I woke up and a memory from years ago assailed my mind. It was a conversation about spiritual sicknesses and how they are like boils and cancers.
An elder from my former church who held me in high esteem and whom I respected a great deal phoned me up after she heard I had a child outside wedlock
I recall that sunny day vividly as I stood at the balcony of our Banana Island offices overlooking the car park of the Telco where I worked
When the issue of my burden of shame and feeling like a failure came up, she said something which stuck;
“Amara, be glad that your own is boils and not cancer”
“Ma?” I responded, perplexed.
“There are different types of sicknesses. Some like boils are visible on your face and everyone sees them. They look at you and feel sorry for you or even disgust. Others like Naaman’s leprosy are hidden cancers which becomes apparent only when it is too late. But guess which is less fatal and heals faster?”
Up until that time I never had that perspective about illnesses.
“But Naaman the leper still retains his position and commands respect while you are chucked out. I responded
“Hidden cancer will eventually kill irrespective of how attractive the carrier looks”
That was one of the numerous calls I received during that phase of my life which left an imprint.
As I laid in bed and tried to weave a story about it I found I was too weak to process the thoughts or write.
However, as I sit at this event listening to this doctor talk about cancers and how they can be arrested if apprehended early it became a case of twice have I heard.
As one of the rare ones who has eyeballed cancer, I guess I have earned my bragging rights on writing about cancers.
Cancers begin as seemingly innocuous cells. Then left unchecked they begin to mutate. Ignored, they start rampaging with their ultimate intent being to steal, destroy and kill.
Fortunately though, if contained early, they stand no fighting chance. Extreme measures involve the excruciating but loving decision to chop off the contaminated parts and preserve the whole body.
Unfortunately, this present church no longer attacks cancers. She has made the patient the villain while protecting the aggressor, cancer.
Back when we were growing up, churches like Assemblies, Deeper Life and a few other Pentecostals had a well-established and enforceable system of cutting off cancers immediately they show up.
It was along the biblical injunction of truthing it in love. A concept taught by Paul to the church in Ephesus when they had waves rocking the church yet playing ostrich.
If you know anything about Paul, it was his ability to rock the boat. Any boat. Be it Peter’s or Agrippa’s Paul was not scared of calling you out.
That process of a call out in church was known as a Suspension. The offender was resigned to a back bench in church and if they were active in church, temporarily relieved of any duties until they ……[Part II]
Very true
Hey Uzoma,
Sadly so. Thank you for coming over.