VAMPIRE FOR CHRIST

By Precious Obasi

SAFACS 2023 ENTRY 28

In your country, death is an aperture to life and a cultural ritual celebrated daily. Before you became a citizen, you jeered at the Way of this country.

A country where its citizens feed on the flesh and drink the blood of their Ruler. "Does that mean they are vampires for this Christ?" You asked the day two of their Ambassadors accosted you with a visa, persuading you to accept citizenship of their country.

You scoffed at them and showed them your passport—you were a citizen of Lostville and you were proud of that.

"You're only a slave," they declared.

"You must be out of your mind to believe that! I have more freedom than all of you in your country combined. I do not need to pledge my allegiance daily to your impossible ruler, nor do I need to be initiated into your blood-drinking cult! I can enjoy anything I want with no restraints," you raved in your defense.

"No, you're a slave to the devil, sin, and your flesh. That is your true identity; your freedom is only bondage," they asserted.

Your face flushed with rage and you blurted out, "You do not know me! I love my country and would never leave."

They sighed, warning you that your country was going to be destroyed in the ongoing war with theirs, and you would be caught in the crossfire soon. You guffawed and bragged about the cutting-edge weaponry your country had just launched.

But they said to you, "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God, pulling down every stronghold." There was something punchy about their words that hit you right in the gut. But you dismissed it.

That night, as you lay to sleep, you heard the avant-garde weaponry going off and you smiled, knowing that your country was going to win against those lowlifes with nothing but the name of their Ruler in their arsenal.

Soon you were asleep, but then a voice began speaking to you; a voice so bold, so fierce, like the sound of thunder. It was like a bomb going off in your heart, and at that moment, you knew Him. He was the Ruler of the enemy country.

You found yourself on your knees weeping, with your hands lifted in surrender as you spoke His name, "Jesus! Save me. I want to be new." The words rolled off your tongue like butter as a flame was kindled in your heart.

He held you up, looked deeply into your eyes, and said, "Today, I have adopted you as my child. Take this new identity." He handed you a golden passport with a dove stamped on it.

"Take up your cross daily and follow me. Go into the world and make disciples of all nations, for in my name, you will cast out devils, heal the sick and take up serpents, and they will not hurt you. Henceforth, I am yours and you are mine."