ONCE UPON A BIBLE WAR

Alheri Kunat flipped back stray lines of her braided hair as she shifted in her seat. She was just waiting for Kayode to pause so she could take down every point he thought he had made and establish hers on the ruins of his.
“See, I don’t know about you, but in my life I’ve seen this work. Just declare the word. Confess what you want to see. There’s no point praying like a beggar when we are sons. Sons decree, we command what we want, we don’t plead. What’s that? Why do people kneel and plead? Beg for mercy and all that when we are seated in heavenly places with Christ?” Kayode splayed his hands.
“I’d have to take you up from there. All I see in what you’ve said is pride. The bible makes me understand that the sacrifices of God are a broken and a contrite heart. Have you read through David’s prayers to God? Did you see how heartfelt, how deep they were? Did you see that God established a covenant of mercy with him?”
“Which covenant abeg?” Kayode sneered.
“The sure mercies of David. You could check Isaiah 55:3.”
Kayoed hissed. “And you haven’t seen where it is written in the word that we have a covenant established on better promises? You can keep your sure mercies of David, aunty. I’m fine with the mercies of Christ. All you’ve been saying since morning is from the Old Testament. Ma, we are in a new covenant. Wake up to the reality of who you are in Christ and stop living like a slave, when he has made you a son.”
Alheri sprang to her feet. “I really can’t believe you are so unskilled and untaught in the word yet you are so full of yourself and pride. Speaking of new covenant, you could check out James 4 verses 7 and 10. We were told to humble ourselves in the sight of God so he would lift us up. God resists the proud but to the humble he gives more grace.”
The argument swelled with torrents of scriptures fired back and forth. It became heated with derogatory remarks. After about fifteen minutes, Alheri’s eyes met Mrs. Adzor’s and she was brought back from the battle to reality. For how long had Mrs. Adzor been sitting at her desk in the staff room? Had she been there since her argument with Kayode started? For how long had she been arguing?
Alheri felt awash in shame. Her peace was gone. She could feel the room seethe with the tension she generated with her colleague. Was all of this actually for the sake of God’s truth or their ego? Alheri excused herself and took a stroll round the school corridors for introspection and communion with the Holy Spirit.
After circling the corridors twice, she returned to the staff room.
“You know one thing I’ve come to realize?” Mrs Adzor asked looking from Kayode, who was preparing a lesson note, to Alheri. For a moment, Alheri absently thought of how jarring, how out of place it was for a vase of brightly coloured plastic flowers to sit on the disorganized desk of a male teacher. How did Mr. Kore come about this vase?
Kayode lifted his head, “What ma?”
“While it’s good to explain scriptures more accurately to people and hear their perspective, arguments are hardly ever profitable or useful. Paul’s instructions to Timothy makes this very clear. Just look at you two for instance, neither of you were listening to each other, you both just wanted to make a point. To win the argument. Abi, Kayode, before ‘Heri said anything didn’t you already concluded she had nothing to say?”
Kayode nodded. Alheri wondered why Mrs. Adzor felt the need to shorten her name. Was Alheri such a long one, or did she just feel calling her Heri had a polish to it, a refining?
“Both of you just spent time, energy and a lot of scriptures fighting each other. Eventually, none of you looked from the other’s stand point. Alheri don’t you feel drained?”
“Yes ma, and I’ve gained nothing. I’ve said a lot of things I regret too”
“I’m sorry for calling you legalistic,” Kayode said to her.
Alheri laughed. “I am sorry for all the nasty things I said. God needs to help me with this my mouth. More like, I need to allow God’s help over my mouth.”
Kayode laughed and Alheri was shocked by the sudden realization of his beautiful dentition. She was going to say something, but the words passed over her head. Her mouth worked, twitched and eventually closed. She looked him over like she was seeing him for the very first time. Like they had not shared a workspace for a little over four years. They had been friends for so long. Why was she just noticing his fine jawline, his bright white eyes, the symmetry of his brows?
“Now, the both of you had your points and if you had been patient you would have learned from each other.” Mrs Adzor concluded.
After school, and much pondering on their conversation, the Holy Spirit breathed upon his word in the heart of both parties and they saw reason with each other. On their way to Alheri’s house, their discussion didn’t take on a hard tone, it wasn’t an argument; they reasoned together. They learned from each other and saw areas in which they had been wrong and overboard.
“Thank you Alheri, and I’m really sorr-”
“Oh please. If you apologize one more time I won’t marry you again o”
Alheri! What did you just say?
Alheri burst into a bright cover up bout of laughter at the same time Kayode asked with a serious face, “You were thinking of marrying me?”
“Of course not. Kayode, you know how I joke, don’t you?”
“Oh,” He sighed. “Well I was hoping this wasn’t a joke. Cos, I really want to marry you”
After several blinks and wild poundings from her heart, Alheri whispered. “Good night Kayode. Don’t joke like that next time”
She turned to open her door. Kayode grabbed her hand.
“I’m really serious. I’ve been wanting to say this for a while now. I love you Alheri and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Take your time. Pray about it, I’d be here, at your doorstep, waiting.”
****
The Bible makes us understand that the word of God is the sword of the spirit. This sword should be used in fighting the devil and forces of darkness. But the devil has found a way to distract the church. He has made us turn against one another with our swords, rather than unanimously face him, the real foe. Such that every new revelation from the word, every scripture and insight is a weapon for fighting one brother, one church. It’s true that the truth of God’s word gives light and exposes darkness and falsehood. But we should not become consumed and occupied with arguments and forcing our beliefs down people throats. Even in fighting heresies, it’s important to know that what to fight is the spirit behind the falsehood, not the person bearing the heresy.
You don’t have the power to transform a man. You don’t have the power to change his belief system. Only the Holy Spirit can do this. And the way to partner with the Holy Spirit is not by forcing your beliefs or doctrines down people’s throats, it’s by praying for them and presenting the truth to people.
May God grant us wisdom in our dealings.