Light for the Living

  LIGHT FOR THE LIVING SEVENTH SUNDAY OF EASTER – YEAR A (Acts 1:12–14; 1 Peter 4:13–16; John 17:1–11) My beloved in Christ, In a bustling community in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State , there once lived a respected palm wine tapper and canoe builder called Etim Okon . The man was famous throughout the villages, not only because he built the strongest canoes, but because every apprentice trained under him eventually became successful. Now, Etim was not the kind of master who would simply hand over tools and disappear. Ah! He trained his apprentices seriously. First, he would make them watch him silently for many months. Then he would begin teaching them little by little: how to choose good wood, how to balance a canoe, how to paddle against strong currents, and how not to fall into the river while pretending to impress girls at the waterside. Whenever an apprentice made mistakes, Etim corrected him patiently. After years of training, he would finall...

  LIGHT FOR THE LIVING SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER – YEAR A (Acts 8:5–8, 14–17; 1 Peter 3:15–18; John 14:15–21) My beloved in Christ, In a riverside community in Okrika, Rivers State , there once lived an old fisherman called Chief Karibo . The man was famous for two things: his loud voice and his stubborn canoe. Whenever he paddled across the river, the canoe would shake like a goat dancing to egwu ekpili. One season, Chief Karibo travelled to Port Harcourt to see his first son, who had become a “big man” working in an oil company. Before leaving, he gathered his children and declared dramatically: “My children, while I am away, nobody should touch my special fishing net hanging inside this house!” Everybody nodded obediently. But barely three days later, heavy rain flooded the river, fish began jumping like politicians during election season, and the children became restless. The youngest son whispered, “If Papa were here, he would have used the net.” The eldest d...

  LIGHT FOR THE LIVING FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER – YEAR A (Acts 6:1–7; 1 Peter 2:4–9; John 14:1–12) My beloved in Christ, In a peaceful farming community in Igbanke, Edo State , there once lived seven brothers, all sons of the same father. In their younger days, they were the pride of the village. If one cleared a farm, the others came with hoes. If one harvested yam, all seven carried baskets. If one wanted to marry, the others contributed goats, palm wine, and enough advice to confuse the bride. Their father would often smile and say, “My sons are like fingers of one hand—different in size, but useful together.” And truly, in those days, they loved one another deeply. But as time passed and each built his own home, married his own wife, and began raising his own children, something changed. The same brothers who once ate from one pot began counting meat in the soup. Their wives began whispering. Their children began comparing. What used to be brotherhood slowly became...