Unknown to me, my writing songs-inspired articles did not start recently with Let Nothing kill your Journalism vibes based on Bloody Samaritan by Ayra Starr which I published on November 12, 2021.
The first time was July 2012 when I wrote the article with the headline of this piece. I remembered the article as I thought of the next one to write after the last one My first Time in America based on the recent single by Naira Marley – First Time in America.
Reading through the Two songs that made me cry article and the comments on it when I shared it on Facebook in 2012, I am inspired to update it with some new thoughts on the issue I wrote on then and other songs similar to the two I wrote about.
Here I go:
I have been moved to tears on a number of occasions, but I can vividly recall shedding tears uncontrollably twice.
The first was in 1998 during the service of songs for late ace political correspondent of Channels Television, Lekan Ashimi who died in a car crash on his way home from work late in the night.
As usual, various speakers had taken turns to pay tributes to Ashimi who distinguished himself with his incisive political reports and others. When his widow was called to speak, she started by sharing with us the thoughts that have been agitating her mind following the sudden death of her husband.
“I have been asking God why he allowed my husband to die this young. I have been asking God why he has allowed me to become a widow at this young age,” she revealed amidst pin drop silence as the audience listened with rapt attention in sympathy.
She continued, “However, I have been consoled by the lyrics of a song we sing in our Church which says:
“Eru Olorun ba mi,
Eru Olorun nba mi o.
Ohun to ba ti pinu lokan e,
Ko se ni to le daduro’
In English, the song will mean “I am afraid of God. Whatever he has decided, no one can stop it.”
The tears that had been welling up my eyes gave way suddenly and I found myself mopping my face repeatedly. The song broke whatever emotional strength I thought I had on occasions like this.
Indeed like another popular song, no one can question the Almighty God.
Unquestionable you are the Lord,
Unquestionable you are the Lord,
Unquestionable,
Unquestionable,
Unquestionable you are the Lord.
A reader of this article on Facebook added another song that is fitting for Ashimi’s widow’s thoughts.
Ka bi o osi o (No need to ask you why)
You the God of heaven and the earth
Kabi o osi o (No need to ask you why)
Kabi o osi o (No need to ask you why)
June 19, 2012, was yet another occasion I couldn’t control my tears. It was again at the service of songs for another colleague, Late Ngozi Nwozor Agbo, Coordinator of Campus Life in The Nation Newspaper who died while delivering her baby who survived.
Ngozi was one of the reporters I trained back at the defunct New Age Newspaper that I had more than a regular newsroom relationship with. Even when she moved on to work in a Non-Governmental Organisation, before joining The Nation, she invited me to speak at her training sessions.
I remember her coming to my office to tell me “Editor, God has answered your prayers. I am getting married soon.”
Pastor Ify Okonkwo of Glory in the House Ministry, Ngozi’s mentor and pastor sang the song that got me openly shedding tears for the second time.
Just when it was feared that she could break down crying when she was called to speak, considering the mother/daughter relationship she had with Ngozi, the Pastor started with a song of praise of Jesus, stressing the fact that He is the only reliable friend.
“Ore bi Jesu ko si laiye yi (There is no friend like Jesus in the world)
Jesu ni kan lore otito, (Jesus is the only true friend)
Ore aiye yi le ko wa sile (A normal friend may abandon us)
Sugbon Jesus koje gbagbe mi (But Jesus cannot forget mi)
Koje gbagbe mi o (He cannot forget me)
Aaa ko je gbagbe mi (Aaa He cannot forget me)
Ohun ni kan lore otito o (He is the only true friend)
Aaa ko je gbagbe mi (Aaa He cannot forget me)
Halleluya, Ko je gba gbe mi (Halleluya, He cannot forget me)
Her rendition of the Eru Olorun bami song was so moving that I kept wiping my tears for the time it lasted.
Here are three soothing stanzas from the popular Hymn ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’.
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and grieves to share
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer
Have we trials and temptations
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged
Take it to the Lord in prayer
Can we find up a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrow share
In his arms, he’ll take and shield it
You will find us all there
Carry everything to God in prayer
Our Lord Jesus Christ is undoubtedly a true friend who like stated “is the rock in a weary land, a shelter in the times of storm.”
Reading the comments in the post on January 8, 2022, another song suggested for a situation like this caught my attention and I will want to end this article to stress the importance of holding on to Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith no matter what we are going through.
There’s not a Friend like the lowly Jesus:
No, not one! no, not one!
None else could heal all our souls’ diseases:
No, not one! no, not one!
Jesus knows all about our struggles;
He will guide ’til the day is done:
There’s not a Friend like the lowly Jesus:
No, not one! no, not one!
No friend like Jesus. Let him hold you.
When we look at things very well, eru olorun ba everybody, we just tend to ignore something’s because he forgives all our sins and he sometimes doesn’t punish us quickly…na church mind everybody dey use now…may God have mercy on us