By Patrick Wemambu
Parishioners of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Umuochi-Utchi, Ndokwa-East LGA of Delta State have been urged to collaborate with one another as they struggle through life towards achieving objectives for their creation.
Since Christian fellowship is desirable, the faithful were told – by their parish priest, Rev. Fr. Leonard Okoli, Sunday in a homily – that they can accomplish more by working together.
Said he; “In the second reading, St James declares that the terrible manifestations of jealousy, hatred, backbiting, anger and other capital sins begin from the selfish ambitions of the heart. It is good to pursue success; but it is bad when our ambitions control us. We should not succeed alone.”
Quoting St. James who stressed that wars and battles rage within individual hearts, Fr. Okoli regretted that some persons are prepared to kill to satisfy inordinate ambitions. Certain brethren seeking promotions in their workplaces or desirous of taking up leadership positions in the Church, the priest added, can sacrifice anyone on their paths.
However, he noted that it is not bad to have ambitions but it is bad to be ambitious. Hear him; “Having ambitions is about having goals and targets and dreams. Being ambitious is when you are driven by your ambitions to a point where you are ready to sacrifice anything and everything for it. Most times, we think of life in a vertical manner; we have the mentality that life is about top and bottom, up and down, always moving in the vertical manner. This mentality makes us see ourselves as struggling to get to the top.”
Reflecting on the horizontal side of life, the homilist assured that
being on top does not mean others must be under us. Similarly, the church members should not believe that the best way to be successful is to be at the top. The cleric spoke on what he termed the pull them down syndrome.
“Dear friends, we can become successful alongside others. Success is a platform not a peak. A platform can accommodate as many as possible. You can become successful with others. When we think of life as a horizontal journey, we will not see others as competitors but as collaborators; not as mutual exclusives, but as compliments,” he declared – explaining that nobody needs to fail for you to succeed just as nobody needs to become poor for you to become rich.
As at parting shot, the Holy Trinitarians were informed that selfish interests sometimes can make people reject and oppress those who tell them the truth. There is always a just man close to you; one who tells you the truth about yourself either in words or actions. John the Baptist was cited as telling Herod and Herodias the truth about their marriage but instead of taking heed, Herodias plotted to have the messenger (John the Baptist) beheaded (Mark 6:14-29).
