When Religious Cliches or Platitudes Can be Annoying.

Last week, Pastor Charles Ezechila (with his family above) of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Nigeria, was among the multitudes that attended the church’s monthly "Holy Ghost" vigil along the Lagos-Ibadan highway. Each month, when the church holds this service, there is always a huge traffic logjam the next morning when the congregants decide to leave for home. As a result, motorists (who are not members of the church) coming from the Lagos end of the highway and those coming from the Ibadan end, will be held up for hours while motorists coming from the camp of the Redeemed Christian Church struggle for the possession of the highway. It is often in a bid to avoid this hardship that Pastor Charles Ezechila and some other church members often choose to leave for home very early or very late.  

That was the decision taken by Pastor Charles Ezechila on that morning when tragedy struck. A commercial cargo container on the back of a truck fell on the bus that was carrying the pastor and two of his sons. They were killed instantly.

Incidentally, the pastor's wife and the other children were home because they did not attend the vigil. But, with the sad news about the death of the pastor, they were emotionally devastated.

It was in the midst of this terrible grief that some members of the church paid the family a visit. The following is an excerpt of a newspaper interview granted by the pastor’s wife, Vivian: 

Newspaper reporter: “Have the authorities of the RCCG reached out to you?”–

Vivian: “Yes, they have. They came in large numbers, telling me not to be weary. They said he had finished his race. I asked them, ‘What about my two young children who died? Have they finished their race too just like that?”

My opinion: Poor woman! What a terrible loss! The last thing anyone would like to hear in such a moment of horrendous grief was some lame cliché or platitude. Only God and, Him alone, can adequately console the woman under the circumstance.