OMNIPRESENT ONE. *************** Ever seen something that has no logical explanation? And when I say logical, I mean based on science, fact, or knowledge. Well, I have cause to marvel. For during my current time-out in Benin, one such happening found its way to my doorstep. Story, Story... Once upon a time, 3 days ago, a lady in our church, a friend of ours, was burying her mum. She invited friends, and members of the parish. This death and resultant funeral plans, everyone knew, had been shrouded in lots of intrigue, including family squabbles, and issues with the community in Benin where they come from, and were going to bury their dead. One of these community squabbles was as a result of the womans outright refusal to employ the services of a rainmaker. The whole church knew they had threatened to show her PEPPER! for daring to defy their wishes. As if the woman that was going to be buried wasnt their daughter. Na wa. Anyhoo, Burial Friday. Outdoor event. There were six canopies in total. 2 beside each other on each side, all 4 facing the open middle, the other 2 occupying goalkeeper positions on either side. One of these goalkeepers was occupied by the Priest, the Cathechist, Mass servers, and the Host/Blessed Sacrament (known more commonly as Holy Communion). Halfway into Mass, it began to RAIN. Notice the caps? RAAAAAIN. That kind of rain that looks not like drops of water falling to the earth, but like youre looking at the world through a sheer white curtain. People couldnt hear each other speak. Naturally, there was a bit of commotion; people at the edges trying to burrow deeper into the canopies, those who couldnt find space sought shelter in roof overhang in a couple houses nearby. The priest had to quit saying mass, no one could hear him. I doubt he could hear himself. And then. The people began to sing. And praise God. PIECES. Rain seemed to slow... And then, these... POPPING sounds. Some confusion, cos nobody understood. And then my mum goes, HAIL!!! And that woman knows hail. From what I gather, she saw quite a bit of it in her childhood in Auchi or somewhere. They moved around a wee bit. Long, short. She was right. Itty-bitty, and not so itty-bitty blocks of ice were falling from Gods skies. So, some more huddling within the canopies, and shuffling in the makeshift shelters. But did the singing stop? HELL NO. Minor timelapse. Alleluia. The hail stopped. Without hurting anyone. But then the WIND came. Wind, not air, not breeze. Howling winds. Before anyone could say aeolus, One of the flanking canopies was up in the air. Just whoosh, and gone. Then the adjacent one. Like someone was trying was trying to part the sea of canopies, they fell on either side. Gods now-exposed children were all a-tumultous, looking for shelter while rapidly getting wet. Yes, it was still raining. Next to fall was one of the goalkeepers, the larger one. And then... There were 3. The small canopy housing the now-praying priest, one beside him, and one on his other side, far side. Please, at this point, let your imagination enter film-trick mode. Scene: People had scurried to the canopies still standing, and surrounding buildings. The youths of the church were drenched to the skin, chasing canopies (looking like cartoon characters, I must say), and trying to get them back up. It was still raining, and it was still windy. And the people were still singing. Louder than ever, even. A whole new gust of wind came. It took out the 2 canopies on the sides at the same time. But, check it. The wind came from behind the canopy beside the priest, with enough force to push the one on the other side. But that one beside the priest only jerked forward, halted as if held back by something, and then blew back violently, the GREATEST distance of all the canopies. To the other side. Now, I know wind is unpredictable in the direction it chooses to blow, but that canopy, pushed by that particular wind, SHOULD HAVE fallen on top of the little canopy with the Holy Communion in it. Nothing for it. No explanation. The wind blew and howled some more; the youth had given up on the canopies. They were now singing and dancing, in the rain, in a frenzy (for lack of a more befitting word), and the rest of the people following suit in their shelters or lack thereof. The priest was still on his knees. And then, just as suddenly as the rain began, it stopped. Wind seized, and the sun came out, in full glory. The canopies were then re-erected, errant chairs wiped down and returned to their formation, people back in decent shelter, proceeding with mass. You know the one detail I skipped in all this? The most AMAZING thing of all? That itty-bitty canopy with the Blessed Sacrament didnt move an INCH. My mother went to speak with the priest as he got in his car, come time to leave. She said he wasnt even wet. Not him, not the Cathechist, not the Mass servers. With all that simultaneous rain and wind. [In the spirit of fairness, I insert here that she didnt get a good look at their hems. I asked.] And no, they couldnt have dried out already. Priests heavy robes + short mass cannot equal drenched-then-dry. Please, Charles Darwin and co., come and talk that tin you were talking again. ******************************************** ******************************************** POSTFACE. I have been an ardent follower of both the Pentecostal and Catholic churches, at different times in my life. And I almost became a Witness for Jehovah once. (Ive been semi-Atheist too, but thats another story entirely). Ive seen God work wonders in both churches. Ive felt the Holy Spirit move in both churches. Ive been witness to miracles happening in both churches. As contrasting in Practice as they are. (Note: I didnt say Faith.) Each denomination believes theyve Got God. And the others? Meh. But isnt it just a little bit possible that God is OmniPresent? That wherever his children are, He is? Just a thought. MOOCT28131248AM
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 18:23:13 +0000
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