He didn’t sweet-tongue nor coax his flock

to pay tithes and give offerings to make heaven.

He didn’t indulge in any form of vanity,

nor live an unbridled dissipated lifestyle,

nor revel in obscene ostentatiousness  

to publish his God in Judah, Israel,

Jerusalem, Samaria, Judea

and in the uttermost parts of the world,

for his heartbeat was the Gospel.

And his focus, all the world together with

all of its biotic contents:

“You ‘ll multiply,” he told the world.

“But remember to replenish the earth

and make our earth really a home for

all and not a home for a few people.”

And asked he all the peoples of the world,

the leaders of the Governments of the world in particular:

“Aren’t we all immigrants and pilgrims here?”

And adopting one motto for himself, he wrote:

INCLUSION! INCLUSION! INCLUSION!

For we be one people, children of Abraham,

and all humanity - one big family of the Great God Almighty,

no matter the difference in colour, race and creed,

pleading: “Don’t send the people away hungry without bread

and with empty hands but find them something to eat.”

Let’s therefore be one and remain one until the Day of the Lord.

AND when his flock asked, Papa: “Life, how do we live it?”

Papa replied: “Quality! Quality! Quality!

And not Quantity! Quantity and Quantity!

Echoing the Voice from the excellent glory:

“A man’s life consists not in the abundance of his possessions -

ADDING: “Gather not for the moths and rats…

Adieu, Papa, for you were indeed,

one of God’s great end times Generals

that came amongst us.

And by your departure

we are left hollow, depleted, diminished,

in tears and in mourning,

but rejoicing that you ran well.

You pressed on despite the thorns in your flesh.

Unlike those who preach ANOTHER Gospel,

no pretext about your twilight state of health

as of a man in a fallen world,

and by publishing it,

you were not in any way syndicating sorrow,

nor globalising it to receive the sympathy of the world,

but demonstrating to the world,

especially those who preach ANOTHER GOSPEL

that in a fallen world, people don’t fall sick

simply because they are not paying tithes or giving offerings,

but that all human beings in a fallen world,

the brethren in particular, may not be of this world,

yet they are subject to all the laws

of the fallen world, including death!

You kept on, and on you kept,

You pressed on and on,

and on you pressed

until you got to the finished line and obtained

with St. Peter at the heavens gate

hugging and receiving you with open hands

announcing: Welcome home, thou good and faithful servant!

Whilst bearing the thorn in your flesh with courage and celestial equanimity,

Papa, you taught the world to live in peace

with one another instead of in war with one another.

And the (universal) church under your care

was neither a place of merchandise,

nor one for professional miracle seekers,

but a house of prayer, solace and succour!

And simply the church of Jesus Christ the Lord

whose husband is the Christ of the church

And the church leadership under you

was neither about the husband,

the wife and their first son,

nor about in-laws and cronies,

nor about Daddy and Mummy G.O.

having their children as Special Assistants,

square peg in a round hole-Secretaries,

planting them in strategic positions

in the church to succeed them,

but about a team for the brethren universal!

Now, therefore, go well, Papa.

Papa, go well, go in peace

and rest assured that all your

flock will be in a safe hand.

Fai buon viaggio e riposa in pace, Papa.

• JOHN ODEY ADUMA

April 20, 2025.