In a crowd-fill centre, they came one for all as one people, with one language and in one spirit of gratefulness to the God of heaven for making them as a people to see 2016, they sang and chanted
“Sesong’n sensong’n, Akwa Abasi sesong’n sam ma’n sim nfin”
They sang so melodiously that I wondered if Ma’ Mary Slessor, Samuel Bill, and other early missionaries, who died trying to bring the gospel to our fore-bearers were to be here to see our generation praising and starting with the only true God of heaven and of the earth in the beginning of a civilized counting year, away from their struggled to convert our ancestors from the worship of idol, human and blood sacrifices and the demonic customs of banishing and killing twins and their mothers. Oh what a joy it would’ve be’n for this Amazonian of faith that gave her life and that of others in trying to bring this good news of God’s salvation to us. Oh what a joy it is to Zachariah, who says ‘Today I have seen the salvation of our God, now I can now die in peace” Oh what a joy in heaven that we, who were once regarded as not people, have now been made in union and called to walk with our God. Oh what a joy!
Several years have passed. And today, after several more years, our people in one accord, without distinction of the Annang, Ibibio or Oron border line dichotomy, switched uniformly in one song, one voice and one spirit again, chanting the ‘uko ke’ ekon’ victory song of Jehovah, the only true and supreme God, that at a time, you weren’t sure if it was Udom ke Ekon that they were chanting.
But the bottom line and what we are celebrating in this New Year and new era of Global Community Liberation Missions is the fact that our generation, our political leaders, the youth, women, men and children, and everyone in our time are praising and starting with God. That is a blessing.
Shallom and Happy New Year
Rev. Cleopas.
