Sniff or Stare - by Friday Okwori

After church one lovely Sunday morning, I decided to go straight to the market to buy a few things. I needed to satisfy some long-overdue cravings. As anticipated, Sunday markets are typically sparse, so it took me some time to locate what I was looking for. Something interesting happened while I was being attended to. Everyone in my immediate vicinity started sneezing, and I didn't think it was anything initially. It was only a coincidence, I believed. A few minutes after it persisted, I began to question whether I was safe or a flu was actually flying around. I quickly looked about and discovered a store, a stone throw away, where a lot of pepper was sold. It was the cause of all the sneezes. Anyone who came close to the store got caught. Nobody, including the vendor, was spared from it. I was aware that if I didn't run immediately, I might also be caught. It was that simple, not rocket science. To be honest, I was surprised how I had not started sneezing yet. Either walk or run away. My heart responded, "Not yet, let's test your endurance and resolve," even while my head was screaming ‘run'. I reassured myself that I had previously demonstrated endurance and that I wasn't going to falter in this test. I made the decision to remain and demonstrate my strength. Despite the fact that a tall, well-built man next to me was practically crying from the smell, I reminded myself that I was built differently. ‘Baba na man you be, why you go run?’ Few minutes into the contest and guess who was coughing and sneezing badly? No prize for guessing correctly. I messed myself up within a few minutes. The tears from my eyes kept falling freely. I didn’t wait for anyone to tell me before running away from the shop. There was a teenage boy beside me that had his face mask on but he was also sneezing and coughing. His protective guard was no match compared to the strong smell that was in the air. It was impossible for anyone who perceived it to avoid the attack. All you had to do was sniff. There was a powerful king of a wealthy nation. This king had won numerous battles and brought kingdoms to its knees. He fought all manner of beasts and killed them all- with his bare hands. Nothing could intimidate him, not even his brothers. He was well known around the world. What made him tick was way beyond his physical strength. You would be astounded by his CV if you ever saw it; he was a demon-chasing organist, a lovely psalmist, a daring giant slayer, a friend of God, and anointed king-in-waiting at the age of 17. Is there anything more impressive? Yes, he was attractive and had wonderful eyes. I wonder how the women had coped when he was younger. One lovely evening, this king chose to go for a solitary stroll on the roof of his magnificent palace. He was a talented psalmist, so perhaps he was seeking inspiration for another exquisite composition. Another possibility was that he was speaking with God. Perhaps not. For reasons known to him, he chose to stay behind even though he was supposed to be on the battlefield with his soldiers. It's not a problem; in my opinion, he likely has that much faith in his troops. It's safe to assume that the king was a brilliant strategist because they eventually overcame their adversaries. While he was on the rooftop, he had a simple stare that altered both his life and the history of humanity. Yes, his life, family, and kingdom were all altered by a single, at most brief, look. Remember how I nearly went sick at the smell of pepper? From casual stare to adultery to premeditated killing. Like me, why did he not run away before it got too late? You know the rest of the story. How is a strong and anointed king incapable of handling a small, harmless stare? Probably the same way I couldn’t handle the smell in the market. Many times in our lives, we embrace sin freely and convince ourselves that it's a minor thing that we can handle. We deceive ourselves that it is nothing and we have been strong, anointed, and resilient over the years. We are aware that fleeing from such situations is the simplest and most reliable course of action, but it is cowardice to run, we think. ‘Baba na man you be, why you go run?’ We say it's just a quick sniff or stare, but it never ends well. Not once! It will knock you to your knees and leave you in ruins. Being highly anointed or a king is irrelevant. You can’t play Satan’s game and defeat him. Run, don’t wait till it takes your soul! Article is culled from the bible, 2 Samuel 11:1-27.

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