I was conferred as a Knight of Saint Christopher (KSC) by the Bishop of Okigwe North Diocese of the Anglican Communion in 1995 when I was 43 years old. Suppose you google the knight of Saint Christopher; you are likely to discover that it is an elite secret society of werewolves whose mission is to eliminate all black magic users. I am a Knight of Saint Christopher (KSC). A member of the laity of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, whom the bishop deemed fit to be bestowed with such an honor. A knight is a defender of the faith and a soldier for propagating Jesus Christ’s gospel. The knighthood that I belong to is not a secret society.
I was not an avid churchgoer at the time of the conferment. Initially, I had the impression that knighthood was bestowed on older men who were conversant with the teachings of the bible and heavily invested in the doctrines and principles of the church. The honor was proposed to my dad but was eventually bestowed on me. On August 23, 1952, I was baptized by Reverend Ankrah in Accra, Ghana. The Rt. Reverend Nwankiti, the Bishop of Owerri Diocese, Nigeria, confirmed me on September 8, 1971. I was not overtly religious by any standard. Apart from church attendance in the company of my parents when I was growing up, the earliest formal, intensive exposure that I had to the bible was in a Christian Religious Knowledge (CRK) course during my high school days.
My loyalty to the church, faith, and belief in God Almighty witnessed a monumental change after being bestowed with the knighthood. That singular action altered my beliefs and assumptions and strengthened my resolve to defend the faith and propagate the gospel of Christ. I am not a religious fanatic. However, I hope people may be persuaded to embrace my religious orientations through my actions, utterances, interactions, and general disposition.
By applying my time, talent, and treasure, I make a modest and meaningful contribution to the church’s growth. The inspirational pilgrimage that my wife and I made in 2007 to the holy sites of Galilee, Jerusalem, River Jordan, Bethlehem, and others consolidated my faith and belief in the teachings of the Bible. When I was a kid, my mother would challenge me whenever I spent an inordinate period executing errands. She would ask, “did you go to Jerusalem in heaven?”. I grew up to think that Jerusalem was in heaven until much later in life.
My religious belief is anchored on the biblical injunction, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Mathew 22:37-39). I may not be rich, but I am comfortable and content with my situation in life. I am not greedy, and I am not overly ambitious.
Given my background and antecedents, I have invariably engaged in multiple acts of benevolence. As I mentioned before, I have a short-term memory, so I forget these acts soon after doing them. This situation implies that I do not expect compensation for my action. I do not publicize them. Frequently though, I observe people excitedly bragging about their philanthropy and accomplishments. They may derive joy from doing so. I am not judgemental, but I believe that compensation comes from God.