In the morning hours of my 61st birthday, I decided to have a haircut. I drove straight to
the salon. Strangely on this day, all the parking spots had been taken. That compelled
me to seek out an alternative outlet. I found one about a kilometre away and met the
barber who had just finished attending to a customer. They were arguing fiercely over
the new monetary policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria. The client was against it, but he
was rooting for the policy. I did not join the fray immediately, but only said a few words
when he asked if I was okay with the level he had taken for the haircut. At my response,
he asked, “Are you a member of the clergy?” I asked what gave him such an
impression. “Because you spoke so calmly” was his reply. Well, I wonder if all members
of the clergy speak calmly. When he finished, I introduced myself to him, and more
importantly I introduced Jesus as the answer to all of the world’s woes as we know them
today.
“Our manner of life should be such that brings people to Christ and not drive them away.”
I left his shop thinking of several things. The world is deciphering different things from
our lives. Our speech matters as does our appearance. Someone said that we the
believers are the Bible that the world is reading and we should ensure that we open to
the right page at all times. Apostle Paul said they were diffusing the fragrance of Jesus’
knowledge in every place. We should live conscious of this also. Our manner of life
should be such that brings people to Christ and not drive them away.