Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Bold (emotionally) (08/30/07)
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TITLE: A Nigerian Firebrand � A True Story | Previous Challenge Entry
By Glenn A. Hascall
09/05/07 -
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Modupe watched as men cast their hungry eyes on the woman. He did not have a daughter, but anger burned within for the men who would so willingly use her. Mingled with his anger was the sadness that she would allow herself to be used.
When she was once again left alone on the street Modupe approached her. She smiled wearily waiting for another proposition. Modupe looked at her with tears in his eyes.
“You must stop this. God wants more for you than to waste your body on men who will never love you,” Modupe said without introduction.
“What are you saying? You speak like a mad man,” the woman replied trying to laugh at the man, but failing the task dared to look him in the eyes.
“You must come with me now. My family will take care of you,” Modupe said.
Lagos was a city of twelve million, yet it was more than fading into an obscure Nigerian neighborhood that left Modupe confident this young lady could be redeemed.
“Will you come?” Modupe asked earnestly.
Her lip trembled and tears threatened to flood painted eyes. She could only mouth the word, “yes”.
Olomara did not think it overly strange that her husband brought such a woman to their home. He had always been prone to bringing home human strays. Their son, Yanamika, thought the girl looked like the older sister he wished he had.
Olomara found some clothes that would be more suitable for their guest and set another plate on the table. She would stay as long as she needed.
One day as Modupe was working on his writing the young girl sat on a nearby chair and said, “Why would you do this for me. I am nobody. I believed I would die on the streets, yet I am here. Why?”
“Jesus told me to bring you home,” Modupe said simply.
“Jesus?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.
“When you really know Him, you hear Him,” Modupe said with a smile. “Ah, I wanted to tell you I have a friend who needs help in his bookstore. Can you do this?”
“A job?” she asked with a hope that was visible.
“You will need a job if you want to have a place to live,” Modupe said with a smile.
For several weeks the girl worked in the bookstore and saved her money. From time to time she would ask Modupe and Olomara about this Jesus that would have them do what even her parents would not do for her.
The concern of a man who did not care what others thought of his decision to bring a prostitute into his home eventually was a decision that introduced this young lady to a Savior who breathed new life into the rotten decay of spiritual death.
This woman got a home of her own and began taking lessons from the church Modupe attended and now she shares the Jesus who saves with woman who are where she was.
When I asked my Nigerian friend why he would do this he said, “Being a nominal Christian is easy in my country – being a firebrand Christian is hard. I choose firebrand.”
For him, that explained it all. Modupe died as he had lived. He gave his life in service to the sharing of the Gospel. He died at the age of 41 after leading more than a thousand of his countrymen to faith in Christ. I sent him dozens of bibles and he helped establish a new church before his passing.
I think of Modupe often when I see how timid I can sometimes be in sharing my faith. Sometimes I feel like I was living some semblance of my faith vicariously through my friends ‘firebrand’ ambitions to win the world for Christ while he was alive.
Perhaps his story can serve as a reminder to myself and an encouragement to take the name of Jesus wherever we go, and absolutely refuse to leave Him behind.
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I'm wondering if your absolutely best ending might be his exquisitely powerful statement, "I choose firebrand". (Then perhaps a simple author's note, documentary-style, briefly describing how he lived and died.) Thanks so much for this supremely inspiring piece!
This is well-written and filled with the love of Christ. I really enjoyed reading it.