Lenses on: A Quick Heart Check

Have you read the story of Ahab and Naboth (1 Kings 21)? Can you imagine how Ahab’s covetous desire for Naboth’s vineyard led to Jezebel’s wicked scheme and ultimately, Naboth’s death?

If you haven't read the story, don't worry, I'll gist you.

So... Ahab, a whole king, saw the only vineyard Naboth had and decided he wanted it for himself (to make a vegetable garden). He approached Naboth and offered him either a better vineyard or money in exchange. but Naboth refused, because that vineyard was the only thing he inherited from his ancestors. Now instead of accepting the “no”, cry-cry Ahab went home angry and even refused to eat (yes, a proper grown man throwing a toddler tantrum). His wife, Jezebel came in, saw the drama, and asked what was wrong. When he told her Naboth had refused to give up the vineyard, she basically said, "leave it to me, I gat this", and she meant it.

Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name, sealed them with his seal, and sent them to the elders and nobles in Naboth’s city. She told them to proclaim a fast, set Naboth in a prominent seat, and then have people falsely accuse him of blasphemy. It was a setup, and sadly, it worked. Naboth was stoned to death.

Once Jezebel heard the deed was done, she told Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard, Naboth is dead.”

Ojukokoro! Longer throat! All for a piece of land that didn’t even belong to him. It is the kind of story that makes you raise an eyebrow and squeeze your nose at the sheer stench of it. The level of wickedness is simply unimaginable.

Yes, I know! Just hearing that story is enough to make you cringe. I’m squeezing my nose too. We listen, we judge, and we shake our heads at Ahab and Jezebel.

Oya, oya... let’s come down from the judgment seat for a moment.

It always irks me to see people being unkind to others, whether in the workspace, in friendships, in church, or even in random, everyday interactions. The funny (and sad) thing is that we all say we want healthy environments. We talk about “safe spaces”, “supportive teams”, and “loving communities", but we often forget that it is human beings who build these things.

Kindness doesn’t fall from the sky, it flows from us. When our hearts are filled with bitterness, unhealthy competition, gossip, jealousy, pride, or selfishness, what exactly are we pouring into the spaces we occupy? (Selah).

Sometimes I wonder, has professionalism taught us to silence empathy? In our desperate chase for status, perfection, or self-preservation, have we lost sight of our humanity? We wear masks, smiles that don’t reach the heart, voices void of warmth, decisions made without compassion. Meanwhile, people are silently breaking behind computer screens and muted microphones. It is heartbreaking.

Shouldn’t we all be striving to be better? How do you not feel anything when you’re deliberately mean to someone? Doesn’t your conscience prick you? Doesn’t your heart do gbish-gbish, like you're turning into something you shouldn't be?

Let’s be reminded that no one deserves to be treated poorly. Nothing justifies it, not stress, not power, and certainly not “that’s just how I am”. Absolutely nothing!

Please, let’s do better. For God, for humanity and for ourselves.

My heart-writing wouldn’t be completely legible without singing the song that kept echoing in my head as I penned this piece: “To me… to you… it’s up to us to make the world a better place.”