TRUTH BE TOLD: WE ARE ALL POOR!
It was a sunny day, breeze coming from the nearby river, birds singing as only could be heard in Africa. The peaceful serene and atmosphere of the nearby forest communicates rest and peace that God Almighty Himself had implanted in nature. Yet, despite the obvious blessings of nature all around, a young lad of 13 years old, was looking for a way to end his own life. He has heard several times of people writing and talking about suicide.
The meaning was clear to him. He knew suicide is a means by which people end their own lives. His dilemma was however, just how do they make it happen, how? Thoughts of poisons came to his mind, that is not a bad one, but where do you get poisons? These and many other thoughts clouded the mind of this young 13 year old boy that he could not as much as notice or pay attention to the still call of nature to behold her beauty. He was immersed in his own frustrations and anger so much that it will be an insult for him to have been told that there is anything beautiful in the world he lives in.
That young man is your writer today. My name is Sunday Adelaja. Will you be interested in knowing the reason that almost led me to suicide at the tender age of 13? As absurd and bizarre as this might sound, the reason is just because I couldn’t get money to supply myself with breakfast, lunch or dinner for several days running.
In the part of Europe that I live today, hardly will anyone believe that it is actually possible for a kid as young as 13 to go several days without food. This is in Europe. The reality of our world however is that on the other side of the world on the continent of Africa, my story will not be a lonely one. I will not be exaggerating if I say that millions of kids are in the same condition of living as I am writing of right now.
How will our world live with the thought that in the 21st century, there are actually millions of kids that would rather go through the pain of suicide just to avoid the pain of hunger? Let me tell you friends, the cruel reality is that as long as we are living in such a world where some go to bed hungry, and others live in opulent wealth, we are all guilty!
The reality is that so long as there is poverty in our world, we are all indeed poor. The conditions of our environment talks of the reality of our soul. We are all as rich as the world we live in. If the world we live in is poor, we are all poor not minding our opulence, wealth and riches.
Poverty is a reality in our world. It is a cruel, wicked and heartless reality. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) states that every year, consumers in industrialized countries waste almost as much food as the entire net food production of sub-Saharan Africa (222 million vs. 230 million tons). The amount of food lost and wasted every year is equal to more than half of the world’s annual cereals crops (2.3 billion tons in 2009/10).
In actual fact, no one should be hungry talk less of contemplating suicide in our world. The world produces more food than is needed to feed all the inhabitants of our planet; but because of the heartless and callous attitude of the people and nations who have this wealth, we are forced to live in a world where some throw food away while others die for lack of food.
I would however not sit down here and whine all day long about how unjust our world is. I have come to the conclusion that the world will not become just all by itself. Unfortunately, people are people. Meaning people are first selfish, egocentric, before they are considerate or compassionate. People don’t really care what is happening in the world they live in as long as they are okay, that is just the cruel reality of our world.
To be continued with the following points:
- The reality of human nature
- The true solution to poverty in our lives and nations
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, CHURCH AND NATION
By Pastor Sunday Adelaja
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