Never Die Gang

“Mum, do we have to watch the Passion of Christ again?” 12-year-old Rebecca asked with a frown. She was sitting on the couch, legs crossed, arms folded in protest.

Jola untied her apron and sat beside her daughter, holding her. She had been on her feet all day, trying to get dinner ready just in time for their annual easter family hangout. Her parents did it while she was growing up, so when she married Jimi, they adopted the tradition. Jimi was out of town for the holidays- something that was becoming too often these days.

“Mummyyy, why do we watch the same thing every year? Can we watch something on Netflix instead-” she was interrupted by the sound of the bell. Rebecca rushed to open it with a massive smile on her face. She had been expecting her cousin.

“Cousin Vikky!!!” She exclaimed as she pulled her into the house. Victoria was 8 years older than she was, but from their interactions, one could easily assume they were within the same age group. Jola went back to the kitchen. Victoria was her favourite niece and was staying with them for the weekend. Her parents were out of town, and Rebecca was more than excited to have someone to chat with.

The last time Victoria was at their house was at the previous easter hangout. She and Jimi got along quite well. Like Vikky, her husband was a software developer, and at the time, Vikky had just made a career switch from accounting. Jola remembered how beautiful that day was. Was she a fool for thinking she could recreate the memories? Perhaps she could have been more persuasive.

But Jimi sounded sad on the phone. He seemed to regret not being around genuinely. If only she believed him. If only she could ignore the voice in her head, telling her that the man she spoke with yesterday was not the same man she knew and loved.

---

Victoria and Rebecca were cleaning up after dinner.

“Vikky?” Rebecca nudged her cousin.

“I am listening.”

“I don’t understand why Mum insists on watching the passion of Christ all the time. It is a sad movie, and I don’t think we have to watch it every Easter. We already know what the story means.”

“But do you understand it?” Victoria asked.

“Do you know what it represents? what it means for you and I?” Victoria paraphrased.

“He loved the world so much that he died for us and that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Rebecca replied confidently. She knew the verse by heart.

“John 3:16. That’s good Rebecca, but beyond quoting a bible verse, have you ever sat down to ask yourself the importance of all of it? Why do we have to remember every year and celebrate it?” Victoria set the clean plates on the table. Rebecca paused and thought about it momentarily; she was an arduous Sunday school student. So, she didn’t understand why her cousin wasn’t satisfied with her answer.

“Let me explain,” Victoria said to free her cousin from the question’s weight. “Jesus was a man on a mission. His father had sent him to earth in the form of a human being like you. To save the world from death and condemnation-“

“Why did we need saving come to think of it, I wonder sometimes.” Rebecca interrupted.

“Because we were condemned to die. God’s original design was for us to walk in his image. Be like him. Before Adam disobeyed God, He could see God, talk to God, and converse with him. He had control and dominion; whatever Adam said was truth. He was the image of God and remember that we were born of Adam. We are descendants one way or the other, and because of this, we were born in sin.”

“But before I gave my life to Christ, I felt fine. Didn’t feel like a sinner. If anything, I feel more like a sinner these days.” Rebecca let out a frustrated sigh. Her cousin burst into laughter.

“Can you tell me more about what you mean, Becca?”

“Well, ever since I made that confession, it’s like this thing makes me feel bad each time I do something wrong. It can be quite annoying.”

“That sounds like the Holy Spirit, only that your knowledge of him is insufficient, so you can’t appreciate him.”

“What does he do for me? The Holy Spirit?” Rebecca had never given it a deep thought.

“Well, for starters, that’s your seal. Your ID Card. It’s a way for heaven to recognise you as a child of God. (2 Cor 1:22 paraphrased).

“But this seal is not on me; it’s inside me?”

“Exactly. It’s the same spirit of God that raised Jesus from the dead that’s inside you. It is a big deal.”

“Does that mean I can also raise people from the dead?”

“It means you can raise people from the dead, heal the sick, perform miracles and you will be caught up into heaven when Jesus comes back, ascending with other believers.”

“Like I was saying when I was asking about the passion of Christ, Jesus came to fulfil purpose. He died and rose again.” Victoria continued. “This meant that he defeated death, meaning death had no power over him. He later ascended into heaven as a man with the spirit of God. Before this, no other man had been to heaven.” (Psalm 24:7-10 paraphrased).

“Is this why we say we have eternal life?” Rebecca asked; it was beginning to make sense.

“Yes, he died the final death. When you give your life to Christ, though you may die a physical death, you will be given a new body, and you will awaken and rise from the dead and ascend into heaven.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16 paraphrased).

“What is dead may never die.” Rebecca said, bursting into laughter.

“Abeg, that’s not the same thing we are discussing here. More like Neverdiegang!” Victoria said, laughing.

“Anyway, all of these things would not have been possible if Jesus didn’t come as a man to die. If he didn’t die, he wouldn’t have been raised; if he wasn’t raised, there wouldn’t have been a need for him to ascend into heaven; if that didn’t happen, the Holy Spirit would not have come, and you and I would have been condemned.” (John 16:7). That is what the death of Jesus signifies. That is why watching the Passion of Christ isn’t a bad idea, if you truly understand its meaning.”

---

“Rebecca, someone is at the door!” Jola called from the bathroom. She threw on her Jalamia and rushed out into the living room.

“So that’s why Mum makes us watch it, to remember?” Rebecca didn’t hear her name.

“Exact-“

“Don’t worry, I’ll get it myself.” Jola’s voice was louder now as she hurried to open the door. As she opened it, she could smell him; she stared at him- those penny loafers, the sweatshirt. She had bought them last Christmas. Her husband’s brown eyes stared into hers, and her heart skipped. She could hear her heart pounding with excitement. No, not excitement or anxiety. Did he change his mind? Why was he here? Did he come back for her? Had he thought about how rocky their marriage had been in the last few months and was making an effort?

“Jola, please let me in.” Jimi’s voice was strange. Jola wondered what was wrong. He sounded sober or maybe even scared. That was when she noticed her. The young woman who was standing behind Jimi. Tall, with brown hair, wearing an off-white jacket and green dress. Who was this woman?
Jola stretched just in time to notice the woman holding her heavily pregnant belly, rubbing it in a slow, circular motion.