A
GREAT HERO HAS FALLEN: PRESIDENT MILLS IS GONE!
Help, LORD, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have
vanished from the human race. Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter
with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts – Psalms
12:1-2(NIV).
The greatest man in history started his bodily
life from a manger and sadly ended it on a shameful humiliating cross. The
carnal mind may think that his birth was highly controversial. He was conceived,
nursed and nurtured by a virgin! He grew up as a tender plant, and as a root
out of a dry ground. He had neither form nor attractiveness; and when people
saw him, there was no beauty for them to desire him. In addition, his friends
and disciples were virtually uneducated and unlearned, by the standard of the world.
Consequently, he was despised and rejected
of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. People hid their faces
from him; he was despised, and they esteemed him not. Nevertheless he borne
their grieves, and carried their sorrows: yet they did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted. Ironically, he was wounded for their transgressions;
he was bruised for their iniquities: the chastisement of their peace was upon
him; and with his stripes they were healed. He was oppressed, and was
afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. Yet it pleased God to bruise him; He
put him to grief. His soul was made an offering for sin and his seed prolonged
his days. By popular opinion and conventional wisdom, he was a total failure! However,
God has highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is
Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Real greatness is in seeds. This means
that great people are seed sowers. Therefore, real greatness is discovering a
good seed and sowing it in a good soil. The watering is not necessarily the
work of such sowers. The growth of the seeds and the increase of their fruits is
the sole responsibility of God. Great people, like true sowers, are usually
never appreciated in their lifetime. This is because they are perceived to have
wasted precious seeds that were put in their hands. Seed sowers on the other
hand always know that they are primarily supposed to put the seeds into a good soil.
The seeds decay in the soil. Afterwards, the seeds begin to shoot up like fresh
and tender plants, fragile and unassuming. The plants contend with all forces
and shades of weather. Eventually, they bear fruits in 30, 60, 100 folds.
Real heroism, like greatness, is not
always measured by academic laurels, long life, affluence, popularity, and
prosperity. King Solomon of immeasurable riches and wisdom says it is true. Similarly,
monuments and infrastructure do not always constitute a proof of greatness.
Monuments fall; infrastructure eventually fractures. Balloon economic
indicators are always ridiculed by economic realities. So-called political achievements
and stalwartness are mostly lyrics of nagging yellow journalism and siren songs
of dirty propaganda. In addition, real heroes and heroines are mostly not found
at the seat of governments, law-making assemblies, judicial corridors, and
intellectual parlours. They are neither decorated in business suits. Jesus says
it is true. Real heroes are humble, compassionate, selfless, sacrificial, and
serviceable. They are always ready to lay down their lives for others and also
for the cause they champion. They see leadership as God first; the people
second; and themselves last! Thus real heroes passionately and selflessly lead
a cause or champion visions, not people. Leadership and followership
relationship does not mean that leaders must place their needs before
followers. Besides, positions, titles, personality and charisma are not
leadership. Charisma by itself is never an answer to economic crisis! Japan had
recently learnt that technology without God is a trash!
Real heroes are, among others, always marked
by humility. Humility is seeing yourself as human and recognizing God as the
source and answer to all human needs. It is also seeing oneself as a steward of
God’s creation. Besides, real heroes are never afraid of pain and death.
Greatness begins when a person has come to a point in life where that person is
neither afraid to suffer pain nor death for the sake of God, and the good of
humanity. That is why all great heroes are always selfless. They move on even
in the face of painful adversities. They always vow to suffer death than to
surrender to hollow and sheer adversities. To them, greatness is in character,
virtues and sacrificial love. They see generations unborn as their best judges;
Dr Kwame Nkrumah agrees.
President
Mills is a hero! Oh! How I wish he lived to write his own story. Probably, his
real disciples will one day write his true story. It has been said that men die but once, and the opportunity
of a noble death is not an everyday fortune. It is a gift which every noble
spirit prays for. An individual whose aim was to assist in the development of a
nation, if left to the wishes of human, should not die suddenly, but when life
was planning; death was laughing at it. Besides the wish of humans is not the
wish of God. The greatness of most great men is seldom felt in their lifetime;
but their great works are reflected in the background during their eternal
rest. President Mills, may your good works speak for you. Rest in peace!
Richard
Obeng Mensah, author of If You Think of Your Opposition You Lose Your
Position.
