18 Nov 2008 |
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Dedicated to the loving memory of my siblings who went to heaven before they had the chance to crawl, walk or run. “I say do whatever helps you get over it. Christians believe in life at conception, so an unborn baby has a right to a decent funeral.” Mama Jade: I could call some of my pastor friends. Or better still, could your pastor Wọle friend include my siblings in his program?” “I’ll call Wọle tomorrow and find out when he plans to hold the ceremony. I don’t think he’ll mind.” Mama Jade: I just remembered one of the worst arguments I heard for abortion. One carnal-conscience-hardened-Christian stating that abortion must be okay because it preserves the salvation of the baby. “One of those?” I replied. “Humans always come up with ridiculous ideas to support their evil deeds. I tell such people to show me where God’s plan for salvation is through murder. You’ll be shocked the type of speculations people have.” Mama Jade: That reminds me of 2 Corinthians 10 verse 5, one version I love says “we destroy speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ”. “Yes it does. I know that version well. We destroy speculations, neat! Another one says we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God, we conquer rebellious ideas and we teach them to obey Christ, also, another one says we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Mama Jade: Amen. Just listening is strengthening my heart. She reached out for her bible and quoted the verse. “…casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” Mama Jade: The following verse, verse 6, is going to be my anchor, “…and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.” “Hmmm. I should study that verse six some more.” Zachary knocked and came in. Mama Jade: You’ve been here since five minutes ago. Who have you been talking with? Zachary: Adeoye, he’s outside waiting for Derbrah. “Oh, I had no idea. I better take my leave then.” Giving mama Jade a hug, I waved goodbye to Zachary and met Adeoye in the parking lot. He explained why he had waited to see me and shared some pressing thoughts on his heart. Checking my watch I realized that I had few minutes to spare so I focused on the basics. While we rounded up and prayed, a car pulled up beside us. It was Ohunrere and Timilẹhin. I was excited to see them. We greeted each other cheerfully. Ohunrere always reminded me of the Yoruba song: Ki lo mu tọ miwa? Ohunrere lomu tọmiwa Ki lomu tọmiwa? Ohunrere lomu tọmiwa
Ole iku wọgbo Ole arun wọlẹ O wa sọbanujẹ mi dayọ Ohunrere lomu tọmiwa
Abi bẹkọ o? Aa, bẹ na ni
Abi bẹkọ o? Aa, bẹ na ni What was brought to me? Something good was brought to me What was brought to me? Something good was brought to me Death was sent into the forest Sickness was sent into the ground My sadness was turned to joy Something good was brought to me Isn’t it like that? Ah, yes it is like that Isn’t it like that? Ah, yes it is like that Ohunrere sang the song with me and asked why I was at the restaurant so late. I explained to her and she told me she was on her way to a sister’s house. She had stopped by to pick up some ordered drinks. She got out of the car, walked to the security officer and returned with two cartons of didun. Ohunrere: These drinks should cheer my friend up. “What happened?” Ohunrere explained that her friend had lost her baby to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).* Timilẹhin: You are still calling it SIDS, it’s Abiku! ** “I pray for her to be comforted.” Ohunrere: Thanks Derbrah. I’m going to spend my weekend with her. With these CDs, (she held up a box of CDs) and these drinks, I plan to fill her house with praise and joy. I will send away anyone that comes to visit her with a lamentation. I will allow only joyful messages. Timilẹhin: Tell her to go for deliverance. When I had a miscarriage last year, I realized that deliverance was important. My mother had a miscarriage, my grandmother had a miscarriage, also me, that is a curse pattern. Let her break this thing. I am in my third trimester now. No Abiku evil spirit is going to steal my child! Ohunrere: None of her siblings died in infancy. This is just one of those things. Timilehin: No it is not. I asked after her husband and her husband lost a sibling before the infant turned a year. These are spiritual laws. Unless one breaks the curse and releases the blessing, the evil will pass on from generation to generation. “I just had a similar conversation with mama Jade inside.” As if mama Jade heard me mention her name, she and Zachary came out of the restaurant. I excused myself from my friends and went over to her. We said goodbyes again and I returned to my friends. Timilẹhin: She is really big. When is she due? “About a week from now, she’s having twins.” Timilẹhin: And she can still walk upright. Wow! I admire her strength. “She is always an inspiration.” Ohunrere: I heard that she had miscarriages and even hysterectomy. Is that true? “Yes. She is a living example that God still works miracles today.” Timilẹhin: Oh yes He does! He saw me through the harassment of the spirit of death. Halleluya! Ohunrere: Now you’re talking. It is spirit of death, not Abiku. Abiku is a Yoruba creation. That’s one of the reasons I prefer medical terms. What has Abiku got to do with a Christian? Our Lord Jesus Christ holds the keys of hell and death. Timilẹhin: Whatever you call it, she is your friend, not mine, I am just dropping you off and picking you up Sunday night, just let her do deliverance, even if it is self deliverance. Satan is bad o! Ohunrere: I don’t believe that. The scriptures declare that we are already delivered. We don’t have to do some extra deliverance thing! We only need to enforce God’s promises by speaking them and living them. “I think you’re both right. You are both emphasizing different aspects of the process that’s all. It’s true we’re delivered at the point of salvation but Christian living is different from Christian birth. I’m reminded of the story Yeṣua told in Mathew 12:43-45. The evil spirit was able to return to its original abode because the man in question did not fill it up with godly things. Performing self-deliverance, which is what I call declaring what Christ has done for us consistently, or going through institutionalized deliverance is imperative if one is to enjoy the liberty one has in Christ.” Timilẹhin: Thank you Derbrah. Didn’t Apostle Paul talk about casting down imaginations and every high thing, didn’t he say that the weapons of our warfare are mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds? If there are no strongholds to pull, why do we have weapons? Ohunrere: I’m not saying that evil spirits do not exist. I’m saying it’s wrong to tag a Christian undelivered when God says that we are. “That’s right. I think of it as a growth process. At salvation, our spirits are saved but our souls have to be continually saved in the sense of being renewed and our bodies are not saved at all, we have to keep it under. Deliverance is ensuring that Satan does not continue to steal kill and destroy. It comes under the life abundant that Yeṣua promised. So from a spiritual angle, we are delivered, from a soulish angle, we are in the process of deliverance and from a physical angle, we are not delivered.” Ohunrere: Derbrah, not really. I believe that once one is saved, one is delivered on the three levels. Our duty is to study the bible and live the way God wants us to. Timilẹhin: Yes, but one is not mature in the things of God. And while one is learning, Satan is busy placing stumbling blocks. Ohunrere: So what you’re saying is only young Christians can be cursed. Timilẹhin: Yes. Once one is strong in the Lord, one knows how to deal with curses. Ohunrere: My friend is a strong Christian, she’s been saved for 12 years. Timilẹhin: That doesn’t mean anything. You don’t know what she was confessing or how she was living. Christianity is strange nowadays. Everybody calls themselves Christians, the gigolos, the nymphos, the pedophiles, the adulterers, the homosexuals, the embezzlers, the hateful, the spiritist, the ungrateful, the greedy, the… Ohunrere: Okay, I get the point. When my friend gets stronger, she’ll get to the bottom of this, curse or no curse, but for now, I’m going to strengthen her with God’s love. “Good choice. I’m reminded of Hosea 4: 6 where the Lord says His people perish because of ignorance. Many times our lack of knowledge makes us vulnerable. Let’s pray for your friend that every work of darkness in her past will be brought to light and she will be strengthened to walk in the light of the revelation of God’s word.” We bowed our heads and prayed. Afterwards I told them about Wọle’s desire to hold a funeral for his unborn baby. Timilẹhin thought that it was a good thing and promised to attend. Timilẹhin: I think I can say a few words for my unborn child as well. It still kind of hurts, you know. I never got to know the sex of the baby before I lost it. “As you said earlier, the curse is broken. The blessing is released. Keep the faith.” I gave them each a hug and as I turned to leave, Ohunrere remarked; “Derbrah, that reminds me, Sasha, my non-Yoruba friend, wants to give her daughter a Yoruba name, she likes your name Adesola, she wants your permission, you don’t mind do you?” “Of course I don’t mind. Tell her I’m honored. I am still impressed that she came to the all Yoruba service, tried to make sense out of the words on the screen, danced to our ilu (drum), listened to the Bibeli (Bible) readings and enjoyed our food.” Ohunrere: Thanks. She will be so excited. She liked the meaning, especially the Ade (crown) part. Timilẹhin: Was it King David that said God has crowned every human with glory and honor? “Yes it was, it’s in the Tehilim.” Ohunrere: Psalm 8. Timilẹhin: I think I’ll name my boy Adeleke (the crown triumphs). “That’s a nice name.” Ohunrere: What if your husband doesn’t like the name? Timilẹhin: What’s not to like in Adeleke? “Ladies,” I announced. “Sorry I must be on my way. It’s past my bed time.” We said our goodbyes and as I drove home, I remembered my siblings who were in heaven. “I think I’ll have a DSm before I sleep.” * SIDS is the medically unexplainable death of an infant within one year of birth. See http://www.sids.org/ndefinition.htm for official definition. ** Abiku in Yoruba mythology refers to en evil spirit that attempts to kill an infant before the age of a year. Derbrah writes courtesy of Agape for All Ministries. Author retains copyright. Jadesọla’s restaurant is a drama ministry of the Yoruba Christian Women (YCW), an international faith-based non-governmental, not-for-profit organization. Similarity of names and stories are coincidental. Feel free to copy for non-commercial use. Commercial use requires permission. For more information on YCW write Jesutoyin Ajikẹ-King (toyinking@yahoo.com).
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