Skip to main content

The Story of the Nativity

No time is too late for God to show his might, love, empathy, and care. He does care and wants to identify with us. Zechariah didn't see it coming. It wasn't a lottery, but he won the greatest affectionate draw in biblical history, following in the footsteps of Abraham. That's one of the implications of the nativity. The coming of 'God with us' opens every door.

No time is too early for God. Humans exist in time and space, but God doesn't. 'Why me?' Mary asked. 'I'm but a virgin.' Doing the impossible in the eyes of mankind is a way God puts his stamp on the envelope of salvation history. He posted his good news of redemption through an innocent, childlike, simple girl. His Son is the Good News because he's salvation himself.

Then the new and old met; the virgin and the barren embraced; the young and the elder entertained. Her greeting was simple but powerful. She said: 'Hello Elizabeth!' The child in her womb leaped for joy. And peace, love, and hope sprung forth like flowers in his path. Her nativity story was full of blessedness.

At times when God mixes with us, there seems to be confusion. The child was born. His relatives were shocked and surprised that God could pull such a miracle. Astounded, they wanted to name him after his father, Zechariah. His mother objected. However, only one person could decide the name of the boy. The dumb father then wrote: 'His name is John.' His power of speech was restored.

Nobody was left out in his nativity; the mighty and the lowly were all involved. The shepherds watch their flock at night against perhaps, wild beasts and thieves. They also indirectly (not unknowingly) kept watch as the new-born King arrived at the world. The stars and moon were very bright unlike many nights. The glory of God was more than they could stand. They were terrified.

At last, love became incarnate; the Word took flesh and dwelt among us. He's 'God with us,' 'Wonderful Counsellor,' and 'Prince of Peace.' He came borrowing everything: He adopted the stable as hospital, took the manger as a crib, and the flock volunteered as nurses and midwives. His nativity is the story of your life.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Two Weeks to Restitution: Ending the Tragedy of Endless Corruption Litigation in Nigeria

For decades, Nigeria’s struggle with systemic corruption has not been a crisis of legislation, but a crisis of enforcement and speed. Millions of dollars intended for hospitals, primary schools, power grids, and basic roads have vanished into private offshore accounts, luxury real estate in Dubai and London, and vanity white elephant projects. While institutions like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) regularly secure high-profile arrests, the legal proceedings that follow invariably devolve into endless marathons.   In Nigeria’s conventional judicial framework, high-profile corruption trials routinely stretch across decades. Corrupt public figures utilize an array of interlocutory injunctions, jurisdictional challenges, and preliminary objections to stall proceedings until political interest fades, witnesses disappear, or judges retire. By the time a final judgment is rendered, if at all, the stolen wealth ...

Names, Visions, and Imageries of the Crow tribe of Native Americans

Table of Contents The Crow: Who are they? Names, Visions, and Imageries Apsaalooke (or Absaroka) The Separations of the Bands The Mountain Crow (Ashalaho) The River Crow The Kicked in the Bellies Chiefs, Their Names and Meanings Chief Long Hair (Issheuhutskitu) Chief Sore Belly (Arapoosh) Chief of the Camp (Ashbacheeitche) Chief of Plenty Coups The rich cultural heritage of the Native Americans is subject to different interpretations beyond the actual meanings as understood by the natives. The Crow tribe’s names, visions, and imageries are not spared from these relative interpretations. It is claimed that these names, visions, and imageries denote exaggerations, triumphalism, or cultural symbolism. Also, their name can visually reveal the true meanings of descriptive language and metaphors or similes in words and expressions.   The objective of this writing is to examine these names and imageries to differentiate the Europeans’ interpretations of the names and lifestyle of the Cr...

Mechanised Flood: Turning Nigeria’s Ecological Crisis into an Agricultural Renaissance

Every rainy season, the Southeast region of Nigeria wages a silent, losing war against gravity and water. From the precarious slopes of Nanka and Oko to the expanding ravines of Abia and Imo, torrential downpours do not merely wet the soil; they carve it away. Millions of tons of fertile earth wash into ever-widening gullies, swallowing homes, severing arterial highways, and displacing entire communities.   Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometres to the north, vast expanses of arable land lay dormant for over half the year, parched by prolonged dry seasons and waiting helplessly for the next rains.   Nigeria faces two simultaneous ecological realities: an overwhelming surplus of destructive water in the South, and an acute, economically crippling deficit of water in the North.   For decades, these challenges have been treated as isolated disasters managed by reactive relief funds and piecemeal erosion control projects. But what if we stopped viewing Southern floodwater as...

Persistent Loan: The Machinery of Dependence and the Tragedy of Nigeria's Borrowing Culture

An Independent Nation in Name, A Dependent Nation in Practice Political independence does not always guarantee economic independence. Many nations celebrate the lowering of colonial flags only to discover that new forms of control have quietly replaced old ones. The chains are no longer forged from iron, but from debt. The governors no longer arrive in military uniforms, but in suits carrying loan agreements, economic conditions, and financial packages. This is the foundation of what may be called Persistent Loan Theory : a system in which borrowing ceases to be a temporary financial instrument and becomes a permanent condition of existence. Under this arrangement, loans are no longer designed primarily to develop nations. Instead, they create an enduring cycle of dependence that benefits lenders while trapping borrowers in perpetual indebtedness. Nigeria, Africa's largest economy and most populous nation, presents one of the clearest examples of this phenomenon. The Differ...

The Akamba – Concept of the Supreme Being & Totems

Table of Contents Supreme Being (Worships and Venerations) Mulungu   Mumbi  Mwatuangi  Ngai  Asa  Ancestors Totems Here is a brief account of the religious beliefs of the Akamba. Spanning through Central Bantu, the Akamba ethnic group is estimated to be about 4.4 million people and occupies Southeastern Kenya in areas, such as Kangundo, Kibwezi, Kitui, Machakos, Makueni and Mwingi Districts and the Ukamba. A swathe of the Akamba population can also be found in the Mazeras and Kwale Districts of the Coast Province in Shiba Hills. The Akamba languages are Kikamba and Swahili. Globally, the Akamba are not exclusively a Kenyan or African tribe. They can be found in Uganda, Tanzania, and Paraguay, which makes it partly an indigenous group and partly an autochthonal group. Argument from migration theory suggests that Akamba came from Kilimanjaro (a word that means ‘mountain of whiteness’), basing their arguments on the similarity of certain cultural features with the...