Fides Media Living the Faith
There is this friend of mine that will always be trying to convince me to join one networking business or the other, one Ponzi scheme or the other. Since I lost part of my school fees sometime in 2017, after I was convinced by a personality that would always have my respect to join MMM.
My annoyance rested on my effort in clarifying this man that this money was part of my school fees. Yet, he convinced me to make use of it. I was not perturbed because I trusted his personality and he is capable of refunding me the double of the money. Out of trust and respect for him, I went into MMM. Unfortunately, my money met a Waterloo and got drowned.
The man already knew what had happened and started earlier to avoid my chats and calls. Up till today, he has not spoken to me pertaining to that money. I discovered that the world is not the way I perceived it earlier. Even some people we offer respect like incense do not merit it.
I was weakened by that very incident. I have to starve myself in order to raise some money to complete my school fees. Aftermath, I swore that nothing will bring me closer to any Ponzi scheme or networking business again irrespective of how real it seems to be. One does not need a mirror to wear a wrist band. Mistake made twice is a careful one.
However, this my friend, Uchenna, has been on my door always persuading me to join any scheme that surfaces. Infact, anytime I see an advert of any new scheme, I will begin to anticipate his chat and he has never disappointed me. What perturbs me about this guy is consistency. When ‘wazobia’ was in reign, Uchenna was there. He lost some amount of money there.
There has never been a scheme that surfaces and fades without the patronization of my guy, Uchenna. It is quite unfortunate to note also that there has never been a Ponzi scheme that completely favoured him. He has been losing and gaining. He is also among those still anticipating the refunding of their money from the recent Ponzi, Rasksterli that got crashed recently.
Yesterday, he chatted me up again to advise me into joining another networking business that pays on monthly basis. Anyway, I didn’t pay much attention to his explanation to know how it operates. I felt like whether this boy is under the influence of any drug or juju. How can somebody be trying almost the same thing for a very long time, experiencing the same thing and yet remain persistent in it.
This could be the apex of fidelity. But I don’t think that faith without reason can save. What is insanity if not doing the same thing and keep on expecting different result in the view of Albert Einstein? Anyway, some will argue that perseverance is the soul of every success. Okay, let me not go that side for now. It will naked itself and the world will perceive the truth emitted spontaneously.
Immediately I saw his explanation, I was weak, so I was unable to go through the seeming unending write-up. I picked up my phone and dialed Uchenna’s number. He responded with some flashes of laughter. I knew he was not in trouble. Nevertheless, I laid bare my loads and anticipated the corresponding response from him. I advised Uchenna to invest in a business that is worthwhile and feasible.
As the system is now, everyone is hungry. One can do anything possible to put bread on his table even if it amounts killing his mother or father or sibling. Following the condition of things everywhere both in the market and other parts of the society, money is key to living. If you don’t have money, you are not safe anywhere even in the church. People indulge in different things to ensure that hustle pays.
It is no longer the time people work and allow Grace to reward, now, people manufacture the grace and force it to reward in their own accord. I asked Uchenna, why must you allow one to hustle on your head? Many people have surrendered themselves to be used by another. Ponzi schemes are ways people are being used at this present time. Greed and quest for immediate riches would not allow us see through the lens of the real.
But by the way, what is not Ponzi these days? Sow a seed of one million naira and receive billions in the church is a Ponzi. Forceful payment of tithe when your children are naked and hungry. What of the politics of change and next level? All these things are different verses of Ponzi schemes.
It is obvious that the philosophy of this era is philosophy of liberty, wealth and fame. Everyone is in search of wealth including individuals, political and religious leaders. Wealth has been discovered as the mother of liberty in the modern world. It opens doors of honor, respect and value.
Even your knowledge is worthless if you have no money to rock it. This overrating of money amidst every other human values have turned our society into ancient jungle. I called it ancient jungle because it is devoid of reason and purpose outside honour and domination.
Man sees his fellow man as prey for the fact that he can serve his purpose. That is, man is now seen as a means to an end and this description can be vividly seen in Ponzi schemes, be it in the church, state or cyberspace.
Nevertheless, in this era of liberalism and wealth devoid of virtue, the ethical parameter is that the end justifies the means. What matters is whether you make it financially. If the track you are currently treading is incapable of leading to financial exaltation, then it must be abandoned for a more promising track.
The modern man will ask you to avoid that track that cannot grace you with wealth to follow another track. The goal is wealth and wealth gives freedom. Yes! It gives freedom. Once you are wealthy in this present time, you are above the law. But if you are poor, oh my God, you will not only be under the law, you will also be oppressed by the law because, law detests the poor and the less privileged in our modern society.
That is why, the poor are faced by police brutality without any hope of redemption. Our youths have discovered the cure for this societal cancer of oppression and dehumanization which is wealth obviously. It is only a fool that would follow the bush when the words of survival is thrown to him. A wise man will follow the word till the end is seen and harvested.
What am I saying? Since it has been revealed to the youth that the way to escape oppression and slavery is wealth, they become resistant to anything that will not certainly leads to wealth. There is no time again for trial and error. Patience through genuine labour does not guarantee such redemptive wealth. It boils in the heart of every growing child as water is boiling in the kettle, the route to wealth and fame.
The update to wealth is sought more than good reputation. I wonder whether good reputation is still better than expensive perfume? It seems as if fools are the only ones still holding to that antiquated believe that left our fathers in disgracing poverty. In fact, wealth seems to be more important than life itself because without wealth, life is not worth living.
Actually, it will be the greatest untruth ever told in human history to say that poverty is a virtue. The only poverty that can be seen as virtue is that of identification. That is, identifying with the poor in your wealth. So it is quite a fallacy to say that wealth is evil. But the question remains, what type of wealth?
The one that justifies every means? The one that have led many of our youths into rituals, occultism and Satanism? The type that have stripped our daughters and sisters naked in the streets? Do you mean the type of wealth that have gifted madness in return? Gradually we have come to another cause of youth madness today. The thirst for wealth and luxury have stripped many of our youths naked. Boys and girls alike.
In fact, it is no longer youth o’clock but madness o’clock. Yes! That is the consequent of youth o’clock as we are seeing it in different parts of our country. It is not caused by growth but by the quest to ride in Benz and trample on apple products. The quest to be called boss among peers.
The quest to lodge in expensive hotels with that girl that have been forming hard to get and cheer with expensive wines. The quest to buy mama Venza and Avalon for papa. All these things are trends and shadows that cannot withstand reality.
Yes! Bet me, this trends you are seeing cannot withstand the reality of life. That is why they trend in cyber zone. Life is beyond what is acquired, or seen in the street corners. It is not that aspect that glitters through the sun rays. It is not even that which is conquered. It is the one that conquers.
That is, life is not poverty that is conquered, it is that person that conquers the poverty. Once that person is wanting, life of course is wanting. What matters now is not the conquering of the poverty but the conquering of the conqueror itself. And once the conqueror is conquered, the first conquered resurrects to accompany the conqueror. When we resort to fighting poverty, we should be much careful lest we fight ourselves.
Fighting ourselves will give poverty second chance to live because it is only poverty that can accompany corpse to the grave. Wealth is not seen in the grave. It does not reside there but poverty does. However, life culminates in what is lived out. Therefore, virtue remains the guide in both perplexity and opulence. It is the guide of the youths and the stamina of youthfulness. Thus, Fulton Sheen maintains that, “Virtue does more to preserve youthfulness than all the pomades in Elizabeth Arden’s.”
Nwankwo, Solomon Ewezugachukwu
08102467244
Agbiligba Nanka