News hit the media this week about the death of GoKada boss Fahim Saleh and Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot Tolulope Arotile – Does the year 2020 need a do-over?
We woke up to the news this week about the gruesome murder of Nigeria’s leading ride sharing company founder Fahim Saleh.
The tech entrepreneur best known for his role in creating popular start-ups in Nigeria and Bangladesh including Pathao and GoKada Fahim Saleh was found dead in his New York apartment dismembered on Monday afternoon.
His body was reportedly discovered decapitated and dismembered, with an electric saw placed nearby.
In a similar news to that of Gokada Fahim Saleh, Nigeria’s first female combat helicopter pilot Tolulope Arotile died on Tuesday, having been knocked down by the car of an excited friend who was reversing to greet her.
Flying Officer Arotile died on 14 July 2020 at the age of 24. She sustained a severe head injury with massive haemorrhage, a source told The Guardian. Arotile who recently completed a programme at the Starlite International Training Academy, South Africa, died less than a year after she was decorated as the first female combatant helicopter pilot.
Also on Monday, the body of Hollywood actress Naya Rivera was finally found after 6 days of intense search with lots of resources. Her son said they both went swimming but she did not come back into the boat.
It is assumed that due to the heavy current she muscled up enough energy to rescue her son but sadly, she couldn’t save herself.
We can go on and on about the deaths of celebrated personalities in the year 2020 starting with Kobe Bryan to the COVID-19 cases. George Floyd had the world’s system shaken. Many tragic cases followed the revolts and protests all around the world.
The passing on of the beautiful soul, Pastor (Mrs) Ibidun Ighodalo and legendary Dan Foster shook the strongest hearted Nigerian, the world felt the ripple effect. The earthquake in Los Angeles. All these in just 6-7 months of 2020.
So is 2020 just laced with tragedies? Are we even safe?
Some have called for a do-over while others are saying that the year should just move past really quick. The truth however is written in the book of Ephesians 5:16.
The Coronavirus pandemic may have highlighted the tragedies recorded in the year 2020, and we cannot shy away from the fact that it is significant. We should ask, why the year 2020? Why after about a 100 years since the last pandemic? How true are all the theories surrounding it? Why are they so linked to scriptural predictions?
These are all significant questions that requires personal convictions because even the most tested truth is not true (atleast for you) until you make it your truth. Therefore, the objective is not to try to bring you a conclusion but premises by which you can draw conclusions.
If the Coronavirus pandemic heightened the number of tragedies recorded in 2020, that means as critically thinking minds, the first thing to do is to rationalize the situation and see that safe for the pandemic, Ephesians 5:16 is as true for 2020 as it has been for any other year since human history. Evil are the days.
In 2001, the hijacked planes hit the twin towers and it shook the world. In 2005, the London bombings also shook the world and the ripple effect was felt everywhere. Boston Marathon bombing also put a dent on 2013 and that is definitely not the only ugly occurrences in those years.
Let’s not dwell too much on this, but we must also understand the importance of eternity and be consoled for those who passed in Christ.
The point is while the events of 2020 is significant, like the book of Ephesians 5:16 says, there is a need to redeem the time. By redeeming the time, doesn’t mean just taking the opportunities the time presents but also reconciling and aligning your spirit, soul and body to the God’s template for the season. Doing and assessment of where we are, what God’s word says, taking cognizance of the signs and aligning properly.
The word of God has said that before the great day of our Lord, there shall be lots of metaphoric signs as described by Joel Chapter 2. Matthew 24 also tucked into the warning saying everything we are witnessing now is only the beginning of the birth pangs.
Brace yourself, align and be ready, sound the warning, for the day of the Lord comes and who is able to stand – Revelations 6:17.
