The Funeral of An Icon---My Thoughts

My country Ghana, today buried one of the great sons of its soil, Komla Dumor; who before the time of his demise, worked with the BBC. While watching his funeral, which was aired live on national television, the lyrics of a local song resonated in my ears. The song directly translates to as “Let me mourn for myself. At another person‘s funeral, you observe your own funeral“  Many tributes were read celebrating the short but well lived life of Komla Dumor. Clearly, what will be said at our own funeral will be determined by how well we lived our life here on earth. Impact truly is not made by how long we live. Impact is made by how well we lived.

Admittedly, there are many profound mysteries of life. Things we just can't understand. Amongst which, two, makes the list: Birth and Death. We participate in the celebration of the birth of others, yet we can't participate in the celebration of our own birth. We participate in the funerals of others, but our own funeral, we can't participate in. Birth and death are two events in life we have no control over. Our birth signifies an entry into a fallen world of pain, hurts, disappointments and failure. The first cry of a newborn baby it's said signifies pain; the pain of separation from its comfort zone---the mother‘s umbilical cord and amniotic fluid--- into an unfriendly world of many uncertainties. “An unfriendly world of many uncertainties": That to me is an apt description of life: “many uncertainties“.

Life in its true sense is not predictable. We can propound philosophical thoughts and stimulating religious theories in an attempt to define life. But life in the short while I have been around I believe can't simply be reduced to theories. We don't know it all! Sadly my friends we don't know it all. That's how the creator has made it: 

The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.( Deut. 29:29).

Let us leave the secret things to God, but the things that He has revealed to us---gifts, talents, etc---let us make good use of them while we have time. Don't misunderstand me; the mysteries in no way make life gloomy. The mysteries and uncertainties are planted in our hearts to tease us on to aspire for greatness. That also is how the Creator has made it:

I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.“ (Ecclesiastes 3:10-11). 

“He makes all things beautiful in his time“: That presents us with one thoughtful insight that should unsettle our fears and struggles: God does reward hard work, but no matter how hard we try, success will only come to us at God's time. It's a burden. It's a mystery. Yet it's comforting that success will come when we try hard.

Now, in the midst of the mysteries; Life, when looked at from the perspective of the Creator, presents us an opportunity to participate in the divine plan and agenda of God for humanity. We play a part in the grand epic of God---the unfolding story which will be told to many yet unborn. Sometime in the future, it will be the story of your life, my life and the life of many people we have met on the journey of life. What will be said of you by those who will participate in your funeral? And most importantly, what will be said of you by your Creator? 

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them (Ecclesiastes 12:1).

Rest In Peace Komla.