It is true that evil thrive in a society where the good men do nothing, where those who should speak out are silent or have been silenced. Yet, no one wants a prize to be placed on his head, and so the seemingly good men have remained silent maintaining the status quo. But there is no way a society can be progressive except a spade is called a spade and things that aren’t pleasant are pointed out. Any society where people are afraid to speak out is heading towards a retrogression.

The story of the brutal murder of the Holy Man John the Baptist still remains one of the intriguing and mind-blowing stories in the gospel narratives. It depicts the length at which man can go to eliminate those who criticize them, those who speak truth to their faces.  

“It is not right to have your brother´s wife” (Mark 6:18). Even though many people with moral consciousness knew very well that what Herod did was wrong, not many were ready to confront him, to rebuke him for his actions. He was a man in power. Maybe if he was not, some could have summoned a little courage to confront him, telling him to his face, that what he did was wrong.

Herod did not deny his wrong deed. He knew the truth. He knew he was wrong. Having an affair with your brother´s wife is against every standard of morality even to this day. But how dare you? How dare you confront me, a man with the power? How dare you tell me to my face that I am wrong? Don’t you know that Might is Right? Aren´t you afraid to die? Who are you? Don’t you know who I am?

If Herod had a little sympathy for John the Baptist because of the crowd or what people will say, the woman in question, Herodias had no sympathy at all. Left for her, the very moment John the Baptist dared to spit out those words of rebuke – “It is not right to have your brother´s wife”, would have been the moment of his death. She enjoyed the glory, the power and the luxury, and so anything or anyone opposed to such, shouldn’t breathe a second. All ethical demands and standards must be paused, amended or nullified because I am now in charge. After all, all power belongs to us, we make and we break.

And so, when the ugly occasion presented itself on Herod´s birthday, Herodias through her daughter Salome asked for the head of John the Baptist. “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will grant it, … even half of my kingdom” Herod said to her daughter who danced to the good delight of the Birthday man Herod and his guests. “Give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter” replied the daughter Salome at the request of Herodias the Queen Mother. And so, the head of the Holy Man, John the Baptist was brought in on a platter for Salome and Herodias. I can imagine how they really enjoyed making pepper soup with that. How evil the heart of man can be!

But did the death of John the Baptist make their illegal union become legal? Did it make the wrong become right? Did it make sin become a holy act? Did it make having an affair with a brother´s wife an acceptable ethical standard for living? Didn’t Herod, Herodias and Salome die in the end? Did they live forever? You kill another man, but forget you will also die one day?

And so dear friends, we see every day a replay of this intriguing story playing out in our society. Many people now without shame call for the head of John the Baptist. They call for the head of those who rebuke them for their wrong doing. They call for the head of those who dare tell them to their faces that it is wrong to embezzle public funds. They call for the head of those who dare tell them that it is wrong for them to be in charge of a place where corruption is the mainstay and they do or say nothing to curb it. They call for the head of those who call them out for spearheading the maltreatment of those refuse to be bribed or silenced. They call for the head of those who criticize the now rampant anti-people policies of the government because they are currently benefitting directly or indirectly from those policies at the detriment of the people. They call for the head of those who don’t want to align with their evil and devilish practices.

In the end, after murdering all the truth-bearers, you will still not have murdered the truth. Herod beheaded John the Baptist, but Jesus Christ was already preaching the truth of repentance. Even after Jesus´ Crucifixion, at Pentecost the Apostles and other disciples went out preaching the truth of the Kingdom and repentance. You can kill the truth-bearer, but you won’t be able to kill the truth. It is like an objective reality that shines out even in the dark and torments those who constantly deny it with guilt and regret. Instead of calling for the head of John the Baptist because you have temporal power like Herodias, you should look inward and see how you can reform your ways.

It is true that evil thrive in a society where the good men do nothing, where those who should speak out are silent or have been silenced. Yet, no one wants a prize to be placed on his head, and so the seemingly good men have remained silent maintaining the status quo. But there is no way a society can be progressive except a spade is called a spade and things that aren’t pleasant are pointed out. Any society where people are afraid to speak out is heading towards a retrogression.

Happy Independence Day Nigeria!

Valentine UMOH

29th September, 2023