No Good! - by Friday Okwori

Mrs. T (actual name withheld for privacy reasons) was an amazing woman. Every young girl aspired to be like her when they grew up, and even the older ones treasured her as a confidante. Yes, she was breathtakingly beautiful, but perhaps you needed new lenses if all you could see when you came close to her was her physical attractiveness. She was an epitome of a modern-day woman (in case you’re tired of hearing Virtuous Woman). Incredibly powerful, but she adorned herself in humility. What was not to love about her? Respect was due to a woman whose husband was well-known (for good) across the community and whose amazing children consistently brought home awards. She flourished along side her family. However, Mrs. T's faith was her most admirable quality. Everywhere she went, she proudly displayed it as a badge. She wasn't religious; she was spiritual. Her entire existence abruptly changed one awful day. What began as mild physical discomfort developed into a fatal illness. One morning, she awoke to a subtle, unnoticeable body ache. A slight physical ache shouldn't raise any eyebrows for someone that works so hard. A few hours later, the narrative took an entirely different turn; the pain became intolerable, and she was rushed from work to the hospital. You name it: several scans, prognosis, consultations, drugs, etc. No medical professional, regardless of training or experience, had a precise term for this illness. It was confusing, to put it mildly. Indeed, the churches were not excluded either; from one healing home to one prayer house, from pastor to prophet. She visited every man of God in town. All was in vain. Suddenly, it seemed as though God was away on vacation. Before her eyes, all Mrs. T had worked so hard to achieve was gone. She had to quit her job since the pain got worse every day. In actuality, she was told to step down. She started to bend and lost her ability to walk straight. It was best for her to depart because there were already rumors circulating within the company. A career she had dedicated her entire life to. The family's finances were also taken away by this illness. They had devoted all of their resources to finding a solution. She had church brethren take turns fasting and holding prayer sessions for her when the illness first began. The prayers decreased as the illness persisted, and the rumors quickly spread. Her hidden sins had finally caught up with her. The rumors originated from her bosom friends and alleged confidants, not from random people. She was now looked down upon in her community. All her church positions were taken away from her. Unrighteous people have no place in God's house. Additionally, her spouse was forced to resign from his position as a church elder. The entire family turned into a joke. They were graciously given a place at the far end of the church, where they could sit alone and not talk to anybody else. Pastors couldn't help but make fun of them during sermons and whenever they had the chance. Even lepers were treated better. Mrs. T was reduced to a shadow of her former self. Her children and spouse were her only possessions. She lost her social standing. She experienced unimaginable grief and suffering as a result of being rejected by the church and her fellow believers. Almost two decades and the illness didn’t go away. She had stopped praying for her healing. She had succeeded in persuading herself that her situation was beyond mercy and that she must have unintentionally sinned. The weight of the insults and rejections she got from church folks was enough to make her bend further. Maybe one day, God will come back from His vacation. She was awaiting the end of her agonizing earthly journey. During holy communion one day at church, she was approached and touched by a visiting pastor. No one had touched her in donkey years; thus, it was a miracle in and of itself. The instant she was touched, she was healed. The church leaders and elders were furious because they believed the holy feast had been tainted. They felt let down by the visiting pastor. He ought to be more knowledgeable about church theology and this kind of stuff. Her healing could have waited some other time. Her life wasn’t really so important after all. Imagine spending your entire life hoping for a miracle, only to have someone tell you that the time wasn't right. Same people you held in high esteem. She didn’t believe her eyes. She was healed from her physical illness but not from the pain in her heart. Religion had made them lose touch with humanity. What is religion without love and mercy? Religion does no good! Article is culled from the bible, Luke 13:10-17

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