The Plantain hawker Week 44, 2016

When I was much younger I used to envy the okpa (locust-bean meal) and plantain hawkers that passed my street. In my view they were having fun; they were free to go to the whole length of Enugu shouting at the top of their voices and calling so much attention. My parents wouldn’t let us out of the house to roam like that, much as we would have loved to!

And so often times I and my siblings would carry things we imagined to be locust-bean meals and plantains on our heads and march round the compound near the fence and shouting, “Buy plantain!” or “Okpa di’oku” (hot locust bean meal). And then I grew up. I understood what it meant to hawk and I no longer envied them, but I pitied them. When we were children, we thought and reasoned as children do. But when we grew up, we quit our childish ways 1Cor 13:11 (CEV). I understood that life was hard for them and they wouldn’t do that if they had a better choice. Research has it that street hawkers are significantly more victims of physical and sexual abuse in our environment than others.

Now the same goes for our walk with God. We all when we first believed saw the yoke of Christ as burdensome and difficult but Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” Mat 11:29, 30(ESV). As children in Christ, it is difficult to see the yoke of Christ as easy and so we envy the unbelievers. We want to have the freedom they have. To act in whatever way we choose and get away with it. How we need to realise the laws and restraints of God ensure our liberty! I have gained perfect freedom by following your teachings Ps 119:45(CEV)

But the joy is that we do not always remain babes in Christ but we grow into maturity. It is until then we begin to understand that they are lost – these unbelievers we once envied and thought they do anything and get away with it. That they wouldn’t act that way if they had encountered Christ and were shown The Way. How, then, can people call on someone they have not believed? And how can they believe in someone they have not heard about? And how can they hear without someone preaching? Rom 10:14(ISV) 

We are now moved with compassion for their lost souls and for this reason we would not be silent. We would preach Christ Jesus no matter what it looks like to others: for we cannot stop talking about what we've seen and heard Act 4:20(ISV). We will show them love. Knowledge changes everything!

Are you still envying those who are in bondage to sin or have you stopped that and started reaching out to save their souls? Or perhaps are you like the plantain hawker going about with your wares and shouting, a victim of this world and needing salvation? 

 Emmanuella is a student at UNEC