Image via CrunchBase

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Cuban dissident Os waldo Pa ya and Yon Sanchez and former German Chancellor Helmet Kohl are among the applicants. The winner will be announced in Oct”As always, the standard of nomination’s and are the new entrants, known and unknown people, who come from all over the world,”.

188 people and 43 organizations, the list of candidates is close to the record turnout last year, when there were 241 nominations for the award, finally awarded to the female trio made up of Ellen Johnson Sir leaf and Liberian Lemar Bower and Yemeni Tweak Karmen.

 Be “nominated” is relatively easy since there are thousands of people around the world qualified to propose a candidate: parliamentarians and ministers, members of some international organizations, academics, former laureates. The list of candidates secret for 50 years unless the sponsors decide to announce publicly the identity of your bet.

Among those known for this year include former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former German Chancellor Helmet Kohl, the architect of reunification Germanic, and another former prime minister, Yul Domenico of Ukraine, now in opposition and jailed.

 It is also in jail awaiting his trial on U.S. soldier Bradley Manning, alleged to have triggered a diplomatic storm by delivering to about 260 thousand notes Wilkes’s State Department and also on the list of candidates for the Nobel.

 Is also the EU, despite the ongoing crisis and internal causes twitches, Cuban dissident Os waldo Pa ya and Yon Sanchez, the Congolese physician Denis McGee, or the Russian NGO Memorial and its responsible Gonking Stalin, who works for the protection freedoms in Russia.

 Other known candidates are the American political scientist Gene Sharp, theoretical non-violent struggle that inspired some figures of the First Arabic, Tunisian President Mazourka, who took power in encouraging those revolts started at home at the end of 2010, and the news channel Al Jazeera.

 The Nobel, with great international impact is not without controversy, as in 2009, following the award of prize to Barack Obama, just months after his inauguration.

 The Swedish authorities, responsible for ensuring the conformity of wills foundations that have led to its creation currently investigating to determine if the Norwegian committee complies satisfactorily with the task entrusted to the Swede Alfred Nobel more than a century.

 This comes after repeated criticism of the Norwegian lawyer Frederik Hormel, author of Nobel’s Will. For him, the award has lost sight of its original purpose in going to defenders of human rights as Chinese dissident Lou Zibo (2010), environmental advocates like Al Gore and the UPC (2007) or humanitarians like Mother Theresa (1979).

In his will written in 1895, Alfred Nobel wanted the prize to reward “personality who has contributed most to or better than bringing people together, the elimination or reduction of standing armies, to the meeting or the spread of Congress peaceful. “

 ”We look forward to this debate concludes,” Untested reacted on Monday. “The talks last for years and has not left anything really useful,” he said.

 The name of the winner will be announced in October and the prize awarded on 10 December, the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, inventor of dynamite.

In Matthew 20: 27 the Bible says, “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant (NKJV). This was a statement made by Jesus. The wife of Zebedee had come to Jesus to demand for a second and third position for her sons, James and John in the Kingdom of heaven. The preceding verses reveal the ambition of the disciples. Wife of Zebedee was quick to more to Jesus because they were blood relations. It was an ambition to become great, just as we are: the politicians, clergy, civil servants, public servant, traders, and all other in diverse field of endeavour.

Jesus does not condemn the desire to become great. It is a laudable ambition. He was only not comfortable with their proposed method of achieving greatness. However, He told them clearly the qualities of those who become ‘great’ in the service of God and those who wish to occupy the foremost place of Leadership in the service of the kingdom – must be your servant (diakonos) and your slave (doulos).

The Kingdom of God has a standard no wonder Jesus said it shall not be so with you. In the kingdom of Christ, none of his ministers were to exercise civil power or authority over the rest. (cf. Matthew 20: 26). No such lordship, no such authority, can be tolerated in your fraternity. The case is a rebuke of unhallowed ambition. Men prominent in the church should be the first to heed the admonition and likewise people who aspire for political offices.

The Family Bible Notes commenting on Matthew 20: 26 said, “To be truly great in his kingdom one must minister, as he has opportunity and ability, to the wants of others. Humility, and a disposition to serve others in the supply of their wants and the promotion of their highest good, is marks of true greatness in the kingdom of Christ, and especially among his ministers.” Greatness in the kingdom of heaven consists in doing, rather than in being, and in doing for others, rather than for self. Greatness is to be found in service. Only those men are truly great who are the servants of their race, helpers of mankind.

The book of Romans 13: 4 tells us that a ruler is a diakonosof God – a servant of God. Any person in any position as a leader holds that office in trust from God because it is God that gives authority to any one in a Leadership position. In fact, he holds that office by the permission of God, who enthrones him/her. He maintains justice, equity and fairness in dealing with his/her subjects as a service to God. He punishes offenders and enforces righteousness as a minister of God. Conwell stated that “Greatness consists not in holding some high office; Greatness really consists in doing some great deed with little means; in the accomplishment of vast purposes from the private ranks of life.”

The Duties of the Government

Everyone in a leadership position as we have in Romans 13 is a minister. That passage reveals an important part of the duties of government which is to maintain justice, fairness and ensure that evil is punished. The glaring question that faces us today is: How many persons in government today see it as a service to humanity? How many people in leadership position believe that they are accountable to God how much more the people they are serving?

From Romans chapter 13, we clearly see what constitutes the duties and responsibilities of those who are leaders but in government and the society at large. They have a duty to reward good works (Rom. 13: 2), ensure evil doers are punished (Rom. 13: 3), maintain justice, show fairness and equity (Rom 13: 4) and collection of revenues and making judicious use of same (Rom 13: 6). All these are clearly seen in constitution of any country. In the actually fact, government of any place has the responsibility of maintaining peace, law and order, make judicious use of the country’s revenue to provide roads, electricity, portable drinking water, provide infrastructures for development, provide affordable health service, education, ensure security of lives and properties, etc.

In his Bishop’s Charge to the Second Session of the Tenth Synod of Asaba Diocese held at Emmanuel Anglican Church Ogwashi – Uku on 20th May, 2005, the Bishop Rt. Rev. N. D. Okoh, now Primate of Church of Nigeria Anglican said this: “Do we have agents of government who believe in being guided by the diaconate spirit in relationship to their constituencies? Do they really serve their people, or they use them and dump them, till another election time? Politicians who serve are God’s agents of transformation to perform political miracles – providing good roads, portable drinking water, electricity, medical facilities, ensuring impartiality and managing the resources well for the good of all.” Do we have such politicians today in African and many other parts of the world?

Paragons/Models of People with Diaconate Spirit

If we go down memory lane, there are some men and women who distinguished themselves as people with diaconate spirit and served faithfully. They have intimidating profile against men and women of this generation. Examples are people like Mother Theresa, William Booth, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther king Jnr., David Livingstone, William Wilberforce, Florence Nightingale, Mary Mitchell Slessor, etc. Let us take a brief on some of them.

William Wilberforce:He was an English man born in Hull in 1759 and became converted in 1774. He was educated at Cambridge, and entered Parliament in1780. There he became strong supporter of William Pitt, who persuaded Wilberforce to devote himself to the abolition of the slave trade. In the struggle, he stood against many powerful vested interests. He did not shy away from tackling them headlong. He was the most famous among Clapham sect. He was not solo in the fight but he put his life, feeling and passion to the struggle.

William Wilberforce was a dedicated leader, who was unrelenting till success came in 1807, when slave trade was abolished. Slavery itself died the same year as Wilberforce in 1833. One of the greatest tributes about him was in the book written by third his son, Samuel Wilberforce who rose to become a Bishop of Oxford in 1845 and later translated to Winchester in 1869. He said: “We must realize that dedicated service to God and man is the only authentic way to become great. In service lies greatness; all other attempts to be great through heaping up money and wealth, grabbling power for its sake, will surely end in total disillusionment. The church must allow her prayers to distill into love (compassion), and love into service”. This was the spirit found in William with which he transformed the adverse circumstances of his generation.

Mother Theresa:When I was in theological college in preparation for ordination, our Lecturer on Social Work gave an assignment on Mother Theresa. That was the first time I had the opportunity of making research on this unique lady and God’s gift to humanity. Then I had no access to Internet. The little information I got then, was a great challenge to me. Miss Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (Gonxha meaning rosebud in Albanian) was born on 26 August 1910, in Üsküb, Ottoman Empire (now Skopje, capital of the Republic of Macedonia). Although she was born on 26 August, she considered 27 August, the day she was baptized, to be her “true birthday.” She grew up to become Mother Theresa (Mother Teresa).

Mother Theresa grew up to become humility and dedicated service personified. She detested high – brow, camera seeking type of service. She aimed at the poorest of the poor, and encouraged all to do something beautiful for Jesus. She answered the call to become a nun at 16 and desired to serve as a missionary in India. On becoming a novice in 1929, she adopted the name of a Carmelite nun from France, Therese Martin, who was made saint in 1925. On May 24, 1931, she took her first vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience as a missionary nun in India. The details of the vows she made say:

“By the vows of poverty, I give up my possessions”

“By the vows of Chastity, I give up my hearts love to God alone”

“By the vows of Obedience, I promise to do His will for me as shown by my lawful superiors.”

From 1931 to 1948 Mother Teresa taught at St. Mary’s High School in Calcutta, but the suffering and poverty she glimpsed outside the convent walls made such a deep impression on her that in 1948 she received permission from her superiors to leave the convent school and devote herself to working among the poorest of the poor in the slums of Calcutta. Although she had no funds, she depended on Divine Providence, and started an open-air school for slum children. Soon she was joined by voluntary helpers, and financial support was also forthcoming. This made it possible for her to extend the scope of her work.

Every day, she was at the Holy Family Hospital. Every time a patient entered, Mother Theresa rushed to observe. She saw Cholera, small pox, tuberculosis and dreaded leprosy. She ministered to the patients. She taught the poor people how to wash the children, taught them hygiene, the alphabets, l manners and religion, etc. she will pick up drug addicts, drunkards, the lonely, the aged, abandoned babies, acquired a centre for feeding the poor. She believes prayer leads to faith, faith to love and love to service.

Gradually, she built up an empire of her Order of Missionary of Charity made up of five hundred houses, over four thousand sisters in one hundred and twenty countries. Besides there was male component: Missionary Brothers of Charity. In 1979, they assisted 7, 632 dying and destitute, most of whom survived. They ran 495 mobile clinic that provided medical services to a staggering 4, 100, 000 patients. In addition, they treated 258, 000 lepers in 103 leprosarium. They ran slum schools with 15, 800 students. They provided Day Care for 900 children. They cared for 2, 770 orphans. They regularly feed 165, 000 poor people, etc.

As a result of her unflinching and unwavering commitment to the welfare of the downtrodden in India and all around the world, many organizations, Governments and Institutions and individuals started to offer her recognition Awards. Among them are:

1)      She was allowed free air travel on Indian Airlines – bo9th local and International

2)      In 1962, Indian Prime Minister, Nehru presented her with the Padma Shri Award for service to India.

3)      She continued to receive major Indian rewards in successive decades including, and in 1972, the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding

4)      During the second Vatican Council in 1962, several Bishops praised her godly work, including the papal Nuncio to India in New Delhi, Archbishop James Knox.

5)      The Americans in India presented Pope Paul VI on a visit to Bombay a brand new white convertible, which the Pope simply gave to Mother Theresa. She sold it and used the money, 460, 000 rupees for the poor.

6)      On January 6, 1970, Pope Pius VI presented Mother Theresa with Pope John XXIII Peace prize. It carries 25, 000 dollars. She put the whole money in the service of the poor, expanding mobile clinics, leprosarium, feeding the poor, curing tuberculosis, buying drugs for the poorest of the poor across the world.

7)      In 1973, Prince Philip of Britain presented the Templeton Prize for progress in Religion to her. Large money accompanied it which she used it to expand her out fit in different countries.

8)      In 1975, she received an award from Imperial Chemical Industries, who turned over to the Missionaries of Charity its great compound in Tiljala. She used it for the mentally handicapped and vocational courses for the poor.

9)      In 1975, Time Magazine put her on the cover page, and highlighted her missionary order as “Living Saints”.

10)  In 1979, she won Nobel Peace Prize. The money she received was spent building houses for lepers.

11)  India honored her again with Indian Highest civilian Award: the Bharat Ratna or Jewel of India. She was praised for not talking about the imperatives but doing them.

12)  In 1985, President Ronald Regan presented to her Presidential Medal of Freedom Award at the White house.

There were other numerous awards and honors bestowed on her which space will not accommodate their documentation here. Certainly the greatest Award this icon and most humane of all humanity valued was the joy and pleasure of serving her Lord whom she loved so dearly and recognized in the lives of the poorest of the poor. President Pratibha Patil said of Mother Teresa, “Clad in a white sari with a blue border, she and the sisters of Missionaries of Charity became a symbol of hope to many – the aged, the destitute, the unemployed, the diseased, the terminally ill, and those abandoned by their families.” On 13 March 1997, she stepped down from the head of Missionaries of Charity. She died on 5 September 1997.

If Mother Theresa could invest all that she earned in her life into charity work, would she not have judiciously used the resources of government to better the life of her place if she were in government? How many even in the church are faithful over the people at their disposal? Indeed people in government should emulate the spirit in this icon who at her life time was a symbol of hope and an anchor for the poor and the less privileged ones of her generation.  

There are many other men with diaconate spirit who live their lives for the good of the masses. Martin Luther King Jnr. lived and died fighting not for his own course but for the liberation of the Black race in United States of America. Ken Saro Wiwa was one who fought against the exploitation of Ogoni land in Nigeria, which caused him his life. Mary Mitchell Slessor left her fatherland to serve humanity in the remote villages of Eastern part of Nigeria. William Booth commenting on how he got the spiritual power to achieve a great ministerial success through Salvation Army said: “I will tell you the secret God had had all there was of me. There have been men with greater opportunities; but from the day I got the poor of London on my heart, and a vision of what Jesus Christ could do with the poor of London, I made up my mind that God would have all of William Booth there was. And if there is any power in Salvation Army today, it is because God has all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will and all the influence of my life”.

Think of people like Florence Nightingale, Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmund Tutu, etc and how they used their lives and offices to affect and defend the poor. They invested their lives and money for the good of the people they served. That is pure diaconate spirit.

Leadership of this Generation – The Church

The Leadership as we have in the church today is far worse as far as leadership is concerned. Why I decry the leadership of today’s church is because they ought to be example as people who are oracles of God, people who read the Bible and interpret it. If the church had given proper direction to the world, we will not have the kind problem we are facing today. Most people who are in leadership position are all found in the church were the church they ought to hear the truth.

The problem with church leadership today is that the leaders say different thing and act the opposite. Jesus the founder of what we know today as the church set as example for us. When He we was on the earth, He had no possession of His own. This we can see when a certain man came to Him as recorded in Matthew 8: 19 – 20. It says: “Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, ‘Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.’” When he wanted to preach at the side of river, He borrowed Peter’s boat (Luke 5: 1 – 3). When he wanted to feed the multitude, He borrowed fish and bread (John 6: 9). When the disciples came to Him and told Him to send the multitude away hungry, He feed them (Mark 6: 32 – 41). When He needed an ass to ride on, He went and borrowed. When He died, He was buried in another man’s grave. Yet this man that borrowed all He used while on earth, brought transformation that changed the world.

Today, He is worshipped as Lord and Saviour. No wonder He made it clear what his mission and manifesto is in Luke 4: 18 – 19. The passage says. “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

How many Pastors are doing so today? Rather, we have Pastors that exhort form their members to buy Hummer jeep, build houses not minding if they have food to eat in their houses. This situation became worse with the advent of Pentecostal churches with General Overseers/Founders/Presidents. Within the orthodox churches, it is mild. For example if I as a priest of Anglican Church misbehave, members of my church can petition my Bishop, Archbishop or Primate/Metropolitan. But when it is the President and Founder, where will the members go to report? This is where the leadership of the church today has problem. Some Leaders instead of being the mouthpiece of the people are now terror against them.          

Leadership of this Generation – The Government

The time I was writing this paper was the period of uprising in the Arab world – in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Yemen, Syria, etc. What led to this great uprising in a place once known for peace and tranquility? It is just dissatisfaction about Leadership without diaconate spirit, leaders with selfish interests. Many countries presently are short in supply of service oriented leaders.

Bishop Okoh commented extensively on this in his Bishop Charge of Synod of Asaba Diocese 2005. He said “Do they (politicians) really serve their people, or they use them and dump them till another election time? Politicians who serve are God’s agent for transformation to perform political miracles – providing good roads portable drinking water, electricity, medical facilities, ensuring impartiality and managing resources well for the good of all. Politicians who are servants of God are also servants of the people. We must pray for such deacon politicians at all levels – federal, state and local government as well as traditional rulers. Some politicians try to outsmart their people, stealing and heaping riches without improving the lives of their countrymen. These mercenary politicians are looking for greatness as one looking at the Western sky from the rising sun! Our country Nigeria is in terrible short supply of service oriented politicians, statesmen and women. We have excess supply of reward – induced politicians, including Christians! These cannot transform the society. Those who serve their societies are God sent. The true way to greatness is by offering dedicated service to the poor people of our locality who voted them into power.”

This is not similar to Nigeria alone. It is common in most African countries, South America and Asia. Similarly, Jimoh Ibrahim, a lawyer and business guru in Nigeria bared his mind on this issue of poor service oriented leadership in an interview published on Saturday Tribune of 24th May 2011. He attributed the poor service oriented leadership to lack of training on leadership. He noted: “Are you surprised that we have leadership problem? We have 95 universities and none of them awards a degree in leadership. So, a university student doesn’t hear any lecture on leadership until he graduates and starts to work and they say you have been promoted to the next level and you are now a leader. They now start to tell him the attributes of a leader.

No university today in Nigeria awards a degree in entrepreneurship. We will get to a stage where we will need more entrepreneurs to create jobs. How will they come? Why do we need to bring in degree in anthropology in 95 universities? Do anthropology in six universities and then do entrepreneurial study in 20 universities and do leadership in 30 universities. Why do we need to have degree on political science without leadership? Those who graduate with political science are not the politicians on the street. So, where are the political scientists?”

From the above we see why we have leadership problem everywhere. Most politicians in Nigeria are either of the following: Doctors, Engineers, Architects, Lawyers, Accountants, and Lawyers etc. Those who actually study the act of governance are few in government. Effective result comes when we put round peg in a round hole.

Attributes of Diaconate Spirit leadership

Any life devoted to service has some attributes by which it is known. It is the attributes of servant hood. It is expected that every deacon should have the following attributes.

1)      Faithfulness: means 1. consistently loyal: consistently trustworthy and loyal, especially to a person, promise, or duty 2. Not adulterous or promiscuous: not having sexual relations with somebody other than a spouse or partner. 3.  Conscientious: displaying or resulting from a sense of responsibility or devotion to duty.  4. Faithful performance of his duties according to Encarta World English Dictionary. Faithfulness is required of any steward according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 4: 1 – 2 – “Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” Faithfulness is derived from the Lord who was faithful in all things according to the scriptures (cf. 1 Corinthians 1: 9, Hebrews 2: 17). Faithfulness is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit which every Christian should bear (Galatians 5: 22). Everyone in authority should be faithful to God and man. Joseph considered his service in Potiphar’s house as not only to Potiphar but also unto God.

2)      Obedient. Jesus gave us a true example of obedient as Paul wrote in Philippians 2: 8, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” This attracted honour as Paul further stated. “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2: 9 – 11). This is required by God and cannot be negotiated or compromised as those who did it fell woefully (cf. Adam, Eve, Saul King of Israel, etc).

3)      Trustworthy. A servant must be trustworthy (1 Corinthians 4: 2). He/she should have good repute (Acts 6: 3). He should be one that hates bribe (Exodus 18: 21). Bride blinds the eyes. Ex 23: 8 “And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous. Also Deuteronomy 16:19 says “You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.” God depends on only trustworthy servants.

4)      Humility. It was Sockman who said in Quotations from Power bible online that, “True humility is intelligent self-respect that keeps us from thinking too highly or too meanly of ourselves.  It makes us mindful of the nobility God meant us to have.  Yet it makes us modest by reminding us how far we have come short of what we can be.” Jesus had this and showed it in all aspect of his life here on earth. Paul’s comment on that says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” If you have power and you refuse to use it to prove a point; you have money and you refuse to let your money govern you is humility. That is a great quality that enables a servant to serve well and all irrespective of denomination, tribe, race, political affiliation, sex or religion.

5)      A servant should have a high sense of mission (Matthew 25: 14 – 30).

6)      A servant must possess spirit of self sacrifice and self denial. This was the spirit in Moses that made him to leave the palace, a place of comfort to share in the burden of his kinsmen. The writer of Hebrews noted that, “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward (Hebrews 11: 24 – 26). Such spirit makes a leader lead well.

7)      Ready to even suffer. A life of any servant of God is a godly life and such attracts envy, false allegations and persecutions. Paul had a lot of that (see 2 Corinthians 11: 16 – 33). All these he suffered in other to be an obedient servant. Nothing less is required of us today in whatever position we may find ourselves.

William Booth of the Salvation Army said that “The day I got the poor of London on my heart, and a vision of what Jesus Christ could do with the poor of London, I made up my mind that God would have all of William Booth”. This is a great idea in a man that has a diaconate spirit in him, to allow God have all that is in that person through his service to others. This is a great attribute of on who is a servant.

Conclusion

Today’s world is in dire need of people with diaconate spirit; people willing to sacrifice their lives for the good of the masses and people who are faithful and trustworthy over what is entrusted unto them. These are men/women that should be called and trained to serve humanity. They should be men/women that have the burden of the masses at heart. They should be men/women that are ready to align themselves with the masses and not the elites that trample on the less privileged ones.

World over, there are cries of deprivation, abuse of different kinds, negligence, corruption, diversion of public funds, apathy by some government and their agency towards welfare of her citizenry, etc. Who is giving the poor, the destitute, orphans, people with terminal diseases voice in our age? Who cares about people in ghettos world over? Who speaks for people dying of Chronic Kidney Diseases especially in Nigeria where the rate is 20% of Nigerian population? Who care for the oil producing communities whose environment have been destroy due to exploitation and oil leakages? Their supposed leaders have they not taken money from the exploiter at the detriment of their communities?

A visit to the town where our political leaders live or come from shows the kind of wealth they have acquired. There is no counselor in Nigeria that cannot afford a house of almost N50 million. Most of them enter into office and for themselves all forms of allowances to make themselves ‘comfortable’ when they come down from office. I remember Most Rev. N. D. Okoh expressing his opinion on this that these Political office holders engage in corrupt practices to establish themselves knowing the poor background where they came from and would not want to go back there. Though some countries may not get these corrupt officials to account for their abuse, negligence, diversion of funds and other crimes, one thing that is obvious is that some day they will stand before God with whom nothing is hidden to give account of their stewardship.

Summarily, in the words of Most Rev N. D. Okoh, “Our Lord expressly said we should follow the example of His diaconate spirit, and service others, the high and the low. He came to serve, even at the cost of His life. He, as a slave, washed the disciples’ feet. The imperative is ‘Go and do likewise’. Among the hungry of the land, among the naked, among the invalids, among the blind, among the deaf and dumb, among the bedridden and those confined to the wheel chairs, amongst HIV/AIDS patients, among the widows and the bereaved, indeed among the poor of the land you shall meet God!”

Let me once again remind us about the words of Bishop Samuel Wilberforce in his attribute to his father William Wilberforce that, “We must realize that dedicated service to God and man is the only authentic way to become great. In service lies greatness; all other attempts to be great through heaping up money and wealth, grabbling power for its sake, will surely end in total disillusionment. The church must allow her prayers to distill into love (compassion), and love into service”. When we have men and women who are ready to do these, we will have a better society that will be good for all to live in irrespective of your status.

References:

1.       The Holy Bible

2.       Power Bible online

3.       Presidential Address (Bishop’s Charge) to the synod of Diocese of Asaba 2005 by Rt. Rev. N. D. Okoh (Now Most Rev. N. D. Okoh).

4.       Spink, Kathryn: Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography, Harper San Francisco, 1997

5.       Family Bible Notes commentary

6.       Quotations from Power Bible online

7.       Interview with Jimoh Balogun published in Saturday Tribune of 24th May, 2011

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Would a great man (woman) do what I’m about to do?
2. Would a great man (woman) have the same attitude as I have?
3. Would a great man (woman) think the same thoughts as me?
4. Would a great man (woman) complain and criticize like I do?
5. Would a great man (woman) blame other people like I do?
6. Would a great businessman procrastinate like me?
7. Would a great athlete eat the same things I eat?
8. Would a millionaire use his free time the same way I do?
9. Would the President spend hours in front of the TV?
10. Would Mother Theresa gossip about other people?

Think about great men and women that you know and think about the way they act, think and talk. Think about their personal beliefs and attitudes. Think about their habits. Do you think you can learn from them? Do you act the same way they do or do you act completely differently? Maybe we all have something to learn from great men and women. Try to model them for one day and notice the difference it makes in your life. Maybe you will start modeling them more often.

Image via Wikipedia

Here is a list of great men and women that I personally admire:

• The President of the United States Barack Obama
• Gandhi
• Benjamin Franklin
• Mother Theresa
• Bill Gates
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Lance Armstrong
• Michael Jordan
• Warren Buffet
• Anthony Robbins

Now, make your own list and try to model the people you admire. I’m sure you will see some change in your life as a result of this simple and easy exercise.

Take care and God bless you!

David

The bearing of a person has a magnetic personality. However, it is not with the same proportion with all. Some people have a strong attraction power. Some will cultivate in themselves. Some though they put in hard labor, whatever they undertake they fail. In addition, some will live and die like wild plants, silently they are born and silently they pass away. Some are born as mentally retarded and they are a great burden to the family.

Some leaders are born leaders. Their personality bearing and the nobility of the character compels obedience naturally. Most of our leaders like Kennedy, Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Mother Theresa are among these. These are charismatic people.   Huge crowds gather around them without propaganda. They are able to hypnotize or mesmerize the great assembly or the crowds. For some it becomes a family heredity and for some a single son or daughter gain popularity even though in the family there are some handicaps.

Some times people believe that rich and intelligent people breed great leaders. Most of the time when they notice a son gaining popularity, they ask for his parents or family.

However, there are exceptions. Some parents are very poor and illiterate, but a particular son comes up in life as a great leader.

However, today it is different. A lot of research is made on personality development and talents research tools. Therefore, the students, from their very young age are trained and drilled to discover and develop their talents. The modern technology like the computer, internet and many other digital devices offer ample opportunities to discover, train and gain master the excellence. It is very important that the parents provide these chances to their children.

“I think today the world is upside down, and is suffering so much because there is so very little love in the home,

and in family life. We have no time for our children, we have no time for each other, there is no time to enjoy each other.”

“Love begins at home; love lives in homes, and that is why there is so much suffering and so much unhappiness

in the world today…Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush, anxious for greater developments and

greater riches and so on, so that children have little time for their parents. Parents have a little time to each

other,and in the home begins the disruption of the peace of the world.

“The biggest disease today is not the leprosy or tuberculosis, but rather the feeling of being unwanted”

“There is more hunger in the world for love and appreciation than for bread.”

“We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for is the greater poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.”

“I have never been in a war before, but i have seen famine and death. I was asking (myself), ‘What do they feel when they do this?’ I dont understand it. They are all children of God. Why do they do it. I dont understand.”

“Please choose the way of peace…. In the short term there may be winners and losers in this war that we all dread. But that never can, nor never will justify the suffering, pain and loss of life your weapons will cause.”

The law of Attraction, Gravity and Relativity is most definitely golden universal answers to almost everything. We thank Newton and Einstein everyday for their gifted minds. Spiritually and emotionally these laws have been taught to us in the form of “Love thy neighbors” or just Love and everything it represents. We thank Jesus, our mothers and fathers, Gandhi, Mother Theresa and many others for their insight and wisdom.

Action: Reaction for Dummies

Being aware of these powerful laws constantly dictating the playing field and setting the rules, is something we seldom do. For example, somehow our thoughts got wired not to apply the theory of action – reaction in an argument which can result in chaos, domestic-I hate You’s, divorce or even murder. The funny thing is, this chain reaction of “action-reaction” is something we are all in control of. Therefore, the questions is:”What makes a human being realize how much choice he has in a matter that seems out of his hands?”

The story of Hellen Keller, the first deaf blind person to ever graduate from college might serve as an example. She had a choice, her actions set forth reactions that made history. One of her favorite quotes were:”I do not want the peace which passeth understanding, I want the understanding which bringeth peace”. Hellen Keller understood the significant forces at work, she gave it her all and she received so much more in return. She is paying it forward just by having such an extraordinary life.

Choice

We are all faced with decisions everyday and our choices have consequences, the reactions of our actions touch people around us, influence our thoughts, and it navigates our destiny. We are surrounded by answers to our most daring and challenging questions if we become aware of life’s formula. So, go achieve and be anything you want to be, it’s your birthright!

We live in a day and age of hedonism, self-fulfillment and greed. Between that and our every selfish desire to prove ourselves and amass all the toys, coupled with our current economic situation—no one is taking the time to show Love for their mates, let alone raise their children.

With economic conditions requiring both parents to work one, two, or three jobs just to make ends meet, there’s no one at home teaching our children how to grow up to be well-balanced adults, let alone nurturing them with Love and discipline. On top of that, almost every working adult in today’s society is so filled with stress and worry, when they do come home they are complaining or snapping at their family members.

Everyone’s tired and hostile at work, they bring it home, and it gets sent out into work and school the very next day.

Our kids, who are baby sat by the television know more about sex, violence, drugs and intoxication, and foul language then they need to know. No one’s suggesting that we should put blinders over our children’s eyes—but we’re wondering why we have such a teen pregnancy issue today. Hello! Our children are not Loved, they feel empty inside, and they know all about sex, so they think that it’s the route to go.

Drugs, it’s bad enough with the prevalence of hard, addictive drugs in today’s world, but you couple that with the fact that so many our children feel empty inside, and have not really had supportive talks with their folks about the dangers of drugs.

All of society’s problems can be linked to a vast absence of Love in today’s world. Whether the problem is violence, drugs, unwanted pregnancies, std’s, broken up families. It all boils down to Love, or the lack thereof. It’s not a matter of religion. It’s not a matter of legislation. It’s not a matter of science. It’s a matter of common sense.

“Go home and love your family.”