Peace in a Cruel World

We live in a world often marred by conflict, disease, and negativity, finding peace can seem like an elusive dream. So, how do we find peace in such a cacophony of negative events? How do we keep ourselves grounded? I’ve decided to do five things:

Limit News Consumption: While staying informed is essential, constant exposure to negative news can be overwhelming. I have decided two set boundaries on my news consumption to prevent information overload.

Positive Meditation: I am a Christian, and I realise the more I read God’s Word, the calmer and peaceful I am. This world is full of negative things but the more we read, and pray and focus on positive things, the more we’ll have power over negative thoughts and influences. One of my favourite scripture quote is below:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Philippians 4:8

If I want to make myself sad, I’ll just dwell on the things that I think are not working in my life, or think of a past traumatic event. But when I realise I don’t have control over certain things, but I have control on my reactions. So, I do what I do best: pray and trust God to do what only He can do.

Be Kind: Kindness doesn’t take anything from us, rather, it makes us better people. I treat people the way I want to be treated, with kindness and empathy, and by doing that, I realise I am peaceful and can navigate through this cruel, complex world. I love the quote below:

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”
Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Help Others: Volunteering or helping those in need can be immensely fulfilling. Acts of kindness not only benefit others but also bring a sense of purpose and inner peace. When I help people, I forget about my problems and in a strange way, God always resolves them when I least expected.

Focus on Self-Care: I prioritise self-care activities such as regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep. Taking care of my physical and mental health is crucial for maintaining peace. Taking care of ourselves is crucial, a sick person can’t take care of others. So practise self-love.

There are several ways we can find peace in this chaotic, tumultuous world of ours, but practising the above has helped me, even when faced with circumstances beyond my control.

I wrote this article on Friday, and woke up on Saturday to news of Hamas attacking Israel. I pray for peace in our world.

Take care of yourselves wherever you are in the world.

Much love, always! 🙂

George Floyd’s Tears Echoes Through Eternity!

May29

The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.
Albert Einstein

In the height of ’Jihadi John’ reign of terror, the Islamic State executioner who derives pleasure in executing journalists, that image stuck in my mind because it was widely available online. However, it has been replaced with Derek Chauvin grinding his knee into George Floyd’s neck while the poor man cried for mercy. When Jihadi John murdered several innocent journalists, mostly whites. I was angry and wrote about the atrocities of ISIS. It has come as a surprise that people are eerily silent about the murder of George Floyd, although, after a while, protests has erupted around the world against racism.

Alas, Derek and countless other heartless cops in the US are terrorists protected by the state. The US President has threatened to kill looters but killers like Derek would not have been arrested without worldwide protest. Killer cops like Derek Chauvin are degenerates, racist and divisive.

I grew up in a picturesque little town in Nigeria watching American films, Hollywood portrayed the US country as a land of the free, where everyone is the same, and actors fight for peace. However, that was just Hollywood. Minnesota cop, Derek Chauvin committed murder with people filming while bystanders pleaded, George Floyd also pleaded for mercy. That scene was not from a wild western flick, and yet, the cop was only arrested after an outcry and worldwide protest.

There are so many terrorists like that in the US, terrorising the lives of African Americans. Killing them with impunity, and if prosecuted, Jury always find them doing their job.

I am black British, not American but I have to speak out against this seemingly calm terrorist while the President was also inciting more violence? Looting is wrong, but you don’t encourage more racists to start shooting and killing, and then it becomes an orgy of violence. There’s something called ’dialogue’ even kids do it.

I am very sad for George Floyd, the US has lost the last shred of respect I had for it as a democratic country where the lives of anyone with a darker skin tone is in danger, from an erratic and unstable government to devilish, racist citizens to people who found this difficult to talk about.

Derek Chauvin and other terror cops that has killed so many innocent black people are inhuman, but the brilliant thing about civilisation is this; change is constant.

Solemn London

Jun4

(Extremism is like a cancer, eating deep into our freedom…)

As a lover of peace, freedom, and justice, I am appalled and sickened by the continuous senseless attack on innocent people by Islamist Extremism. Enough is enough! This evil must be rooted out, we can’t allow this to continue. Things has to change. Our tolerance as a nation is akin to weakness, most of my friends, even Muslims, believed as a country, we’ve pandered towards Islamist extremism, we need that to stop!

As a Christian, I can’t openly practice my faith if I were in Saudi Arabia but here in the UK, and every part of Europe, Muslims are free to practice their faith. I believe liberalism and political correctness is changing the landscape of this country.

In the wake of the Manchester and London Bridge Attack, I read William Blake’s poem with tears in my eyes!

I wandered through each chartered street,
Near where the chartered Thames does flow,
A mark in every face I meet,
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

In every cry of every man,
In every infant’s cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forged manacles I hear:

How the chimney-sweeper’s cry
Every blackening church appals,
And the hapless soldier’s sigh
Runs in blood down palace-walls.

But most, through midnight streets I hear
How the youthful harlot’s curse
Blasts the new-born infant’s tear,
And blights with plagues the marriage-hearse.

************

Islamist terrorism will not prevail in our nation but I also believe the Muslim communities have a lot to do to eradicate the vermin of extremism.

What are the Imams teaching young impressionable youths in their mosques? Why are young virile Muslims full of hatred and bitterness against Westernisation? I do believe that most of those who hate this country shouldn’t have any business living here.

There would continually be an excuse for evil to reign. The West had been blamed for majority of the crisis in the Middle East but if I remember correctly, the Arab Spring was not caused by the West. I believe in love, forgiveness, and peace. But I also believe in justice. And if there was one consolation to the debacle and orgy of violence unleashed on our cities in recent days, the death of the three cowardly Jihadists was decisive and just.

In this sad times, I pray for the families of everyone affected by the Manchester and London Bridge Attack. As our Prime Minister had said, Enough Is Enough!!!

The Demons Among Us

Mar23

Yesterday afternoon in my office at MoD, I was unduly worried about mundane official deadlines and paperwork when the afternoon was shattered with the security announcement of an on-going terrorist attack. Every single building in Whitehall was placed on lockdown as news filtered in slowly of death and carnage on Westminster bridge.

We were in a state of shock at the enormity of the attack, the barbaric atrocities unleashed on innocent tourists and a police officer performing his duty infuriates me. The devilish perpetrator also ploughed into pedestrians on the bridge killing scores of people and wounding almost 29 people.

Today, I am proud to write that London is not on lockdown but sadness still pervades the atmosphere as we slowly came to terms with the callous attack at the heart of our nation. My condolences to the families and friends of PC Keith Palmer, mother of two, Aysha Frade, and an American tourist, Kurt Cochran.

Terrorists are the demons among us, and I pray their evil plans would continually be thwarted. My appreciation to the armed police officers who swiftly put an end to Khalid Masood’s murderous campaign.

I echo these brave words: We Are Not Afraid! London is a city that thrives against all odds, and we shall stand strong in spite of agents of destruction and division.

Much love to you my friends wherever you are in the world, and please, stay safe!

Out Of The Ashes

Jul8

(Photo credit: Flickr)

I believe in life after death, not every one does, but I do. Human beings aren’t merely flesh and blood, we have souls, and soul are indestructible. I’ve got friends who are atheists, so I’m not going to expand too much on this before I start a debate that would rival a sitting in the House of Commons.

Yesterday marked exactly ten years when people with warped views of life took the lives of 52 Londoners, they also left almost 100 people with life changing injuries and scars. Yeah I know, my post is a day late but the topic isn’t. After work yesterday, I caught a few glimpse on the news and was sad at such wanton destruction of human lives. But I was proud, (in fact, I still am) to be a Londoner. Years has passed, but we’ve grown stronger as a city. More tourists visited London than ever before, I love travelling on the tube, bus or on a private car. It’s testament to the fact that evil will and cannot win.

If we read the news, there’s always stuff that would make our tummies churn (my daughter always says that), but life isn’t all gore and horror. There’s the incomparable breath of fresh air, there’s the sheer joy of clean water, what about the juicy goodness of an orange? The list is endless, life is good, and it’s tough, I won’t dispute that.

The relatives of the 7/7 bombing and the senseless and needless attack in Sousse would be comforted by the love and prayers sent their way. I believe in prayers but I also believe in living each day with a heart of thanksgiving in spite of my circumstances, that, I believe is what would keep me sane and out of the ashes of stress and despair. My husband used to say that everyone has problems, it’s just our ways of dealing with life’s daily grind that’s different.

I would end my post with this simple quote from Groucho Marx, ‘I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.’ NP: I’m still writing, albeit slowly. I’ve informed my publisher of my inability to submit my manuscripts until next year. Life seems to have a way of sending many distractions my way and I always oblige 🙂 I hope everyone is fine. Please, stay safe! Much love to you guys, always! 🙂 🙂

A Loud, Noisy World…

Sep23

(Photo credit: Flickr)

A loud, noisy world.

Cacophony of sounds

reverberated everywhere.

Hatred danced openly,

while love is in remission.

Wars and rumours

of war danced freely on our streets.

Toddlers were afraid to chuckle.

A little peace, a little love

We Plead.

But instead

We got

Bullet wounds.

Snipers.

Terrorists.

And paedophiles,

Roamed freely.

A loud, Noisy World.

I hope for peace

and pray for love.

Elusive as it is…

I won’t give up!

It seems killings, deaths, wars has become a bit of a pastime in the world now, Kenya‘s mall killings, Pakistani Christians (women and children murdered), the naval base killings in the U.S, Syria‘s on going war, turmoil in Egypt, Philippine‘s rebels. The list is endless. My daughter asked me yesterday, ‘mum, why can’t we have peace in the world?’ I had no answer to her question. She’s just seven, yet, I can’t shield her from the cruelty of our world. The noise is a constant ringing sound… but you know me, I’m a diehard optimist – I still believe we can live in peace, we just need to start acting it. Like that picture, I hopefully long for peace and quietness in our world…

I pray you’ll all have a peaceful week, and please keep safe!

Much love, always!

🙂

A Safe Haven!

May23

(Photo credit: Andras Petaron)

I just can’t keep quiet, my heart is heavy, my spirit is crushed.

I looked round wildly like a horse in darkness and couldn’t make a sense of this horrific, senseless killing.

I couldn’t get the image of the deranged killer out of my mind.

I couldn’t sleep.

I believe in peace but this is too much to bear.

This is a wonderful world,

But this is also a violent world!

How can one truly explain this?

Britain is a safe haven,

A great country fighting for justice,

She has opened her arms wide,

Invited people of all nations through her borders.

Yet, some people would not be satisfied.

They would kill in the name of a spineless god.

Thousands have been killed in the name of religion,

But I still believed in this safe haven.

My prayers to the mother and family of the slain soldier.

He is a hero, to me and many other mothers like me.

God bless Great Britain.

I have tried to avoid watching television but reading newspapers this morning, brought hell. This is bad, and sickening. Something must be done. There is so much violence in the world, and violence would not end wars.

Live well dear friends.

Much love, always!