By Segun Durowaiye

Man and God

Sir: In a poem by Walter De La Mare, the poet imagines himself sitting down by a dark-watered mountain lake – a tarn, and using its waters as ink to recount the marvels of God’s creation. After decades of this work, he imagines that the “ink” has run dry, yet there still remains the two greatest of all mysteries which he has not been able to touch – “Thou, Lord and I.”

Human beings of all ages, classes, degrees of civilisation, have endeavoured to come to grips with these twin mysteries, and though singers, storytellers and writers have uttered many beautiful and inspiring words, none of these ever satisfies man who, while continuing to find all words inadequate, is still urged to go on trying to express something of the grandeur of the Almighty God – His transcendence, yet at the same time His loving care of man, his fragile nature as creature, also his almost infinite potential. God is always a new language and so is man.

God’s transcendence, that is His utter otherness, is stressed in the Holy Books of the world, both the Bible and the Quran and also enshrined in the spiritual liturgies and pantheons of traditional worship chants.

The Holy Quran tells us of God as Creator, “The Lord Most High, who hath created and balanced all things,

And who hath fixed their destinies and guided them,

Who bringeth forth the pastures,
Then reduces them to dusky stubble.” Or “The East and the West is God’s: therefore, whichever way ye turn, there is the face of God.”

“Truly, God is immense, All-knowing, Sole-Maker of the heavens and the earth! And when He decreeth a thing, He only sayest to it, “be” and it is done.”

The Holy Bible speaks on the same theme:

“Lord God, how great you are,

Clothed in majesty and glory,

Wrapped in light as in a robe…

The earth is replete with the fruits of your works.

You raise grass for the cattle.

And vegetation for men’s use, producing bread from the earth and wine to gladden men’s hearts.”

Even in West African traditional religion, the onus and foundation is based on the Omnipotence, Omniscience, All—knowing and transcendental nature of the Almighty God.

There is always payback time for whatever action and decision man takes on his journey through life. It always pays to be good.

Think about it.

Segun Durowaiye can be reached via 08055356855.