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By A. Anato Swu
Poor and crooked may be his ways, But he ain’t so on blessed Sundays- The day he runs a straight race Through God’s bountiful grace.
He attends the Church; Even does soul-search. When the Church rise to sing, He stands up too and lip-sync.
When the Church pray in reverence, He prays too mostly for deliverance. For far too long, he has gone astray, And he cannot pray like others pray.
He believes,he dare not fool the Lord With prayers laced in beautiful words From his defiled mouth and unclean heart. He feels t’e need to first remove all t’e dirt.
When the Service ends & the folks disperse; He watches how the self-righteous converse, As ‘they’ catch up on each other wit’ big smiles, Like they have raced past all the spiritual miles!
He knows most of the hypocrite-members But sadly, of him, no one care remembers! His poverty seems to have blinded others Who, for status would ignore own brothers.
He doesn’t leave for his home immediately, Instead, stays back to read his Bible silently... Then, certain of being free and all alone, He kneels down to battle with his demon.
The battle is so hard-fought in his mind; The enemy uses weapons of every kind- To distract, discourage & crush his spirit. But he lives on in presence o’ Holy Spirit.
When it’s all over, he gives thanks to the Almighty. And silently walks back to his home, and his family, Being lifted of his heavy heart and a troubled mind. He’d continue to exercise his faith of a unique kind.
Even before he reaches home- located just a couple of minute-walk from the church, an exhausted angel asks the Archangel, “Why do we need to protect someone who bears no influence over others? Why do we need to fight for someone whose ways are found to be ‘crooked’?” “Why do ...””Stop there, oh! ye new recruit, and listen..” interrupts a wise and an older angel. “Being ‘crooked’ in the case of this man you’ve found reasons to cast your ire and dislike, bears an altogether a different meaning, unlike, for those people whose ways are distinctly & justifiably crooked. The man only robs (in the form of taxation) those wealthy and filthy rich who robbed him of his deserved job! They took bribe and gave his job to some other person with a borrowed degree, an a hefty sum of money!” As the wise old angel spoke, the Archangel smiled, and even beckoned other angels to incline their ears to the explanation given thus in continuation : “ But the ways in our realm and even in the earthly realm are not the “ways” of our Master who is our Creator” ...”Take it from me, there are so many hypocrites in that Church, and among the few remaining faithful, this man you talk about here today, happens to acknowledge his sins and also understand his God better!” “He is one soul who always accepts his wrongs, and is ready to confess and repent. He’s trying his best and, dear angels, we are all called to help someone who helps himself!” Saying so the elderly angel took leave, leaving behind a host of angels to ponder on his words!