What did the Nigerian say to the Pakistani?

As I sat down in the bus on my way to church, I dug my hand inside my big bag and was shocked I could not find a pen. Strange. I like to refer to myself as the pen lover.

I looked around and wondered who would give me a pen to edit this poem I was going  to use as an audition for an upcoming event. I looked to my left I saw the streets and to my right, were two ladies. My immediate right was a lady with a hijab, and I knew she was from Pakistan and next to her was an older Indian lady reading some Hindu book. (Don’t ask me how I knew where they were from, I just know!)

I tapped the Pakistani pretty looking girl who had ear phones on and I asked her’ Do you have a pen?’ she replied ‘I do not think so, but let me check’ and I smiled. The Indian lady shouted above the noise of the bus and said I have a pen! As she put her hand inside her bag and stretched the pen across the Indian border through Pakistani Oceans to the Nigerian rivers. And again I smiled as I took the pen.

I momentarily forgot what I wanted to edit in my poem as I reflected on what just happened.

I just crossed the walls of culture, religion, skin colour and racial heritage.

If only everyone was as open as that; if only I don’t need to ask for peace, you just offer it to me without the thought of war. If only, we remember that clothes were made to cover nakedness and we are made of the same red blood and ‘green veins’ and there was no need to discriminate. If only our mind has not been carved to see differences at just one look at someone else other than us.

Romans 12 vs. 18- If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all (English Standard Version)

Does that mean we do not live at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves? ‘Emphasis on ‘So far as it depends on you’.

Hebrews 12 vs. 14- Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.(New Living Translation)

Work, meaning it is a verb, meaning it is an action word, it is something we have to be involved in. it is then obvious that even the words of the Gospel understand our fleshy mindful obstructions that it expects us to work through it and live with everyone.

We have influenced the status of clothes, and what others wear outside, we use to define them. In as much as she wore a Hijab and her beliefs are different from mine, it didn’t stop her from putting her hand into that bag just for the hope of giving me a pen. In as much as she was holding a Hindu book and I had my bible in my bag, it didn’t stop the Indian lady from offering me her pen without me asking for one.

Let us think on this. If I could cross borders with a question, how much can you touch borders with your kindness, your work of peace, and your words of hope?

What I learnt today?

Today, I learnt that being upset is simply a set up. It is where we allow others to set up our emotions, attitude, day, responses, hearts, and mind. Giving someone the opportunity to upset us is giving them the opportunity to end our day without any input from us.

I tried an experiment today: Someone really started me off on the wrong foot this morning. It was one of those mornings that caution was thrown to the wind and it was a war of egos and no one of the little ego was going to back down, and the after effects of ego-bashing left a sour taste in my mouth; but, I like to have a sweet taste in my mouth and lightness in my shoulder and i approached the second ego and told her, I still love you no matter what.

At that moment, I am not sure what went through her mind, maybe one of victory that she won, or confusion that is she alright or just a lightness as well, but I was sure of what I went through. An enlight-ment.

And as I walked back to my seat, I smiles throughout the day.

Do not let others set you up. You are in control. Take charge.