As a thirteen-year-old boy, I wrote my first story titled ‘The Pot of Life’ in 1983. In that story, a king lost the right to rule when he allowed his loving wife to drink from the pot of life. It’s either, he abdicated the throne, upon which his posterity can never become kings again; or, he goes on a spiritual pilgrimage to the forest of life to fetch fresh water from the living spring. It was a hazardous venture because he has to go through the evil forest en route to the forest of life.
It’s providential that the power of a pot remains relevant even after forty years, courtesy of the errant behaviors of supposed elders from whom upcoming generations should learn wisdom. But, to our consternation, they display ‘tortoise wisdom’. The only type of wisdom the tortoise is known for is how to satisfy his stomach, even if it’s at the expense of others. It is also described by James as earthly, sensual, and devilish. James 2:15.
ln my imaginative teenage mind, I wrote how one’s interest can salvage or jeopardize the destiny of innocent people who will pay for our folly. However, the King in my story redeemed himself, but sadly, at the peril of his life. He died a hero. Many of the people we once regarded will leave this world unsung unless they redeem themselves from their wayward and untoward lifestyles, by embracing values that stand the test of time. If I were to write a sequel to that forty-year-old story, then it shall be titled ‘The Power of a Pot’.
The characters in this new story will not be fictional like those in my 1983 story. They will be factual personalities with fictitious names. When a savant openly tells the whole world that he received a set of cooking pots from his benefactor in the hour of need, we should know that it is the conscience at work, for God has the ultimate power over every human. Even though, he may lay claim to atheism, not believing in the existence of God, the hand of God made him spill the beans.
We heard the voice of a Professor, but the hand of God was at work on his larynx, making him willingly declare the truth that made us know that his recent pronouncements were products of stomach infrastructure. This highlights the fact that God still has the power of control over everyone. When a whole Professor of English attempts to obfuscate the meaning of fascism and shies away from debating on the use of AND as a conjunctive word in a destiny-deciding section of our constitution, then we should know that something is wrong.
One is bound to wonder whether it is the contents of the pot that confused his mind. Or, is it a case of selective amnesia or one of the symptoms of senescence?
It’s only a matter of time before all the crooks parading themselves as saints in Nigeria begin to expose themselves. Of a truth, a gift blinds the eyes of the receiver. Not all gifts are takeable. Some gifts take the voice of the recipient(s) because having taken the gift he becomes obligated to his benefactor. You lose the right to be your true self when you can’t say no to certain gifts.
Whatever is in that pot will return to another pot where it will be flushed into the soak-away pit. The more reason why we shouldn’t be enticed by the contents of a pot.” Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them”. 1 Cor.6:13a.
For a momentary thirst, that could have been satisfied through another means, the king in my 1983 story jeopardized the destiny of his descendants and the entire community. We must not disengage ourselves from the use of our conscience, and reasoning powers for the sake of personal sensual gratification which is only momentary, but with dire everlasting consequences.
We must learn to ignore the pot because it can alter our lot in life, and make us lose our slot in matters of divine destiny. Ask Adam and Eve, and they’ll tell you how they lost authority and power to rule God’s world. Ask Esau, and he’ll tell you how he lost relevance in his father’s house and the power of dominion because he refused to look away from the contents of a pot.
