SELFIES

I learnt a thing about selfies today

Not the ones with flashes and clicks

But the ones from “buddies” and cliques

“I feel it should be this way”

“I” being the most important thing they say.

Then they try to convince you

it’s nothing personal and force-feed you their views,

They expect to find themselves in you,

your works and your death.

What they are really trying to say

is – “if it doesn’t reflect us,

then it’s not good enough”

Well, enough!

For if they don’t bother asking

what inspired the art,

then they are not critiques but critics.

What matters is that you photocopy

the image imprinted on your heart

from Zion.

For you are not your own.

You are a copy of the original.

What you see when you look at you

is His selfie… So please Him

and forget others.


Image credit: incrediblediary.com

BUREAU OF LIFE (PART I)

Mosun’s knee locked as she stamped the brakes in futile desperation. Her pulse was so loud her eardrums were vibrating like the thumps of an orchestra at crescendo. Her Toyota Prius was no match, bodily, for the monstrosities that flanked her to the left and right. In her anxiety to get to work early, she had thrown her calm nature out her windows and attempted an imprudent overtaking venture.

The Oando and Total fuel trucks had driven side by side for the last five minutes and Mosun knew that another minute spent on this Oshodi-Apapa expressway meant another query sheet closer to her sack-letter. So she attempted a “Jaiye-Bond” stunt that she ordinarily wouldn’t; a possible drive-through in the little space between the two trucks.

Unknown to her, just ten meters ahead, there were ditches and several pot-holes on the service-lane. So, at the same time she drove in to split the competing trucks, the Oando truck to her right swerved left to avoid the ditches. Despite Mosun’s honks, the space between the trucks narrowed and the proverbial life flashed before Mosun’s eyes. She pumped the brakes but they didn’t connect.

Her brakes-pumps were dead, her heart was alive, her accelerator was on fire, and her skin was freezing. This was imminent and certain death. Then her spirit poured a Psalm out her lips, “Lord you have given your angels charge over me.”

***

Sanctiel flew through the flaming glass of the 1000-storey all-white and glass building, leaving Mackel, the doorman, aghast with mild frustration. Sanctiel’s exuberance was cause for concern at the Bureau. Since his employment, though adept and swift to execute missions, he had come into infractions with everyone in the bureau – and that’s like the population of an earth nation. Mackel, however, smiled after the spurt of emotion passed, he had seen Sanctiel’s type come and leave the Bureau for the last 200 Zion years. They either learnt to behave or got transferred to another Bureau.

The Bureau of Life was a special force that executed special missions in planet earth. Their focus was to administer life to all who believed in Jay. Theirs wasn’t to fight wars or battle the fallen over territories or hearts. Theirs mission was simple – administer life as Elion’s Spirit instructed.

Elion’s Spirit sent coded messages about Christians in need via inter-galactic waves; these messages would be received by Yadah’s Department on the 1000^th floor, who will then forward it to Shamah’s Department on the 700^th floor, where an angel was assigned to execute the instruction transmitted by Elion’s spirit. Whatever supplies the angel needed was picked from Rapha’s Department. All of these happened within one-one-millionth of an earth’s second.

Immediately Sanctiel entered the lobby resplendent with the glory of a thousand angels going about their different missions, his wrist buzzed and Amaziel, his unit boss, popped up in a holograph.

“Mosun Akinola, 32-year-old, 8,231,811,127 strands of hair, married with two-kids,” Amaziel rattled-off like some light-speed data software. “She works at Dangote Sugar, and is currently on Oshodi-Apapa expressway, Section 83, Quadrant 4, Code 234, Time-zone GMT+1.”

“What’s my mission?” Sanctiel hovered, his wings fluttering in excitement. He just got back from Alaska, where he pulled a 10-year-old boy out of a frozen lake. He had dreamt of serving in the bureau since he was a kid and his greatest joy was when he was drafted in after his life-long training.

“She’s stuck in between two fuel trucks just before Barlett bus stop,” Amaziel didn’t finish before Sanctiel sped out of the lobby again without waiting for Mackel to sign him out. The holograph swept back into the pod as Sanctiel sped off leaving a trail of glory behind him.

***

Mosun shut her eyes and gave up despite the words that left her lips. She knew deep down that she shouldn’t have tried going in between the truck.

Then she heard some loud horns behind her. She opened her eyes and realized that the horns were coming from behind her. She checked her rear-view mirror and her heart stopped. The two trucks were about twenty meters behind her.

How her car got to that point from the of valley death, she had could not fathom. The only thing that came to her mind was John 10:10 “…the thief comes to kill, to steal and to destroy, but I have come that you might have LIFE and have it abundantly.”

Image credit: revivalcentres.org

P.O.Box (PART IV)

...Continued

Elion beheld his son and Jay beheld his father. Elion knew for the thirty-three earth years that Jay would be away, he would not have a heavenly equal to commune with. Emotions rippled through his being with solar intensity and Jay responded with reverential prostration.

"As long as your word remains, I live to fulfil them," Jay muttered. "Their sacrifices and burnt offerings will not reconcile them to you; permit me to inhabit the body that you have prepared for me. So life can be found in death. So grace and truth may embody mortality."

The bubbling emotions in the blaze of glory exploded as Elion let out a terrifying, life-splitting wail; an anticipation of the agony that awaited his right-hand.

"This day I reaffirm my love for you, this day I renew my vow to make Luciff your footstool." Elion spoke in ten thousand thunders. The throne of light blazed stronger than ever before until light flakes rained down the streets of Zion.

A streak of flames tore away from the throne towards Zion's main threshold. The light that shows the way of truth to life was coming to dead humanity.

***

Joe was lost in the confused maze his mind had become. He had no known relatives resident in Little Town. There was no one he could turn to for help. What qualified him to bear this burden for humanity? How come Elion had chosen him to first endure the ridicule of not sleeping with his wife for over nine months and then bear the burden of raising the saviour of the world?

Was he even sure that Elion had sent that being that showed himself as an angel of Light? If Elion had designed things to go this way, then Elion must be a really terrible planner. He had assumed that raising the saviour of the world on earth would mean open doors everywhere he turned. But ever since he had been warned not to end his engagement with Mari and he obeyed, things had moved from cherries to dung.

His carpentry business had descended from receiving cheques to paying for damages and refunds for non-delivery. His family members no longer visited because he was broke. His church members ostracized him because they felt he had slept with his wife before they got married - which was prohibited by his church's "doctrine". The only thing that kept him going was that visitation he had from the "angel".

With the train of current events, he wondered if that dude was really an angel. Maybe he had been hallucinating. An ocean of screams erupted in his head and he landed in reality - in the car with Mari screaming in the back seat.

"He's here, he's here--" she kept panting breathlessly. He slowed down to gently rub her bloated tummy.

"He can't be." Joe replied testily. "Can't he see there's no hospital in sight?" He looked out of the windshield to the skies. "Can't you see? I know you are not blind but can't you see? Do something!"He screamed. 

By the time he dropped his gaze, the Peugeot ran into a mailbox post. The airbag slammed his chest and face. It took divine restraints for Joe not to spit expletives. His saving grace was just that he had slowed to about 40km/h.

He looked up and saw an open gate ahead. While Mari panted in the backseat, Joe alighted to inspect the damage on his neighbour's car. The screeching alarm confirmed damage. Then he saw that the gate had an untarred driveway that led to a small cottage. A lone florescent bulb shone outside. No light came from inside. No sign of life inside. "Here!!!!" Mari screamed again and a confused Joe decided to run inside and see if he could get a woman to help.

"Don't you dare leave me here!" Mari yelled at Joe's retreating figure. He ran back and helped her down. He carried her bulging weight and scurried down the driveway. Where the adrenaline came from he knew not, but in seconds he was outside the cottage.

"Please we need help!" He yelled. "Anyone home?" He kicked the door and it swung open. He stepped into the darkness and perceived what smelt like an amalgam of urine, hay, and livestock dung. A sheep bleated and he knew he was in the wrong maternity ward... or so he thought.

He turned to go and Mari's dangling feet kicked the switch by the door as she struggled with him. Two fluorescent bulbs flickered on. There was a feeding-trough with hay piled up in the middle of the small barn.

"Drop me in the trough," Mari requested, her face a mask of pain's canvas.

"Mari, that's--" Joe tried to make Mari see what it was. "Just drop me there and get the baby out of me!" Mari bit his arm.

Joe didn't need any angel to tell him the child was dropping here. So he rushed to the trough and placed Mari in it - so much for promises about Elion's child being royalty. Now he was convinced he had been deceived by that being.

"Come and get him." Mari's yell pushed Joe from his imagination into the barn. He ran to the rear end of the trough.

***

When Joe saw the baby, every grain of doubt germinated into faith in him that this was indeed Elion's son. Never had he heard that a child was born giggling. Never had he seen a child born with a halo around his head. There was so much strength pulsating from this cuddly being - or was it life?

How had he doubted Elion's word to him? Tears of remorse and joy coursed down his cheeks as he watched the well-chiselled tenderness in Mari's arm. Is it possible Elion had brought them here?

Unknown to him the mailbox he had driven into at the highway had no number on it, just cursive lettering that read "LOVE" on one side and "HERE" on the opposite side.

Image Credit - octafiind.com