The year was 1986, the day was Thursday 2nd October, and the venue was the now defunct Ambassador Hotel where a new Hotel Movenpick Ambassador sits. The event was Call Dinner for new lawyers to be called next day Friday 3rd October 1986.
One of the principal speakers at the Dinner was Peter Ala Adjetey then the President of the Ghana Bar Association. He told us a story I have NEVER forgotten.
He told us two lovers planning their wedding died the night before the wedding and ended up in Heaven. They told St. Peter about their problem, and St. Peter said “don’t worry, I will get you a pastor to celebrate your wedding for you”
After waiting for two years, St. Peter got them a Pastor who did the wedding for them in Heaven, and, sadly, even in Heaven man and wife quarreled and went back to St. Peter for divorce. St. Peter promised to get them a lawyer to do the divorce for them.
They waited and waited and went back to St. Peter – they are desperate for divorce. St. Peter stroked his beard and told them: Please, wait. Even for a PASTOR you had to wait for TWO YEARS, how much more a LAWYER?
I well remember when I finished Achimota School in 1972 my mother in JINJINI one evening took me to the Presbyterian Church Chapel building just outside our house and told me: “Kwame, I want you to train to become a Reverend Minister…………….”
My answer was quick:
“Mother, I can’t become a Pastor. The way I like high life mother, the spiritual discipline of Pastors is too much for me……”
Reader, I have ALWAYS likened PASTORS to be the Gate Keepers of Heaven – like the armed soldiers at Congo Junction – entrance to Burma Camp, or the entrance to my infantry mother unit – IBN, Michel Camp, Tema.
You can never enter any military installation without passing through the snake-alert eyes of guards at the check point. That is a PASTOR, gate keeper of Heaven, the human eyes of Our Almighty God, Creator of Heaven and Earth.
There arose in our time a very famous Nigerian Pastor, called T. B JOSHUA leading his own church – SYNAGOGUE CHURCH OF ALL NATIONS (SONA) or something……he died just like that.
Here in Ghana, directly opposite –of my house, in Kasoa is the very famous RESURRECTION POWER NEW GENERATION Church, founded and led by Rev ANTHONY BOAKYE – every Sunday morning over twenty long buses will carry the faithfuls from all over Accra to attend the Church, and the way the church has grown bodyguards and traffic directions everywhere on the road.
Their Head Pastor or Bishop or Apostle whatever, Anthony Boakye has just died, like that…….
So I ask myself: what is happening? Those so-called MEN OF GOD, High Priests of Heaven – they play GOD and suddenly DISAPPEAR……………….
I don’t know about now but in my days in secondary school, there used to be something called MOCK EXAMS. In Achimota in those days, our seniors told us that MOCK is ALWAYS more difficult than the exams itself. I remember GCE A level 1974 Mock Exams, the highest in General Paper published on – the Notice Board was 21% – reader, 21%. I think I had 13% or 14%….but went on to get an ‘A’ in General Paper!!!!
GOD IS NOT MOCKED!!!!
Who are you, mere mortal, to pretend that you are God, with Power to forgive sins?
The Emperor CLAUDIUS of Rome records how his bosom friend, Herod Governor of Jerusalem, pretending that he was ‘God’ openly declared that he has forgiven the sins of somebody – and, right away MAGGOTS DEVELOPED IN HIS BODY……and he died.
You? Mortal? Pretending you are God? Remember, reader, GOD IS NOT MOCKED!!!!
I am NOT a Catholic – I am Presbyterian, but look at the very peaceful manner in which the Popes I have seen in my life die – Pope John Paul I and John Paul II, Pope Benedict – they live to a significant old age and literally die on their feet.
And you, in a small corner of black Africa, you declare yourself a man – God, doing “miracles” then all of a sudden – you die off, just like that…..
Reader, it is NOT COMPULSORY to become a Pastor, you can make so much money without being a Pastor – look at Osei Kwame Despite, Nana Kwame Bediako aka Cheddai; Kennedy Ohene Agyapong…they are NOT pastors!!!
But reader, there is something that keeps baffling me, maybe it is became I am NOT a rich man, but, let me ask, why do men crave for so much WEALTH? To do what? How many women can you sleep with at the same time? How many beds can you sleep in at the same time?
One day in 1988 in the High Court I was seated next to the famous Lawyer E D Kom now of blessed memory (may he rest in peace) and he told me Effah, try and build a house for yourself in Accra and give your children the best of education then the rest of your money use it to enjoy yourself!!!!
Reader, ALL IS VANITY. King Solomon said it 3,000 years ago. President Barack Obama said it about five years ago ….. ALL RICHES for what? Women with voluptuous backsides? Too much food for what? Desire is never satisfied. Why hang yourself with the cassock?
No true Pastor ever dies in poverty and NO TRUE PASTOR CAN BE LISTED AS A RICH MAN OR I am talking too much.
Written by Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey