In many cultures, across the globe, famous last wishes of the departed are treated as sacred. They are implemented to the letter, even when they appear unusual.
Take the case of John Bryan Bowman. He was a prominent member of the Disciples of Christ, also known as The Christian Church. A lawyer who became a property manager and farmer, he also had the distinction of being recognised as a founder of Kentucky University in the United States. He also was involved in the organization of the College of the Bible, among others educational institutions.
When this Christian educator died at the not-so-ripe age of 67, his famous last wish was that dinner should be prepared every night after his death in case he came back to life.
History has it that Bowman’s wife and two daughters had predeceased him and he became convinced that when he finally joined them, his entire family would be reincarnated together. Motivated by this strange belief, he set up a trust worth $50,000 to pay servants to keep up the housework in his 21 room mansion. He also requested that a daily meal be prepared in case the family returned hungry. This will was honoured faithfully until funds ran dry in 1950 - 59 years later.
The Lord Jesus chose to cast his famous last wish(es) in prayer to his Father and our Father. John the apostle faithfully recorded them in chapter 17 of the book that carries his name. Now, of the items listed in this last testament of the founder of the Church that all true Christians claim to belong; unity was the only one he repeated again and again.
The relevant verses read: “I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one… that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17: 11, 21-23, NIV)
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Flowing from these verses alone, it can be easily seen that unity is the heart of God. But if we honestly survey the Lord Jesus’ Church today, what we find is disunity writ large. Leaders are busy protecting their turf – committing adultery with the Lord’s bride, as one man of God famously put it. Unity is an urgent end-time task we all seem too self-satisfied, too wrapped up in personal and/or sectional agenda, or too conscious of our assumed doctrinal superiority to pay attention to.
Alcoholic Anonymous, I believe it is, that used to emphasise that doing the same thing, the same way and expecting a different result is insanity. Isn’t it time we changed the way we relate to one another within Christ’s body. To keep the church disunited, due to our pride, love of money, assumed superiority, historical differences and such avoidable things, is insanity. It is worse: it’s the closest you can get to apostasy.
It is in this connection that I joyfully announce the return to circulation of KINGDOMPeople, an inter-denominational magazine I have written quite a bit about here. It is back to take its place alongside other publications and ministries to work towards reversing the current almost sacrilegious state of affair. It is deliberately church-wide in coverage and will emphasise those things upon which we are agreed. It will not, ostrich-like, avoid areas of disagreement; rather it will serve as a forum for discussing such contentious issues in an atmosphere of mutual respect. It is hoped that we can through this, move away from keeping each other at arm’s length, to talking to one another, then begin to understand how we arrived at our various beliefs, practices and traditions, and at least begin to, at least, respect each other’ viewpoints. That way we can at stop being among those the Bible say “sneer at anything they can’t understand” (Jude 1:12, MSG).
The magazine carries a Special Section: “Vanguards of the Faith,” on church leaders who have served in the Lord’s vineyard consistently for 25 years or more. The first in the series that we hope to run for a while to cover the entire Church features such “icons of Christianity in Nigeria” as Most Rev Peter Akinola, A Real Rock; Francis Cardinal Arinze, The Black Pope that Wasn’t and Archbishop Margaret Benson-Idahosa, Amazon in the Footsteps of a Giant. Also featuring are, Rev Dr Tunde Joda, Coach Extraordinaire; Most Rev Daniel Okoh, A Modern Day Timothy; Archbishop John Onaiyekan, A Premier’s Pride; and Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, More Samuel than Joseph.
While it is true that all none of these church leaders requires any introduction, it is also true that each of them, in different ways, reflect the incredible depth of our national Christian heritage. Putting the series together has revealed how much ignorance there is about this important asset, which, properly harnessed, can help us on our way to unity. It is our hope that knowledge will remove some, if not all, the prejudices, arrogance and condescension with which parts of the body of Christ relate to other parts.
Another major assignment of KINGDOMPeople is to serve as an effective literature evangelism and discipleship weapon, partnering with as many like-minded persons, ministries and organisations, across the length and breadth of the Church, to win souls, refocus us all to accountability and deepen the Christian content of our lives, wherever it might please God to place us. That is why it is also styled as the general interest magazine with a KINGDOM MINDSET. Want to join hands with us in this important assignment? Join Gang Gaius. Details at www.kingdompeoplemag.com.
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