God becomes easy and possible.

When Jesus said, “All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them” he was not referring to the great prophets of the Old Testament. He was referring to men who rose in Palestine and promised that if people would follow them, they would bring in the golden age. The men Jesus referred as thieves and robbers were insurrectionists and zealots. They believed that the golden age can only be attained by violence and by the shedding of blood. According to Josephus the scripture scholar, there were ten thousand riots and disorders in Judea. People like the Zealots did not mind slaughtering an entire community and even their loved ones just to achieve conquest.

So when Jesus said, “All who came before me are thieves and robbers…” he was saying, “There have been people who claimed that they were leaders sent to you from God. These people believed in war, murder, assassination, terrorism. Listen, their way can only lead to more suffering, destruction of life and property, and also lead people farther and farther away from God. Their way lacks love, charity, forgiveness, mercy and tolerance. Their way destroys unity and togetherness. Their way increases human hardship. Their way recreates creation and destroys friendships. My way is the way of peace, love, and life. If you will take it and live by it, it will lead you ever closer and closer to God.”

This reminds us of wicked men like Osama bin Ladin who believed in destroying an entire nation just to achieve an aim. Sadly, these people carry out the most violent and wicked act in the name of God. They claim to be fighting for God. They claim that it is God who had sent them on their vicious missions. To such people, I say that they are worshipping a god that does not exist. They believe in violence, class warfare, bitterness, destruction. The message of Jesus today is that the only way that leads to God, the only way that leads to heaven, the only way that leads to the golden age on earth is the way of love.

Love is the basic Christian teaching. It is the pillar that holds us together. It is the path to life. When it’s all been said and done, there is just one thing that really matters- love. When all our earthly treasures will mean nothing; when all our earthly achievements will mean nothing; when all the fame and status will mean nothing, when all the material things we have will mean nothing, the only thing that will mean something is the love that we showed. It is only what we have done for love and for the sake of love that will stand the test of the time. No wonder St. Paul says 1 Corinthians 13:13, “We have faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.

Jesus says that “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; but I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” After the killing of Osama bin Ladin, I wrote a short commentary titled “My reaction on the death of Osama bin Ladin,” and part of what I wrote is this, “Jesus Christ brought peace! Osama bin Ladin brought violence and unrest. Jesus Christ brought healing and deliverance, Osama bin Ladin brought hurt, pain and misery. My Lord Jesus Christ brought unity! Osama brought division. Jesus brought salvation. Osama brought doom and destruction. Jesus brought blessings. Osama bin Ladin brought curse. Jesus died an innocent man in order to set us free. Osama died a guilty man so that people would be free to worship God. Jesus brought us deliverance through his death. Osama brought us pain, anguish and unspeakable suffering through his wicked actions. Jesus’ killing represents the greatest attack on good and on a good man. Osama’s killing marks the greatest attack on evil in modern history.”

Dearest beloved, Jesus came that you and I may have life in abundance. To have a superabundance of life entails being a follower of Jesus, knowing who he is, and what he means. Having an abundance of life means enjoying a great deal of inner peace and joy even in the face of difficult and suffering. Having an abundance of life means being in a relationship with the Lord. Having an abundance of life means being alive in the spirit.

My mother once told me a story of a wealthy man who went to his community and asked all the widows in the town to see him in his house for some gifts he had brought to them. He gave a date and a time of the meeting. On that very day, all the widows gathered in his house. But in their midst was one woman whose husband was not yet dead. Her husband was still alive and healthy. Now the news of her presence in the gathering of widows got to her husband. The man, half-drunk stormed the place and started yelling and cursing his wife, “So you want me dead?” “So you have already declared me dead even when I am still alive? Shame on you! Stand up now and go home before I do something I would later regret.” Meanwhile, this man was always seen in a booze bar drinking. Because of long years of drinking, he looked like a wretched dispirited person with no vitality. But his wife looked at him from head to toe and said, “Mr. John, were you ever really alive? I think you are long dead.”

Dearest beloved, when we try to live our own lives, life becomes a dull dispirited thing. I have often said that life without Christ is crisis. Life without God is gloomy. But when we walk with Jesus daily and enjoy a holy relationship with him, a new vitality, a superabundance of life is experienced and enjoyed. It is only when we live with Jesus Christ that life becomes really worth living, and we begin to live in the real sense of the word. The Lord has come that we may have life, life in its fullness. With Jesus, there is plenty of redemption. To live abundantly is to be aware that God knows us personally, like a shepherd who knows his sheep. It means we have the confidence that he cares for us. It also means we are ready to yield to God’s will for our lives, like the sheep who listen to the familiar voice of the shepherd.

Follow the door that is Jesus. Walk in the way that is Jesus. Three doors have been opened before us. One door leads to empty pleasure. Another door leads to pain and destruction. Yet another door leads to peace, joy, life and salvation. When you are in your house, these three doors are opened before you. When you are driving on the road, there are also three doors before you. When you are in the office working, three doors are opened before you. No matter where you are, there are three doors. One door belongs to the world; another belongs to Satan, and one belongs to Jesus. In fact, the first door is the world; the second door is the Devil. The third door is Jesus Christ. Which of these doors would you choose? As for me, I have chosen the third door- Jesus Christ!

• Argument on the death of Osama bin Ladin

  
  

  Cornelius Onyeze Ifeoma Ofoegbu

  Osama is just like any other human being on earth that commits sin according to our own standard, he may not see it as sin cos of his own belief just like Saul who later became Paul. Yes he killed many pple, but many doctors, nurses, young girls and boys r killing innocent children everyday. Political thugs and their sponsors r killing pple in Africa almost on daily basis. God will will be more happy with Obama if he can stop abortion, political killings and unjust oppression of the poor.

• 
  

  Emmy Divine Austine

  Cornelius, your knowledge of what Osama bin Ladin did and stood for is incomplete. First, Osama was not just like any other human being on earth as you claimed. He was a monster. Jesus says that the devil comes to steal, to destroy and kill. That's what Osama stood for and did while he lasted on earth. He did not only commit sin, he committed crime against humanity. Not all sins are crimes.

Secondly, it is wrong to compare what Saul (Paul) did with what Osama did. First, Saul acted in ignorance. Secondly, he acted with written and unwritten permission from the authorities. Thirdly, Saul did not murder fellow believers of the same religion. He only had problem with Christianity. But Osama murdered even Muslims. Osama bin Ladin knew what he was doing. His main objective was to crush America and the West. His war was not against the Christian religion or any religion. He was simply against the West.

Last night, i listened attentively to one of the videos tapes he released from his hide out, and i was shocked at his knowledge of facts and numbers. The man was not only at war with the West but with humanity. When Saul went after the Christians, he did not take a unilateral decision to persecute Christians. He had the support and the permission from the religious leaders. Do not forget he was on the way to obtain another written permission to arrest and jail the Christians when Jesus Christ revealed himself to him.

To compare Osama and Saul is a disservice to Christianity. It is a point that could only make a sound-bite, but lacks facts. You also seem to compare the atrocities of Osama with that of doctors, nurses, young girls, young boys etc who commit abortion. If you honestly think that those who had committed abortions or who aid people commit abortion are on the same category with Osama, that means you think that a boy who stole a 5 Naira biscuit from a store is on the same category with an armed robber who robbed a bank or people homes at night. Stealing one dollar biscuit from a store is a lesser evil to robbing a bank or a home with guns and knifes. There is a hierarchy of crimes and sins. A doctor or a nurse who aid young girls commit abortions may be doing something wrong, but their acts can in no way be compared with what Osama did while on earth. The killing of one person is a sin and a crime, but it cannot be compared with committing a genocide. Genocide is a sin against God and a sin against the human society. It is also a crime against humanity.

Genocide is the worst of all evils. It is a deliberate attempt to destroy a nation or a people. Nothing can be compared to it. It is an intrinsically evil act that goes against everything that every human society stands for. Genocide destroys God's people who are created in God's image and likeness. Genocide is the number one evil in the hierarchy of evils. Abortion is a sin, but in some countries, it is not a crime. Try and make that distinctions.

Religion deals with sin but does not determine what constitutes a crime. Osama is evil! You said that God would be more happy with Obama if he can stop abortion, political killings and unjust oppression of the poor. Sorry, the decision to commit abortion is usually an individual's decision. It is not the job of the president to dictate to the American people how to make their decision. I know that abortions, political killings, oppression of the poor, political thuggery, poverty in Africa etc are all wrong. No one person can eradicate evil in the world. But we can reduce it. The elimination of Osama is one of the greatest reduction of evil in the world. You asked Obama to fight evil, and that's just what he did with the killing of Osama. The poverty in Africa is caused by the African leaders and not by Obama. Obama did not ask Obasanjo to waste eight years in power without achieving anything for Nigeria. The elimination of Osama marks the greatest attack on evil by the Obama administration.

President Obama should be commended for going after Osama who posed a risk to any human being. The kiling of the number one greatest threat to peace, security, and development is unarguably the greatest attack on evil in modern history. Osama cared about no body except his selfish self. He killed both Muslims and Christians alike. He decimated religious people and non-religious alike. He does not give a damn if he brings the entire world to an abrupt end of destruction. We thank God he was not able to get hold of atomic or nuclear bomb. The man would have used it to bring down an entire nation. Jesus says that those who kill by the sword would die by the sword. What he did to many families and nations was exactly what he got. The fishes and other sea creatures have had a good enjoyment of his despicable body.

My reaction on the death of Osama bin Ladin

As humans, we hardly celebrate the death of a human being because death is a loss of human life. But in the case of Osama bin Ladin we are pleased he is gone. Whether he was captured alive and then shot or was shot at sight, the most important thing is that the dare devil is dead. He is out of this world, and is rotting in hell now. The whale and other water creatures are now feeding fat on his despicable body. That man was the devil's favorite son on earth. He had caused nations and families grief and painful sorrows. Children are growing up without their fathers and mothers because of Osama bin Ladin. Nations are still recovering from the shock of his many heinous crimes. Dreams were cut short because of him. Aspirations and hopes were suddenly quenched because of him. Comfortable lifestyles were changed and affected because of Osama bin Ladin. He had wickedly murdered Christians, Muslims, people of other faiths and people of no faith. Now, he must have realized what a fool and an idiot he was on earth. He must have realized that he served a god that never existed. The only true and living God abhors violence and blood shedding. Those who kill by the sword will perish by the sword. Whatever a person sows, that he or she shall reap.

As a Christian, I preach forgiveness and mercy, and I believe in them. But in the case of Osama, I don't think he deserves any mercy and forgiveness. The man was an unrepentant criminal who was ever ready to kill and to destroy. When he killed, he rejoiced and boasted about it. All he cared about was destruction, annihilation, pain and sorrow. Even God is a God of justice. Osama's death is a victory of justice. His death is a deterrent to future terrorists.

God abhors violence and the shedding of blood. But in the case of Osama, I don't think God will count it as a sin against the United States of America for killing him. The wonderful world that God created was being recreated by Osama bin Ladin and his cohorts. Allowing him and people like him to continue to recreate God's beautiful world is itself a sin of negligence. We must care for God's creation, and part of caring for God's creation is the removal of Osama bin Ladin, the number one destroyer of creation.

Jesus Christ brought peace! Osama bin Ladin brought violence and unrest. Jesus Christ brought healing and deliverance, Osama bin Ladin brought hurt, pain and misery. My Lord Jesus Christ brought unity! Osama brought division. Jesus brought salvation. Osama brought doom and destruction. Jesus brought blessings. Osama bin Ladin brought curse. Jesus died an innocent man in order to set us free. Osama died a guilty man so that people would be free to worship God. Jesus brought us deliverance through death. Osama brought us pain, anguish and unspeakable suffering through his wicked actions.

Thank God the wicked man is gone! Oh! God, please give us peace. Bless the world with peace. Make terrorists surrender their wicked acts and plots. Let nations and nations unite. Peace guarantees our freedom. Give us peace Oh! Lord. Amen.

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara

May 4, 2011