The Godfather Speaks

I sat calmly at the dining table, picking my teeth clean and reminiscing on the awesome meal of ugha & okazi soup I had just eaten, putting behind me the battle of driving 130km from Uyo against a heavy storm and waterlogged roads in Abia state, when I watched daddy make a request to mummy and he had this boyish look on his face as if he was having “ long-throat ”. Lol! Mummy’s response played out as words of a loving mother, scolding her child for being excessive, yet with acts of a pleasing wife, in obeisance to his needs and presenting a small portion of the same awesome meal to quench that appetite. As he dipped his hurriedly washed hands into the plate, he started to make funny jokes about not sharing his food with her in what sounded Yoruba-ish to which she responded to the joke in a flawless Yoruba tongue. Mummy speaks the 3 main Nigerian languages awesomely if I may add. It felt like what I had just seen was cute so I decided to share my little meditation on Love ...

Dear Friends, if you would lend me your ears let me tell you a not so spoken tale of so great a man called Socrates. Have you heard of how he had a wife that was the most difficult of women to live with? Of how well he managed to cope with her excesses? Of how where most men would have lost it in many occasions he was able to endure? I have never heard such a humiliating story about one of the wisest men to have ever walked the earth. Xanthippe was described as “ the hardest of women to get along with of all the women ”. Socrates adds that he chose her because of her argumentative Spirit:  “It is an example of the rider who wishes to be an expert horseman…the horse for me to own must show some spirit… if he can manage such an animal, it will be easy to deal with every other horse besides. And that is just my case. I wish to deal with human beings, to associate with man in general; hence my choice of wife. I know full well, if I can tolerate her spirit, I can with ease attach...

I am not worthy to write to you concerning these mysteries of those who are as pure as the Angels, for my soul has been unable to reach such heights as to see the Almighty in very recent times. However, out the wisdom of my heart, permit me to share my fleeting insights concerning so great a beatitude, as one who is but a child trying to share an understanding with his friends about things we must all know to live as we ought to in these trying times. How great it would be to see God? These words from our Lord guarantee us that on earth there are some who live in so great a blessedness that like the great patriarchs of old, Moses and Abraham, they also see God as He is in their living flesh. “O the blessedness of the pure in heart, for they shall see God” [Matt V:8]. I will neither go into spiritual visions and gifts, nor if you think you’re going to hear me say anything about sexual purity, you will be disappointed. It’s “ pure in heart ”, not pure in mind/body. So, don’t yo...