My First Blog Post

Great. My very first blog post. The first page of a captivating series of good stuff. Now, where do I start? I should probably start by introducing myself. Let me keep it short and simple. My name is Nyambura Ngugi and I am a born again Christian lady living in Kenya. I hope that helps. It should say much. Or doesn't it? Well, what have I left out? My skin color? My education level? My economic status? If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, allow me to ask: Why?

I understand that there are people who harbor various prejudices based on any or all of the above criteria. I have had the privilege (or misfortune, depending on how you look at it) of meeting them. They will use these criteria to rank whatever you say and do. They will look at you from head to toe and decide what the book is worth from its cover. They will use themselves as a gauge to determine whether you measure up to or fall short of their worthiness index. You might even get the privilege of reading your performance on their faces or in their speech. It will matter to them what car you drive, what kind of house you live in, who your parents are, where you went to school, etc, etc, etc. Maybe you have met them. Maybe you are one of them.

I once made the mistake of buying a pair of shoes based on their classy appearance and catchy heels. They fitted well and felt comfortable when I first tried them on, but wait until I got the chance to spend a day in them. Horror of horrors! I could hardly wait to get home and nurse my aching muscles and sore feet. Just as I had been eager to wear them, so was I eager to get rid of them.

Similarly, once upon a time I used to select oranges based on the even color and smooth texture of their skin. Many are the times that I ended up having to contend with a very bitter and unpalatable dessert, until I discovered that the oranges with the ugly-looking and patchy skin are often the tastiest. An envelope could be tattered and dirty or clean and shiny, but read the letter contained in it in order to know whether it carries good or bad news.

We were all born into this world under different circumstances. However, circumstances are just that - circumstances. None of us chose whether to be born male or female, black or white, rich or poor, by such and such parents, in such and such a place, etc. We all just found ourselves born into whatever circumstances and environments we landed in. Just as a person was born into a white family, so could s/he have been born into a black one. Just as a person was born male, so could s/he have been born female. Just as a person was born into a poor family, so could s/he have been born into a royal one, and vice versa.

Despite our circumstances, we were all born with the potential to do great things, to scale great heights, to accomplish great feats, to perform mighty wonders, and to make a positive impact in this world. And we carry this potential throughout our lives, no matter how roughly or neatly packaged it might be. It is therefore inappropriate to judge each other on the basis of material and superficial things. Rather than waste valuable time and energy comparing ourselves to each other and measuring ourselves by various selfishly-calibrated meters, we should realize the great potential and wealth that lies within each one of us, whether tapped or untapped, and encourage each other to be the best that we can be, recognizing the uniqueness that rightfully and beautifully belongs to each one of us, and respecting it. If we do this, the world will indeed be a better place to be born into, grow up in, pursue dreams in and live in, not just for a chosen few, but for everyone, irregardless of their race, gender, family background, economic status, etc.

Jesus Christ wrapped up all this in one word: LOVE. And the Bible defines it thus:

⁴  Love is patient,

   love is kind.

   It does not envy,

   it does not boast,

   it is not proud.

⁵  It is not rude,

   it is not self-seeking,

   it is not easily angered,

   it keeps no record of wrongs.

⁶  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

⁷  It always protects,

   always trusts,

   always hopes,

   always perseveres.

 ⁸  Love never fails.

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Just as we come into this world without the various things that we find in it when we are born, so do we leave without them when we die. We do not carry our property, beautiful bodies, certificates, jobs, social status, etc, into the afterlife. The only thing that matters after our departure is what we invested in those that we leave behind, be it good or bad. If it is good, then our lives were worth it; If it is bad, then it would have been better for us not to have been born. To hate each other is to hurt and destroy each other, and it helps no one.

Well, that should be enough of an introduction for now. Keep watching this space for more.