BY BURZIL DUBE
THIS WEEK yours truly has dedicated a few paragraphs of this column to heavenly tidings which are in tandem with some issues currently happening on Mother Earth as the matters will certainly come to pass.
However, one can safely argue that such a religious episode is not congruent with tenets of this column whose main thrust is promotion of the country’s tourist resort areas which of late have been at the mercy of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Various evangelists and preachers have come up with all sorts of theories on how this pandemic “invaded” the earth and verses are always being thrown around like proverbial confetti in order to substantiate their heavenly tidings.
As earlier mentioned, yours truly has also decided to briefly join this religious bandwagon as we seek to biblically spread the Word to those within the travelling and touring fraternity.
During the Old Testament era, there was a godly and righteous man by the name of Noah who was advised by God to construct a huge ark as the entire earth was about to be destroyed by floods of alarming proportions.
There is, however, some unanimity among evangelists and other related religious individuals that following the order to construct the specified ark, Noah tried to convince the general populace to join hands with him before humanity could be completely annihilated.
It is said that no one heeded Noah’s clarion call as some thought the respected man of God had somehow gone bonkers, while others warned him that the proposed huge ark would never live to see another day.
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Some even went to the extent of reminding him that since time immemorial and also during their lifetime, they had never encountered floods that somehow covered the whole earth. In fact, they remarked that it was preposterous to ever think of such an occurrence.
The other group opined that there were specialists at climbing all types of trees even very tall ones within seconds. They reckoned that was their other form of survival especially when flooding of an area takes centre stage.
Others bluntly told Noah that their dwellings were constructed on top of mountains, hence flooding was the last thing to worry about.
Some were always “sceptical” about the way he had in the past been conducting his Godly business, hence they decided to disregard his timely pleadings and advice which they later rued.
However, when Noah completed construction of the gigantic edifice, he took his family with him into the ark as well as various types of animals as per God’s command and the door of the ark was finally closed.
Whatever happened after this to the thousands of people who disregarded Noah’s advice is public knowledge. Even those whose settlements were constructed could not survive.
The so-called tree climbing experts, whose agility, prowess and swiftness could not withstand the torrential floods, also met the same fate.
A similar scenario is indirectly unfolding today where some European countries are in the process of introducing a Covid-19 passport for their international travelling citizens.
Various nations are currently on a massive crusade trying to advise and warn their citizens on the importance of embracing this newly-found Covid-19 vaccination programme especially transnational travellers.
However, some citizens are rather sceptical about the whole exercise just as in the days of the biblical Noah where people expressed incredulity when they were warned about the impending calamity.
Yours truly last week insinuated that time will come when the rest of the world would make it compulsory for any traveller to have some form of a Covid-19 passport or certificate.
Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the Health and Child Care minister, recently intimated that due to the low vaccine intake, there might come a period when it could be mandatory to have a Covid-19 certificate or passport when travelling.
“And we are the only ones who will give the (vaccination) certificate. Eventually, that certificate is going to be yet another passport. When you go to the restaurant, you shall be asked to produce your passport, and when you go to the ministry, you produce it and say I am ‘OK’ and everybody will be free,” said Chiwenga recently.
Just like the biblical Noah who, during his days on this earth, tried by all means to convince everyone who cared to listen concerning his prophecy and the need to construct an ark for safety, these same people thought the good and innocent man of God had rather lost his marbles.
When the heavy and dangerous floods came, it is said they tried to reason with Noah, but it was to no avail and who knows the same might happen when the Covid-19 “vaccination grace period” comes to an end.
No amount of persuasion will suffice for one to travel or conduct any formal business.
Let those with ears hear.
Till we meet again in the next column.
- Comments always welcome on:[email protected] or Twitter@DubeBurzil
