Problems Are Mere Pretenders: He Was There All The Time!

Dumi Mmualefe | Monday April 7, 2014 10:42

Problems are the greatest pretenders. They always appear as though they are insurmountable. Like I said they only appear to be; they are in fact not! This is the message behind the Easter event!

I have watched a lot of movies and like you, I would be having this favourite actor starring. This main character would be having many antagonists, some minor, others major. S/he would go through dangerous paths with enemies waiting to pounce at the right time.

It is at this time that adrenalin goes haywire as fear grips us. Sometimes we would even sweat at the mere thought of this character falling into the trap we see, a trap that at that time seems only seen and noticed by us. We shout and try to warn him/her. Of cause s/he cannot see or hear us!

The important thing is this character should go into such traps and not always avoid them. It is through going through them that we grow to love him/her more. The character’s real character; what the character is made of comes alive when confronted by such challenges. The ability to outmanoeuvre and come victorious endears this character more to us. Without thinking about it we glorify the actor and forget about the challenges. The focus now falls in a more intense way on this loved character.

The issue I want to raise is not necessarily about this character coming out tops. While it is a very important point, it is not the main issue I am dealing with. The matter of discussion is that problems are pretenders, and I use the movie to drive home that point.

The reality is that while this character looks like s/he is so alone and afraid, while the scene itself sends shivers down our own spines, the darkness, the lightning, the heavy rainfalls, the horrifying sound tracks playing in the background; the look on the character’s face as s/he limps on with this enemy waiting to pounce: s/he is never alone.

Come to think about it, at the end of the movies there comes a long list of people who made that movie to be what it came to be. At the centre of it all is the director.

This person determines what happens on the set. All those frightening things that make us think our man or woman is alone, all those things that make us  want to jump into the television set or cinema screen happens because of this person. And s/he was there all the time!

As we scream and shout, they are many people behind the cameras, script writers, others catering, the drivers, while others are controlling and manipulating sound and lighting to create that frightening scene. They were there all the time! That this person is facing all these threatening situations alone, that s/he does not see or have knowledge of those in ambush is make-believe.

 Such is our life. How often do you feel you are all alone, or that no one cares about your situation?  Such times are many. We often feel and think the problems we are facing are larger than life, that ours is mission impossible when the truth is yours is “Mission I’m possible!” The fact is God was there all the time when they planned to arrest Jesus, when they had meetings with Judas, and when Judas gave Jesus that fatal kiss. Watching the Passion movie, you would probably want to shout to warn Jesus to take a different route, but remember God was there all the time.

Good Friday and Easter reminds us that our problems do not have the final word. We are reminded constantly that every dark cloud is laced with a silver lining as the sun prepares to lighten the dark day. Always, Easter will follow Passion, resurrection will follow crucifixion. The pain we suffer, we never suffer alone. All we need is to do what we do with the conviction that we are never alone, that the troubles we face are simply pretenders.

God was there all the time when they spat on Jesus, when they insulted him and tore his clothes. Through the mocking and the stabbing, God was there “all the time!” While God will not take our place or do things on our behalf, we are ever strengthened by the nearness of the divine. This God will not walk your walk, will not write an examination for you, will not fight for human dignity and rights on your behalf, but will give you strength and power to outlive your situation.

Easter says to us; “do not just sit and fold your arms”, that “I am with you always, even to the end of time!” You need to locate yourself and your purpose. You need to do that for the sake of your family, for the sake of this nation, and indeed for the sake of posterity.

Do not let fear confuse you into submission, do not let those who leave the course shake you into giving up; do not let the appearance of ‘insurmountability’ discourage you.

Tsholofelong Foundation is yet again hosting the annual Passion & Easter Concert at Maitisong this Sunday evening. It is not about the beautiful music, the orchestra and the band, or being part of the congregation that will be on BTV, it is about hope, it is about the “blessed assurance” that problems are pretenders, and that “He was there all the time,” To God be the glory!