EGGLESIASTES AND MORE! (A Story)

Some time ago I was sitting at my much-loved place in my Living room, reading my Bible and sipping my favourite cup of hot coffee. It was 5am. The day was going to be beautiful.

I heard a lot of noise outside my main door. It sounded like some confusion was going on. And the sound got louder, so I knew whoever it was, they were just outside my door. I was peeved and got out of my seat to open the front door.

To my chagrined surprise, I saw about 20 or 30 hens, some goats, and a few buffaloes standing as a close-knit group just at my doorstep. Whoa! What will my neighbours say, and how come they all entered our well-guarded society…and that too so early in the morning. But thankfully no one was around.

There was a sudden momentary silence and they all stared at me.

Unexpectedly one of the fattest hens spoke to me. She was loud and clear and seemed to be the leader of the group, “we have come to ask you for prayer” she said.

“Whaaattt??” I said with a loud astounding voice. My mind racing. My heart beating. I have never prayed for hens in my life, except at mealtimes! I let her continue…

“Sir! We need you to pray. Not only for us, but for all your fellowmen…because there is a serious problem in the land.”

“Whaaattt??” I said again. My voice lower now.

“Let me explain,” she said, “have you heard of plastic eggs in the market?” I nodded my head. She continued, “And you know my cousin just died, because she ate plastic rice!”

The brown goat at the back said in a nervous voice, “I’m sick sir! I ate plastic cabbages the other day, we were hungry, and our master could not make out the difference between the real cabbages and the fake ones” and then the buffaloes said a deep “Yeah!” in unison.

The fat hen continued, “Soon we’ll all be dead.  And nobody will need us anymore, it seems all of you are turning to plastic stuff and fake things”. The others all cackled and wanted say more, but she being the leader was very angry and said very loudly, her wing pointing at me, and her red eyes glaring, “Sir! We’ve said all we want. Now it’s up to you and your friends. Will you please pray?”

She turned around to all of the group, and said, “That’s all folks, lets go”. The buffalo gave a loud belch…“Oh! That infernal cabbage!” he said.

They turned around and left. But I was flooded with thoughts, overcome with anger, and moved with compassion…all at the same time.

I need to pray. I came back to the now cooled off coffee and thought these words…With the ever-increasing rate of technological advancements and growing level of skill in the manufacturing spheres, it should come as little surprise that it is becoming increasing difficult – even for experts – to distinguish between authentic things and counterfeit ones. We are now at the point where the fakes are almost identical to the real…where they are almost 99 percent identical.

I looked down at my Bible, and uncannily it was open to 2 Tim 3:10-14…

…You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it…

So, I’m praying that God will deal severely with deceitful men, who have no conscience to kill others for profit to themselves. And their evil minds will conjure up more and more schemes to destroy others to gain power, position and money.

And they make fake food, fake medicines, fake stuff that is poisonous to all of us and our children. They can even provide fake certificates to get to a place of power.

The truth is…our world is full of them.

But the greater truth is this…Our God hears our prayer!

Don’t stop praying folks!

These guys need to be judged by God after all!