The Uniqueness Of Jesus Christ In My Life

I WAS BORN IN SIERRA LEONE, WEST AFRICA. MY FATHER WAS WELL KNOWN TO EVERYONE IN KINGTOM VILLAGE HE WAS THE SON OF A MUSLIM ALAJI IN FULA TOWN. MY MOTHER LIVED IN KISSY VILLAGE WITH HER CHRISTIAN PARENTS. HER MOTHER WAS A SALES PERSON, AND HER FATHER WAS THE ASHEIKPA. (LEADER OF A SECRET HUNTING SOCIETY)

I LIVED IN KISSY VILLAGE UNTIL I WAS ABOUT 2 YEARS WITH MY MOM AND HER FAMILY. MY MOM LEFT FOR THE UNITED STATES WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG IN THE PURSUIT OF HER PURPOSE AND TO BEGIN BUILDING THE STAGE AND FRAME WORK UPON WHICH MY LIFE AND STORY WOULD UNFOLD.THE POETIC AND ARTISTIC DESIGNS OF GODS HANDIWORK IN THE DAILY LIVES OF PEOPLE THROUGH OUT HUMAN HISTORY IS EVIDENCE MY LIFE EVER SINCE I COULD REMEMBER. HIS REDEMPTIVE LOVE AND PASSION FOR A SPECIE THAT WERE CREATED IN HIS IMAGE IS THE MOTIFF OF THE BIBLE.

ONE AFTERNOON MY FATHER TOOK ME FROM MY  MATERNAL FAMILY UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT I WAS GOING TO VISIT HIM; INSTEAD HE TOOK ME TO HIS SISTER WHO LIVED IN WESTERN AREA OF FREETOWN. I CAN RECALL BEING KEPT IN A ROOM WHEN MY MATERNAL UNCLES CAME TO LOOK FOR ME THAT NIGHT. I COULD NOT HEAR ALL THE DETAILS OF THEIR CONVERSATION BUT THEY LEFT WHEN IT WAS OVER. I LIVED WITH MY AUNT AND HER FAMILY FOR 12 YEARS.

IT WAS IN THOSE TWELVE YEARS THAT MY LIFE BEGAN TO SHAPE INTO THE PERSON I WILL BECOME.THOSE FORMATIVE YEARS IN MY LIFE WERE FILLED WITH RICH EXPERIENCES THAT MOLDED AND DEVELOPED A SYSTEM OF DISCIPLINE AND A SENSE OF ORDER IN MY LIFE. GOD WAS AT WORK, SHAPING AND MOLDING ME IN CHARACTER AND BEHAVIOUR. HE WAS EQUIPING ME TO HANDLE THE JOYS, TRIUMPHS, PAIN, CHALLENGES AND SETBACKS THAT I WOULD ENCOUNTER AND GRAPPLE WITH DURING THE COURSE OF MY YOUTHFUL DAYS. THOSE MEMORIES ARE RICH AND VIVID.

THERE WAS A REVEREND LIVING ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY AUNT'S HOUSE IN A SMALL TWO ROOM SHACK PAINTED WHITE WITH BLACK TRIMMINGS. IMAGES OF HIM ARE STILL LOCKED IN MY MIND. HE WOULD WEAR HIS MINISTERIAL ROBE AND COLLAR AS HE WOULD WALK TO THE KRU TRIBE CHURCH DOWN THE STREET WHERE HE WOULD CONDUCT SERVICES.I WOULD OFTEN VISUALIZE MYSELF IN HIS POSITION. I WANTED TO BE A REVEREND AND I WOULD PLAY PRETEND IN THE UPSTIARS VERANDA WITH PEICES OF ROCKS LINED UP AS IF THEY WERE MEMBERS OF A CONGREGATION SITTING IN A CHURCH PEW.

MY PASSION DURING THOSE DEVELOPMENTAL YEARS WAS TO BE IN CHURCH EVERYDAY.
I HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN THAT MY SPIRITUALITY MATTERS. MY PATERNAL GRANDFATHER WAS A MUSLIM. MY MATERNAL GRANDPARENTS WERE CHRISTIANS. I MUST CLARIFY HERE THAT INTERFAITH MARRIAGES AND RELATIONSHIPS WERE NOT A TABOO IN SIERRA LEONE AS WE EXPERIENCE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD TODAY.
CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS WOULD HAVE DEVOUTION TOGETHER OR SEPERATELY AND THERE WERE NO CONFLICT OR VIOLENCE. WE UNDERSTOOD THAT WE WERE ALL GROPING AND SEARCHING FOR ABSOLUTE TRUTH AND THE CREATOR OF THE WORLD. MOST OF OUR DISCUSSIONS WOULD BE ABOUT THE SIMILARITIES OF BOTH FAITHS AND WHAT BINDS US TOGETHER RATHER THAN WHAT DIVIDES US. WE ENJOYED THE RELIGIOUS FEASTS TOGETHER. WE OFTEN LOOKED FORWARD TO RAMADAN AS WE WOULD CHRISTMAS. MEALS OF LUXURY WOULD BE SHARED AMONGST NEIGHBOURS OF DIFFERENT FAITHS. WE WERE BONDED BY LOVE. A UNIQUE SENSE OF APPRECIATIVE LOVE THAT WE ALL ACCEPTED AS A WAY OF LIFE.
MY MATERNAL GRANDFATHER WAS ALSO A LEADER OF A SECRET SOCIETY THAT SOME WOULD RELATE TO AS OCCULTISM.

THE QUESTION THAT HAS BEEN POSED TO ME FREQUENTLY IS WHY DID I BECOME A CHRISTIAN? I WAS EXPOSED TO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT IN RELATION TO SPIRITUALITY IN SIERRA LEONE. RELIGIOUS PRACTICES IN FREETOWN WAS SACRED AND RESPECTED WITHOUT QUESTIONS. AS A YOUNG BOY I HAD MY EXISTENTIAL STRUGGLE. I WAS ALWAYS BURDENED, AND I QUESTIONED MYSELF ABOUT THE ORIGINALITY OF EVIL AND MISCHIEF IN MY HEART AND THE CORRUPTION OF OUR POLITICAL SYSTEMS. WAS THIS ALL THAT LIFE WAS MEANT TO BE? DOES LIFE IN ITSELF HAVE A PURPOSE AND MEANING? WHAT WAS THE PUNISHMENT FOR EVIL? WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE BENEVOLENT GOD, WITCHCRAFT AND OCCULTIC PRACTICES THAT TERRORIZED OUR MINDS AND HAUNTED OUR DREAMS? IS THERE ANY RESTORATION? MOST IMPORTANTLY HOW CAN I ACQUIRE SUCH RESTORATION AND BE IN A RIGHTFUL POSITION WITH THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE THAT DETERMINES WHERE EACH OF US WILL SPEND ETERNITY.

THE CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW WAS THE ONLY LENS THROUGH WHICH I COULD SEE THE FRAME WORK OF THE WORLD WITH PURPOSE, MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE. THE INCARNATE WORD OF GOD IN THE PERSON OF JESUS CHRIST GAVE ME AN EXCLUSIVE ANSWER TO MY QUESTIONS. THE UNIQUE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN HUMAN SOCIETY AND CULTURE MADE HIM A CREDIBLE WITNESS FOR THE CHARACTER AND ATTRIBUTES OF HIS FATHER NOW MY FATHER. HE DIDN'T HAVE TO BORROW OR EXTRACT ANYTHING FROM ANOTHER RELIGIONS. HE PROVIDED CONVINCING AND CREDIBLE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS OF MY DEPRAVITY THAT WAS FRAMED AROUND THREE CONCEPTS: EVIL, JUSTICE AND FORGIVENESS. THOSE THREE CONCEPTS CONVERGED AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS ON A MOUNTAIN CALLED CALVARY AND THEY WERE SETTLED FINALIZED AND CLOSED WITH OUT PREJUDICE.
IT IS AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS OF JESUS THAT LAID THE ANSWERS TO MY QUESTIONS, AND I DISCOVERED THE MAJESTY AND UNIQUENESS OF CHRIST AMONGST OTHER RELIGIOUS ICONS.

CHRIST PUT ON HUMANITY SO THAT WE MIGHT BE TRANSFORMED AND BE ADOPTED INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD. NEVER IN HUMAN HISTORY HAS ANYONE MADE AND VALIDATED THE CLAIMS OF CHRIST. HE WAS TAUGHT OF GOD. IN HIS HUMANITY, HE SPOKE TO THE ELEMENTS AND THEY HEARD THE VOICE THAT CALLED THEM INTO EXISTENCE FROM THE BEGINNING, AND THEY OBEYED HIM.
GREAT MEN HAVE COME AND GONE YET, HE LIVES. DEATH AND THE GRAVE COULD NOT HOLD HIM.
HE LIVES TODAY WITH MORE STUDENTS AND VOLUNTEERS THAN ALL THE UNIVERSITIES AND ARMIES OF THE WORLD COMBINED. HE IS THE QUINT ESSENCE OF LIFE AND MOST OF ALL HE IS MY LORD AND MY SAVIOUR WHO IS FOR EVER TO BE LOVED AND PRAISED AMEN






http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/mIIJOA0DYDQUX

Jewelers