The Kingdom is for children

Obituaries
Speaking to the parish, the Servant of the Lord said: And if they had that way, the women would come and present their Tupperware to the altar, that I may bless it, consecrate it and preserve it permanently from theft, from loss or reckless harm. For I have come to learn that, except for her ring, nothing is more valuable to our women than their Tupperware! I have no doubt too, that men would queue up with their cherished cars, and Liverpool jerseys for that most divine, sacred ritual of holy preservation. And perhaps the youth would present these little gadgets that have taken over their lives, dearly loved ornaments that never leave their hands night and day… “Father, Father please consecrate my cellphone and bless it with permanent WiFi network!”, they’d say.

mathabelazitha/the anvil :BY ZIFISO MASIYE

Speaking to the parish, the Servant of the Lord said: And if they had that way, the women would come and present their Tupperware to the altar, that I may bless it, consecrate it and preserve it permanently from theft, from loss or reckless harm. For I have come to learn that, except for her ring, nothing is more valuable to our women than their Tupperware! I have no doubt too, that men would queue up with their cherished cars, and Liverpool jerseys for that most divine, sacred ritual of holy preservation. And perhaps the youth would present these little gadgets that have taken over their lives, dearly loved ornaments that never leave their hands night and day… “Father, Father please consecrate my cellphone and bless it with permanent WiFi network!”, they’d say.

It is natural. Human beings reserve the most secure space, the space that guarantees the highest level of safety and preservation for those of their possessions they consider most special, most cherished, most loved. But verily I say to you dear brethren, besides life itself, which He gifted you on the tormented blood of His only begotten Son, the greatest gift and most valuable blessing that God gave you is your child. Come, present your child to God for consecration. And, as in everything else, I urge you, don’t be confused how to conduct yourself in parenting and life, but always, with faith and supplication refer to the ultimate answer book: the Life and Times of Jesus Christ.

On the 8th day, as was customary practice according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary brought their child, Jesus, to the Temple in Jerusalem to show their gratitude to the Lord and to present the Child to God, to offer a sacrifice and consecrate their most beautiful gift… Effectively, to release the Child back to its rightful owner and parentage.

And the Servant of the Lord paused. He held the attention of the parish to the defining words one Simeon, who spoke in the glow of the Holy Spirit, embracing baby Jesus in his bosom and said to Mary, “…Lord my eyes have seen Your Salvation… Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel and for a sign which will be spoken against…that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” And so, the Servant of the Lord paused, meditated a moment upon the holy word and prayed.

The end can be seen from the beginning And he said to us, Brethren, Life is a race. These words I’ve heard you say. Those with experience and seasoned eyes can always tell with a fair measure of accuracy in the earliest stages of a race, just how the runners will fare and how the race might end. In exams, in farming, in the church, in business and in all our races of life endeavour, we know, don’t we — the correct decisions must be made in the beginning about diligent and meticulous preparation. If the inception is bad, how can the result be good? The gift of Child is the beginning of its life marathon and, in large measure, the Child’s race is determined by the decisions parents make at the conception and inception of the Child’s life.

And the Servant of the Lord said, Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile, ngithi kini: Lingabazali, ma lingabafuni! Love your child enough to never make one — (or to partake in those acts and behaviours that may lead to the birth of one) — if you’re not prepared to take care of it or to assume the corresponding responsibilities of parenting. And Padre Tito said to them, You shall excuse me, for I have not been sent here to speak such words as may please your ears, brethren, but to deliver the word of God as it is and in its word and spirit. For I know many believe God can’t see in the darkness and that our blindness to their sinful deeds is also God’s blindness. There are men that sit among us in the church and mingle with us in the neighbourhood, men that walk among us and worship with us in the glare of the day, who waylay God’s people in the dark corners of the night and cut their throats with machetes, taking the life that God gave. I say to you verily, in the eyes of the Lord, there is no difference between such evil men and the girl who gives birth to a child and decides to strangle the life that God gave, out of the innocent baby’s throat and throws her gift into a storm drain!

God says, Let there be Life, at the precise moment the male sperm and the female egg meet and there is conception. Whether you have a government that permits it by law or turns a blind eye; whether you have NGOs or parents that support it covertly or overtly; whether you have friends that have done it and never got caught; let me tell you here and now, ohh children of God that the act of abortion in God’s eyes attracts the same judgement as the act of callous murder! I repeat to you Brethren, if you are not prepared for the fire, the matches has no business in your hands! If you’re not ready to bring children to the world, consider yourselves unfit for sex or sexual relations. Simple as that. And he said to them, I must remind the boys and men too, lest they think they’re off the hook… The great meeting that decides to bring a life to the world is the meeting of the sperm and the egg. It doesn’t matter that the child grows in a woman’s womb and she bears all the inconveniences of pregnancy. The female egg does NOT fertilise itself. If, by terminating the unborn life, she is a murderer, so are you, the man that came to that great meeting! Both must voluntarily hand themselves to Khami prison, where they belong.

And the Servant of the Lord said. Brethren, who do you bring your new-born children to and what customary rituals or ceremonies of consecration do you parents perform to mark the start of your Child’s life mission and race for salvation? The humble lesson of divine parenting by Joseph and Mary must be the guiding example for every father and mother out there. We are nothing, but biological vessels appointed by God to bring forth His children to the world. Our children are not ours. They belong to God in heaven, and you, brethren are co-creators with God. When you have been blessed to have those children “Amhlophe” is not enough; ensure, before your children enter the race of life, to submit them and surrender them through the altar for holy consecration to The Father who already loved them enough to sacrifice the life of His own Child that theirs may flourish and be free of pain and tribulation. Only the omnipotent Author of life itself can clear the course of your child’s race of thorns, of enemies, of misfortune, of bad luck and dark forces … Only God can speak health, grace, success, happiness and glory to your child’s life.

l Zii Masiye ([email protected]) writes elsewhere on social media as Balancing Rocks.