Mr President, National Cathedral? WWJD

Dear Mr President,

WWJD.

WWJD. Do you remember this? No, it's not a form of greeting neither is it an incantation nor a chant.

It was one of the formulae we were taught in Children's Service (Sunday School) to use when we find ourselves at any crossroad of decision making, however insignificant that decision might seem. It has been of significant help to me, others too.

W - what W - will J - Jesus D - do? WWJD. What Will Jesus Do? In case you don't know or have forgotten about it due to the vicissitudes or comforts of life over the years, more so, as a President, WWJD posits that, anytime we want to do anything, we ask ourselves simply, "Will Jesus do this if He were the one?" If the answer is NO, we meuve.....

So, looking at the state of the nation and the urgent needs of the country, your country -- the 'beloved country of God,' if it were Jesus, would He build a cathedral or FIX the variables that embolden the economy, fix the bad road networks, improve our bad health delivery systems, fix corruption, unemployment, underemployment and other bad living conditions of the citizenry?

What is a national cathedral when the people are hungry and curse God in their hearts? What is cathedral when taxes, high tariffs and DUMSOR (oh sorry, technical faults) are suffocating businesses to death, causing owners to doubt the existence of God in their hearts? I have lived long enough to know that hunger and frustration can make men sell their souls to the devil without blinking an eye. Sadly, the youth especially, are now so frustrated and desperate that, they've decided to sell their souls to the devil only to discover that the devil is also so broke in this economy that he isn't buying! What a ticking time-bomb!

The highest form of worship happens in the heart. Perhaps, you've never been poor, hungry or deprived, but trust me, it's very difficult (if not impossible) to rightly serve God in hunger, poverty, deprivation and frustration -- it matters not the beautiful building (cathedral) wherein the worship takes place. It takes a lot of faith to still believe in and serve God when one is hungry and broke.

You remember when Jesus was about His Father's business (as I believe you're doing) and His followers (audience) were hungry? When His disciples asked him to send them away to feed (FIX) themselves? What did Jesus do? He rebuked his disciples! He halted His Father's business and instead, FIXED their economy with just 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes -- a loan he took from one little boy bi like that. The people ate, were satisfied and believed in God in the process. They collected 12 basketful of bread in excess after 5,000 men (excluding women and children) were fed. Booming economy still got people saved for His father! Chaai, what a smart and strategic economist Jesus was! He fixed the fundamentals of the economy in a blink and got people saved. E no be speaking grammar o. Competent Jesus! Jesus knows hunger (ailing economy) is a major tool the enemy uses. So He FIXED it first!

It's been long I heard from the Christian Council. I beg, dem dey? I beg, greet them give me. Ahaaa, they're even in a better state to explain this WWJD concept to you. Let them also remind you that our body, rather than physical buildings are now the TEMPLE of God. And that, Jesus cared so much about His new temple, our bodies, that he had to halt his Mega Crusade to feed them. Let them remind you again that a king once "Did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart" and it was accounted to him as null. Just mention King Amaziah. They'll remember him.

And, if you're still bound in keeping your promise to God, by building him a Cathedral, what greater honour would you have than to partner with Him to build the TEMPLE he so cherishes, human beings. How can you do this? By fixing the economy, by focusing on the majors, so that these temples of God can have the peace of mind to fix themselves for God to inhabitant and use. By making the economy better for the citizens, you'd have built millions of mobile cathedrals for God. Unlike the single static one, you intent to build in the heart of the Capital, that you'd have to destroy other equally important properties worth millions and, even now, with an appeal of 100ghc support from each citizen to build.

Believe me, God will be more pleased, seeing the citizens worshipping Him in an open space with a genuine heart because you have made life more comfortable for them, far more than He would be, seeing them in a beautiful Cathedral whose stones are imported from Israel, yet hunger, poverty and deprivation have distanced their hearts from God because when you had the option, you chose a Temple of Stones over more than 30 Million Temples of Heart.

No, you've not failed God if you couldn't build Him a cathedral. The God I know in the Bible (I hope He's the One you're building for? Yes? Fine) judges the intentions of men rather than their 'good' deeds as was the case of King Amaziah. Therefore, He's okay with your 'good' intentions to build Him a National Cathedral and, He will bless you and your generations as though the cathedral was already built, howbeit, not a single stone be laid by you because you have aligned to His heartbeat for mankind and listened to the voice of reason to "FIX the COUNTRY" with 'His money' instead.

And if Jesus realises that you have to destroy properties worth millions to build this cathedral for His father, like the beatings you go chop ehn. You dey kai the way he whip those merchants for the temple inside? Ahaaa, saa p3p3p3 you go chop your own.

Anaa, you say make Jesus den en Poppy all go fix demma body too?

Be reminded that God is God all by Himself, with or without a National Cathedral. He already has a home, our hearts! Your joy should be in making our hearts merry so we can worship him in joy, spirit and in truth.

There's a Hero in you; unleash it!

© Elorm Hermann

The writer, Elorm Hermann, is the author of Unleashing the Hero in You.

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