The devil is a loser

About a year ago God started to show me Job still exists. I was asked to lecture at a private academy for adults up to thirty years of age. The education authorities want young Germans to make an informed decision about the African migrant crisis before entering university. I was chosen to give information about Africa and share my personal experience of years in Africa and my focus on the black continent with young adults. Lora (her name is altered to protect her privacy) was one of them in Form 12 her final year. She hated me the moment she saw me.

I started my lectures as I thought it best for the students to pass their final examination. Lora sat in the back of the seminar room surrounded left and right by two female friends. While Lora was the boss of the three ladies' "gang" the rest of the students did not pay attention to what went on. At first, Lora criticized my performance right in public before the other students. When she realized it did not affect me nor did she get support other than from her two friends by her side she went to the Principal to complain about me.

The principal is still young and had to handle the situation as best as possible later confessing she could have intervened better and apologised. To explain to the students the reality of the African mindset and this important factor of understanding Africans I with the help of YouTube showed documentaries about JuJu and witchcraft in Ghana and Benin. Little was I aware that short scenes in it like the sacrifice of a chicken and blood could outrage young sensitive souls in Germany. Lora went after the lecture to the Principal and I had to justify my method of lecturing.

During the following lecture out of the heat of the moment, I made jokes about the weaknesses of women and men and their relationships harmless jokes which before caused laughter. Lora asked me after the lecture to talk to me in private. She confronted me with her mind saying my remarks were sexist. She knew by now I had the support of the principal for my style of teaching and the class was not on her side anymore. I told her I did not see anything wrong and certainly would continue my style of lecturing. Lora became a disturbing factor to the extent that I told the Academy it was either her or me. One of my younger colleagues was willing to take over the course while I was able to focus on Form 11. (To lecture Politics and History is more exhausting than other subjects as besides information they carry personal opinions!)

The younger colleagues left us a few weeks ago being asked to enter party politics for a living. The principal asked me therefore to take over both subjects for the entire Academy and I agreed. Shortly after Lora had attacked me my spirit went through her face. I knew that the devil was making her speak as she did. In prayers, I talked with God and told him that the situation was like what Hob had to pass through. And I told him I would never let God leave my life.

Last Thursday 04.07.2024 we lecturers met for the annual conference to mark and discuss each student. We had ordered pizzas and while eating them we had a relaxed time. Halfway through the meeting late after school, Lora appeared out of the blue. The seminar room door was open for fresh air and through the door glass panel, I saw Lora standing in the hallway. Officially she had no business at the Academy and her graduation was successful (Congratulations). She was asked by the principal about her reason for showing up. Lora did not answer. We lecturers all looked at her surprised and confused. She was unable to move and to speak. To break the silence one female lecturer asked of another student and whether she had seen him lately. Lora responded with half a sentence. Her face did not move at all. It was as if time had caught up with her and turned her whole self into a concrete pillar not alive but also not dead.

We lecturers looked at each other not knowing what to do. Neither of us wanted to be rude to her and ask her to leave. Endless moments passed and nothing happened. We did not say anything and Lora did not do anything. Eventually Lora without greeting us turned around and left the Academy. As for me, this was one of the most bizarre moments in my life!

Back home I went down on my knees to give thanks to God and said: "God you are the same as yesterday today and tomorrow. To stay with you and to accept that you will test us always no matter our age and knowledge about life lift us to our glorious destiny. Amen!" I slept like a baby that night.