It read, Before Chief Bamidel passed, he asked me to write this on his behalf. He forgave the priest. He understood what pain and ambition can do to the human soul when left unchecked.
He chose not to condemn, but to inspire. He asked me to tell the church, Be the kind of place that welcomes the stranger, the broken, the poor, and the rich alike, because God sees beyond the mask. I came to give, but I found something deeper than charity.
I found truth, and that is what we must never lose again. One year later, it was Thanksgiving Sunday again, but this time no spotlights, no gold-plated chairs, just a full church singing with one voice, from the shoemaker in the back to the businesswoman. In the front, everyone brought something.
One boy brought a bag of Gary. An old woman brought oranges. A bus driver brought his time.
A child brought a song. And nobody laughed. Nobody whispered.
Everyone worshiped. The choir sang, Come as you are, broken and whole. Your rags are welcome, your tears consoled.
This is a house not built by pride, but by the love of Christ inside. And at the very front sat Brother Nathaniel, now officially ordained as the lead pastor. He preached about justice, humility, mercy, and forgiveness.
Then at the end of the service, he looked toward the back and smiled. Brother Clement, he said, please come forward. Gasps filled the room.
Clement rose slowly, nervous. No titles, Nathaniel added. Just a servant of God.
Clement walked to the altar and was handed a small gift, a Bible with a gold edge. We don’t reward you for your past, but we honor the journey you’ve taken. Let this be a reminder that God can raise even the fallen if they repent and return with truth.
Tears filled Clement’s eyes. He held the Bible close to his chest and whispered, Thank you, Lord. Final words.
The church had been broken. The priest had fallen. A widow had died.
A billionaire had passed. But through the pain, something greater had risen. A community awakened.
A truth restored. And a reminder that the church is not for the proud, but the humble. And so, the story of a poor boy who became a priest for riches became the story of a broken man who became a servant for God.
And the biggest lesson of all, God is not mocked. What we sow, we reap. But if we turn back, truly turn, his mercy is still greater than our mistakes.