PREMATURE CELEBRATIONS
Premature celebrations can be very dangerous. An event is said to be premature when carried out before the usual or proper time, or too early.
We’ve all had at least one encounter or more with individuals, families, groups, and organisations who threw a party or celebrated an event before it was appropriate with a sequel of profound embarrassment, shame, and harsh judgment that followed from the public court.
Celebrations are good, but they can rapidly turn sour when the timing is wrong. Sometimes, they are even better held later than before the event becomes 100 percent factual. The reason is because life’s uncertainties and situations have the potential to suddenly turn the tables in the opposite direction before the set time for the celebration is ripe.
Can this be said to be the case with Mr Hakainde Hichilema and his league celebrating “debt restructuring”?
Each time I think about premature celebrations, I reflect on what could have transpired in the network of all those who conspired to kill Jesus. What would have been going on in their minds while the body of Jesus lay dead in the tomb for three days? Those three days must have been days of great relief and jubilance.
The high priest Caiaphas, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Roman soldiers, the officials of the chief priests, the temple guards, the Sanhedrin, Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate and his wife, and even the crowd, must have thought they had eventually succeeded in seeing the end of Jesus, his “troubles” in Israel, and the ideals that he represented. Oh! Those three days must have been days of deep sighs of relief, muscle flexing, great bragging, and joyous celebrations for the “overcomers” of Christ!
On the other hand, let’s take a moment to imagine the sorrow, shame, disappointment, sense of defeat and hopelessness in “Camp Jesus”. How could the disciples of Christ walk freely with their heads high in the streets of Jerusalem? Their superhero, revolutionary, and inspirational leader had been killed. He was not just killed; he was crucified on the cross like a villain alongside other criminals.
He was condemned to the worst kind of death, and it appeared, at least for three days, as if there would be no consequences. Oh, this must have been a season of great sorrow for the disciples of Christ. In three days, Jesus’ body lay lifeless in the tomb. His disciples were covered with great sorrow and shame; but there were great celebrations in the camp of the “enemy”.
Alas, on the third day, those celebrations were abruptly terminated by the resurrection of Jesus. The stone used to prevent the lifeless of body of Christ from being stolen was miraculously rolled away by the power of God. Hallelujah! Three days later, the celebrations of the “haters” of Christ were short-lived, the tables turned because the Son of Man conquered death in one piece. What a shame their celebrations were premature. They should have waited a little longer before starting the “party”. They miscalculated! They were wrong!
Fred M’membe
President of the Socialist Party