I haven’t met Joram Ragem and therefore have no idea as to who he is. Equally true, I am not good at Joram’s language and therefore do no quite understand what part of the following expression means. What has always impressed me whenever I read Joram’s write ups is the ending expression “Are you my relative?” Yes Joram, I am your relative in the sense that we all came from Adam.

Joram Ragem
wuod Ndinya, wuod Onam, wuod Amolo, wuod Owuoth, wuod Oganyo, wuod Mumbe, wuod Odongo, wuod Olwande, wuod Adhaya, wuod Ojuodhi, wuod Ragem! (Are you my relative?)

We are all related in many ways than we think. I do recall an ugly incident that took place during my high school senior year. As the head prefect of a mixed boarding school in the heart of Kisii town, I had hard time imposing the school rules especially on the female students. They used to climb up the fence and go to the night club during the wee hours of the night.

One day, I decided to report this woman who was just too much. She was suspended for one week, a case that greatly affected afterward. She hired thugs who came in the middle of the night during our last day of school and started chasing me while throwing heavy stones at me. When they failed to catch up with me, thank God, they destroyed property worth thousands of shillings.

It turned out that the guys who were hired to if possible kill me, were my first cousins who had no idea that we were related in any way. The person they thought was their enemy was their first cousin. When they came to their senses and remembered their foolishness, they regretted and asked for forgiveness.

In all what we do-think, write, or mingle, let us remember that we are all relatives. If you don’t believe that, then at least remember the following:

1.We all came from Adam
2.We all have one father-the heavenly father
3.When the history of this world comes to an end, those who will make it to the heavenly home will dwell together for ever and ever, Amen.

And seeing that all these things are true, isn’t time we treated one another as relatives! How about reminding ourselves and telling Joram that indeed we are his relatives?

Just a thought

Pr Birai,pastor, 612-386-4608
Maranatha SDA church, Hopkins,MInnesota,USA
www.themaranathasdachurch.org

– – –
Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2008 06:33:29 -0700 (PDT)
From: Absalom Birai
Subject: Re: Are you my relative?