Dr Uche Diala
I watched the burial of Prophet T. B. Joshua on Television because my staff switched on Emmanuel TV and were dutifully following it.
As I watched the proceedings including videos of his early days in Ministry when he was a slim, heavily moustached young man, I recollected the first time I watched him on Television around 1997/98.
I recalled that at the time and maybe all through his Ministry, there were all kinds of back talks and insinuations about his Ministry, his source of power, his lack of grammatical finesse, his unique style etc.
A number of things dawned on me which I could relate to life in general.
T.B Joshua started off just as a man with a dream and a calling from God and nothing much else. He barely finished secondary school, did not have the luxury of fancy suits that many new generation, prosperity Pastors are known for. He did not have the ‘packaging’ and obviously did not have the time for that. I say he did not have the time and not the money because even as he grew in Ministry and had access to wealth, he remained modestly dressed. One could almost feel whenever he wore a suit, that he could not wait to take them off and return to the regular, casual clothes he was used to.
He went to God as he was with his raw gift of the Holy Spirit and he never tried to impress God or any man. He presented himself as he was; not as the world expected. He was a non-conformist and dared to be different. He was authentic and original and that was beyond some people’s capacity and capability to comprehend and accept.
He was was not looking, talking, acting and behaving like the typical pentecostal and prosperity preachers of this world. So many wordly, religious and holier-than-thou folks found him eccentric and the conclusion was that he was not one of them and thus surely his powers must have come from some occult kingdom.
Over the years, I quietly waited for him to fall; for the source of his fake powers to be exposed because if he was not of God, it would surely unravel but I did not see that. Rather his Ministry grew from strength to strength.
By the way, over the years, the poorly educated young man, obviously from lowly societal background who spoke smattering English cleaned up real good, even as he retained his humility, humanity and God given aura. A practical case of when your riches increase, do not put your heart to it.
Alas, to the glory of God, the village boy who was disparaged, gossiped about, denied and maligned by his kinsmen and fellow country men; a case of a Prophet has no honour amongst his kith and kin, became the toast of the world. A further case of the stone which the builders rejected later becoming the corner stone. He became a guest and indeed a host to world leaders from far and wide who thronged to not Lagos but a back village in Ogun state to meet with him and drink from the fountain of God’s word and healing.
Interestingly, this man of God, who some, including other men of God and their followers disparaged and refused to associate with, even in death was actually the true epitome and testament of what God called his followers, Prophets and Priest to do in the world – heal the sick, feed the hungry, house the homeless, clothe the naked and comfort the suffering. All these Prophet T. B. Joshua did. Not just for and to members of his Congregation orMinistry or his fellow Christians and country men. He did it for and to Muslims, Hindus, Jews and even traditional religious adherents alike and people from all over the world.
He lived a life for Christ and of Christ; yet people who can and did not do same still had the lack of conscience and shame to judge him. He did not have screaming bill boards bearing his face and announcing his miracles and crusades, yet his face was etched in the minds of many. He did not have the traditional huge sign board at his Synagogue, yet people of all races, social and economic status trooped to the Synagogue.
Another thing that occurred to me was how decent his approach to Ministry was. With all his influence, he never had unnecessary squabbles with governments at all levels, even as he related with the high and mighty in government. Yet he never sucked up to any government or leader(s). He never fought with any government or leaders unnecessarily neither did he play to the gallery; trying to impress the crowd as many other Nigerian men of God are wont to do.
He knew his place and his calling. He fed his flock and more and did his best to contribute to building society and by extension helping government and the masses. He understood the concept of separation of Church and State exemplified in Jesus’ words of give to Ceaser what is Ceaser’s and to God what is God’s. He knew the role and place of Kings, Priests and Prophets in the society.
Prophet T. B. Joshua clearly understood his place and duty as a citizen. I daresay he was a patriotic Nigerian. The first glimpse I had of that was when I watched the video where he spoke about the surprise National Honours Award bestowed on him by a President Yar’adua, a Muslim. One could not miss the sense of pride he felt about that honor, although not expected by him.
When the Nigerian national Anthem was played today before his interment, I was so proud of him because the people he tutored and left behind and who planned his burial could only practice what he had thought them alongside the values he imbued in them. One can be sure that none of his real congregants would be seen mindlessly abusing leaders, government and or members of other religions or tribes on social media as is the case with many others because he would have thought them the virtues of loving their nation and praying for their nation and leaders; even if they do not like them or if they feel not well treated as indeed he was not treated well by many of his compatriots and not recognised as much as he truly deserved by his nation except by President Yar’adua.
Taking it all in, I asked myself: What really is my purpose in life? Here was a man who completed his purpose and assignment in life with time to spare but God called him home. With a Ministry which lasted for just 30 years, he died at 57 years of age, leaving indelible footprints on the sands of time, etching his good name and good works in the hearts of many and lives on in the lives of many across nations that he touched their lives in various ways including paying for their education to become doctors, engineers, teachers etc and by the grace of God seated with God in heaven as I write.
What use it to live on earth and struggle till your earthly body is corrupted by sickness, disease and pain and maybe still die an unfulfilled life with no testament of good to your name; maybe even with all the material wealth and maybe continue the suffering in hell?
Too many lessons to learn indeed from the life of this humble man of God who rose from grass to grace. In the end, I learn that I must strive to please only God and to live for others. For to live in the hearts of others who love you is to not die. It is not how long but how well.
Rest in peace, God’s General and Saint, Prophet T. B. Joshua.
• Diala is the Medical Director/CEO of Nu – Vision Eye Clinic, Abuja.