Greatness is in true self-reflection. It is easier to see and be critical in the errors of others than it is to reflect on our personal expressions. Jesus once told his audience: “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” Matthew 7:3.
Our today’s world can be best described as ‘trash-filled’ society due to the constant decay-like style of living, leadership, relationship, academics and entrepreneurship. People criticise a thing today as cancerous only to find them stand, fight and defend it almost within the same given period. They change opinion recklessly for several conflicting personal interest; it is longer about opinion or ideology, but about interest, gain and acquisition.
The word ‘trash’ has the connotation for waste, unwanted, rubbish, pollution among others. Trash is defined according to Dictionary.cambridge.org as:
• Something that is of low quality.
• Waste material or things that are no longer wanted or needed.
• An insulting way of referring to a person or people that you have no respect for.
• To throw something away.
• To cause a lot of damage to something
In the context of our discussion ‘trash’ is anything of no, low or less value, unwanted and inferior to the real and proper ethics of operation.
According to Proverbs 14:31-15:17; James 4:13-5:11, the world is increasingly drifting from good to worst. There are core factors to life: responsibility, leadership and relationship; what we do with these core factors when granted the privilege of expression would determine the stories of our glories.
The world seems to have lost value, honour, conscience, humanity and faith in one another; there is increase in the rate of inhumanity, immorality, greed and shamelessness. We are not to add to the already messed up situation. Before we delve into this, do we actually agree that there are trashes scattered everywhere in the system? Pause and think!
Looking At The Lessons Further We Discover:
• Don’t mock anyone.
• Don’t be wicked.
• Don’t be unwise in your dealings.
• Do not sin.
• Let not your service be with distrust.
• Watch your communication and mannerism; Prov. 15:1-4, 7.
• Do not despise counsel Psalm 1.
• Do not disregard your creator James 4:13-16.
• Do not be corrupted in your riches and acquisition.
• Pay others what you owe them.
• Your inheritance should not be corrupt.
• Do not make pleasure your ultimate focus.
• Ven. Stephen Wolemonwu is Rector, Ibru International Ecumenical Centre, Agbarha-Otor.
