May I Tie Your Shoe?

In the book of Genesis God asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" Cain responded with some irritation, "I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4:9).

God seems to be saying, we should know about our brothers and sisters - their whereabouts and needs. We tend to respond that we don't want to be bothered about the needs of our fellow human beings. We have enough problems of our own.

I will probably not soon forget the situation I observed. An older couple, probably in their middle to late 70s, was standing in front of Ikeja City Mall . Suddenly the lady said to her husband, "my shoe is untied". She had her arm in a brace and obviously needed some help. Her husband hesitated for a moment to bend down and tie the shoe, not because he was unwilling to do so, but rather because he had some physical limitations of his own.

Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, a young man, most likely to be in his thirties, appeared. With a bright smile on his face he said to the elderly woman,  “may I tie your shoe ma?" Surprised she responded in the affirmative. "Yes! My husband has an arthritic hand and can't tie them so well." The young man said, "I'm younger. I'll do it!" And he bent down and tied the woman's shoe laces.

"Oh thank you son", she responded. "And God bless you." And off went that cheerful and helpful young man - or was he an angel? He left behind two quite amazed seniors. When does anyone offer to be so helpful? Somewhat rarely. In that one small act they had experienced a marvel of love and grace.

Whether that young man was a Christian I know not. I can say, he certainly acted like one. Jesus told his followers to "love each other". In this way everyone would know that they are followers of Jesus Christ. (John 13:35) I really think that young man was a follower of Jesus. He indicated that by his loving action.

Once, Jesus was washing his disciples' feet - a messy job at best. They wore sandals in those days and needed to wash the dust of the road off their feet. Then Jesus told his disciples that they, too, should wash each other's feet. Admittedly, that was a humble and lowly act. The disciples of Jesus had been reluctant to perform this duty of a servant. But Jesus did it!

Since we don't wear sandals much anymore, I think Jesus would say to us,"you need to tie each others' shoes". If we see a need, whatever it is, we should step in and fill that need, if possible. In fact, Jesus went even further. He said, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." (John 15:13) That's a high standard of friendship. But that's what Jesus did for us. He laid down his life on the cross for us, his friends. We ought to give ourselves freely to the needs of others.

There is no shortage of human need. So many around us are hungry, sick and poor. When we have the means, as Christian believers we have the opportunity and the privilege, even the obligation to feed the hungry, clothe the naked and care for the sick. Obviously, none of us can meet every need. But all of us can meet some need. Even if we can't do everything, we can do something. And when we do, we show the love of God to a very needy world.

When was the last time you bent down and tied someone else's shoe?

Is It Really About Buhari Or Jonathan?

Nigeria, our motherland, faces advancing levels of danger each day. Every move to pull her from the brink is set for ruination by those who think that the country is all about them. They have narrowed issues to a few politicians, instead of the larger interests of Nigerians, without which the country would remain mired in its many challenges.

The latest scheme, bereft of agenda to improve Nigeria, is to project the personalities of President Goodluck Jonathan and General Muhammadu Buhari as the issue in the 2015 elections. Little is said about how any of them would be the better person to pull Nigerians out of the limbo strings of poor policies have dumped them.

Blames, name-calling, and sheer abuses have become the new order of campaigns. Everything is wrong with the other person. Every action is subjected to scrutiny that gives the impression that we are searching for saints as President. If we were, we would not find one, for there is none, at least in Nigeria, or willing to bear the burden of leading Nigeria out of these precarious times.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the All Progressives Congress, APC, have focused their attention on the personality of the each other’s presidential candidate. Nigerians are only of fringe interest to both parties. Where does the everlasting name-calling and blame sharing place Nigerians? How does troubles politicians cause benefit Nigerians?

Political parties, one of the more outspoken politicians has said, are in the business of winning elections. It is the most forthright offering from a politician, a remark that all Nigerians should take serious as they make their choices in 2015, not only for the President, but through all the legislatures to the executives. Sentiments would be unhelpful.

Nigeria’s challenges run through every stratum of the power rungs. Rot at the local governments affects the people more than decisions in Abuja and state capitals. The castration of the local governments through constitutional lacunas on their status has pushed governance away from the people. The politicians are delighted at the fact that they hold power without being accountable to anyone.

Our concerns, as a people, should be the agenda for 2015 and beyond. Politicians are obsessed with power. They do anything to get it. From the sharp divisions that emerged at the party primaries, it is clear that politicians are ready to grab power at any cost. The people are an inconvenient baggage in this journey.

It is time Nigerians re-directed attention to basic issues affecting us. Jonathan and Buhari are not the issue; they are mere images politicians conveniently cling to in their collective mission to claim Nigeria again – for themselves.