By Iwelunmor Patrick
As he clocks fifty-six years on his sojourn through this earth, Prophet TB Joshua’s towering status in Christendom cannot be wished away by mere birthday wishes. The enigmatic man of God deserves to be reminded that his crusades against the dark forces of our existence have attained immortality in the minds and hearts of those who truly understand the teachings of Jesus Christ, especially those based on the concept and mystery of love.
The cardinal essence of Christ’s mission in the world was to bring love to a frail and condemned humanity. Hence, His eventual death on the cross, even when He had earlier mustered the human nature to resist that fatal saga.
Prophet TB Joshua’s concept of Christianity best exemplifies the foregoing Christological epistemology. In a world where many men of God are at daggers drawn against one another, the humble Arigidi Akoko son has maintained that soldiers of the Kingdom must not be divided against themselves. He has refused to join issues with any pastor or ministry, even in the face of malicious criticisms. Instead, he has always deployed love and the dignity of eloquent silence, as instructed by Christ Himself.
Aside his innumerable works of charity within and beyond the shores of Africa, Prophet TB Joshua’s ministry is perhaps the only Christian ministry that does not discriminate against other faiths, knowing that Christ Himself came to save the entire world and not a portion of it. During Sallah celebrations, Muslim faithfuls visit his church to celebrate with him because by his very unbiased and non-partisan nature, he has broken every stricture that tends to instigate the barriers of tribe, ethnicity, race and religion against humanity.
In his worldview, love is supreme just as it remains the greatest commandment. This explains the reason behind his untiring giving nature. He reckons that any man of God propelled by the spirit of love would not want to amass all the material things of this world to himself while the population of the needy keeps skyrocketing by the day.
Other well-meaning men of God should continue to think about others more than themselves. It is anti-Christ to preach the Word to the needy without providing for them what Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State fame would call ‘stomach infrastructure’. Jesus Himself provided ‘stomach infrastructure’ when he fed five thousand people distracted from hearing his sermon by hunger.
Religious leaders are hereby enjoined to feed God’s flock not with the Word alone but with those other human needs that may hinder them from concentrating on the Word. At 56, Prophet TB Joshua’s pragmatic exemplification of the spirit of love should be a rallying point for all Kingdom crusaders to win the war against the dark forces of this earth.