I wanted to cry on Sunday, and it’s funny how it all started. It probably would have been funnier if it wasn’t also sad.
Sunday was dope. I missed 6 AM mass and decided to go for 8 AM because I would be working on some stuff that evening. I prefer going to church when everyone else is still asleep so I would be back home when they’re getting ready. Imagine coming home from church before 8 AM. It’s particularly enjoyable when sanctimonious neighbours sneer lowkey, with that unmistakable, “Beware of hell faya” look.
Anyway, something struck me on the second page of the bulletin that morning (funny enough, it’s always been there). There was a picture with a homeless man on it holding a placard that read, “I was hungry, and you fed me.” - Jesus. Familiar, right?
As if to drive the point home, the bible passages of that day had to do with the Faith vs Works debate. Of what use is your faith if it doesn’t show? That kinda stuff.
Fast forward to that evening when I decided to go get a haircut to avoid showing up at work looking like Robinson Crusoe on a Monday Morning. I should have hopped on a keke to the salon but you’re pretty much on your own in my area if you don’t have N50 or N100 Naira. I didn’t have loose change, so I walked. Walking is a breeze when you’ve got earphones and comfortable shoes.
While strolling casually, I passed a man just standing like he was waiting for a cab. He wasn’t shabbily dressed even though his shirt was old and as I walked by, he said, “Broda, ejo e fun mi lowo kin fi ra bread.”
All the dude wanted was bread. Nothing more. But I didn’t stop. My excuse was that I didn’t have loose change to give him, and I couldn’t part with the N1,000 on me. What would I give the barber?
But I couldn’t keep going. That verse chose that moment to surface. I wanted to just be on my way. Say a prayer on his behalf. Explain that I had good intentions, but I didn’t have change. Argue with myself that the security situation in the country is terrible. Hope that someone else would have loose change to give and help him out.
But if not you, then who? So, I walked back towards him.
When I got back to the man, I told him I didn’t have loose change, but if it’s okay with him, I’ll buy him the bread. He agreed. Fortunately, there was a bread seller across the road and when we got there, he asked for the size I was comfortable with. I told him to pick anyone he wanted. He picked the biggest loaf he could find. It was heart-breaking; he most likely had a family to feed. That could have been my dad. I’ve seen first-hand how quickly things can go south and how fast you can be on your way up. Life is just weird.
And while I had a degree of peace when the man left, I couldn’t stop thinking about that morning in church. Even as I’m writing this, I’m struggling with deciding whether to have it published or not because it can come across as being ‘somehow’. However, I believe that our experiences can offer teachable moments we shouldn’t keep to ourselves alone.
So, here’s the thing: we’ve all had a moment where we made an excuse for not doing something good. It’s not that we’ve done something bad by not doing good, we’ve just left the world darker. It’s not only when we sin that we fall into temptation; we may also be sinning by seeing what needs to be done somewhere and passing the buck (I’m using the word, ‘sin’ loosely here). I’ve done it a lot; there are times I’ve procrastinated on doing something as little as devoting time to a friend and excuses can come easy: I’m tired. I’m too depressed. I’m broke. All true. But could I have helped somehow? Maybe.
Point is, the world is never short of opportunities to do good. And no, it’s not because of some expected karmic blessing. Do good just because it’s good. Forget the ‘reward’ that may or may not come. That’s how I feel about these things. When the opportunity comes, just do it.
As usual, I’m learning, unlearning, improving, evolving - epic stumbles and all. Sunday was another lesson that I don’t have to wait till it’s convenient before doing something good.
