Christians Living In A Forest (Mic 7:14ff)

Daily Reflection Tuesday 19th July, 2016.
By Rev. Fr Oliver Onah

The survivors of the menace of the Nigerian Civil War (1967-70) can tell better, the trauma associated with living in a foreign land nay, a thick forest without shelter. If the story of the abduction of the Chibok girls in the northern hemisphere of Nigeria is true, then imagine the horrible experiences they might be passing through for about three years now. They might have become objects of rape in the hands of their abductors. Some might have died. Some might have been bruised and lacerated by ferocious wild animal. It is worrisome that some Christians for whom God has secured comfortable accommodation in the Promised Land have ‘decided’ to live in faraway forest- a place designed for wild animals. They deprive themselves of the nourishing Sacraments of the Church and feed on food meant for pigs. Those that make it to this list include: unwedded married couples, apostates (those that deliberately defected from the true faith handed on by the apostles), despaired souls and those messed up in detestable mortal sin. I wish they knew the level of damage done to their souls as long as they remained in grave sin in the forest. What makes their case too bad and salvation ‘very difficult’ (should they die in this condition) is that they deliberately chose to die by severing communications with God and thus freely handed themselves over to Satan. The only thing that can guarantee their salvation as prophet Micah prays today (Mic 7:14), would be to present their neck to the saving crook of the Good Shepherd who wishes that all men be saved.