Abia prides itself as God’s own state. Elders and leaders of the state most likely settled for the appellative phrase because the name of the state is pointedly mentioned in the Bible, precisely in Luke 1;5, where the lineage of John the Baptist was being established. “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain priest named Zacharias of the course of Abia and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron and her name was Elisabeth” the scripture reads. The “course of Abia” being referenced is also traceable to 1 Chronicles 24:10, where David is said to have divided the priests to 24 courses and the eighth, had a name close to Abia, though the scripture renders it as Abijah, aligning it more linguistically with Abija, the stage name of the feared Yoruba actor, Tajudeen Oyewole, who sadly recently turned a Tik-Tok beggar, due to tough times, despite decades of practising his craft.
Abia itself ,as a name, has Hebrew roots and can be answered by both male and female, though with diverse interpretations and meanings. The commonest interpretation being “God is my father”, which is from the Hebrew words “ab” and “yah”, meaning father and God respectively.
Abians may want to settle for the direct interpretation of the name from the original owners and users, since they fancy their Jewish cultural heritage, despite limited evidence of a shared ancestry
No doubt, being mentioned in the Holy Book and the interpretative connecting to God, is a big deal, but nothing would be bigger than answering God’s name as a people and that is where Osun edges Abia and not because it’s my state.
Jesus establishes clearly in John 4 during the encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob in Sychar that the Living Water/Spring is the Ultimate Sustainer. He linked both Himself and God to the Spring that eternally quenches thirst, in this context, spiritual needs and desires. Granted, those who monikered the state as the Living Spring, might not have God in mind when coining the phrase. Infact, everything points to it as a veneration of the natural spring known as river Osun. So at first glance, it would appear a celebration of the goddess that has come to be associated with the river and the annual celebration of what it is taken to represent. Well, it is not in dispute that the associative deity didn’t create the spring/water and whatever connection to it, was well after the spring/river had been in existence. Do we now believe mythology over the Maker of heaven and the earth?
When Jesus was talking about giving the Samaritan woman water that would last a lifetime, it was evidently not the sightable odourless, colourless and tasteless water that science says is the best for human consumption. Bible scholars are in consensus he was talking about spiritual rejuvenation, sustenance and salvation. In 2 Corinthians 3:6, Paul presents deeper and wider perspective, saying “who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter but of the spirit, for the letter killeth but the spirit giveth life”.
The spiritual connotation of Osun being a Living Spring {God’s State} is that it must remain in the hands of God forever and godlessness and its purveyors must be kept, at all costs, away from it, now that it appears God in His infinite mercy, has pulled it back from the brink of brinkmanship and brigandage. This has nothing to do with political parties, which are basically sides of an undesirable coin. But I must also concede there are likely men and women with certain degree of fear of God, still in the mix.
Though I don’t really have much expectation from the political leadership, but at least, let it be politics of joy, not turning the state to a conflagration of confusion. In recent past, it was as if evil locusts found a comfortable perching ground in the state. Though not a bourgeoise state, its economy at all times, should not be on ground zero, where it would take church feeding the residents. By the mercy of God, it would appear the dolorous days are over. At least, more residents are smiling again and it wont be because the current political leadership has been extraordinary. I believe it is the spiritual side of leadership, which Proverbs 29:2 captures thus; “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn”. Righteousness here isn’t the advertised piety. It is worshipping God in truth and spirit through our fear for him and making ourselves baby-like in His hand.
I have never met our Dancing Governor but thankfully he hasn’t become a tragicomedy his many critics predicted he would be considering his perceived “silliness”. Osun has also not descended into the theatre of the absurd many feared he would of his first term, still midway though. Infact, thankfully, there is peace in the state, even if not all are well-fed. But didn’t that wise guy Solomon say in Proverbs 17:1 that “better is a dry morsel and quietness therewith than a house full of feasting and strife”. Even then, there was no feasting and strife was still commonplace. It bears no retelling that morsel is dry across the country and a considerable part of it, is not quiet, with booming guns of terrorists in the bush as well as the ones kitted in official uniforms. There were also and still terrorists in government houses. Didn’t Jesus say we will know them by their fruits?. For Osun, it is beginning to look like a new beginning but definitely not the time for cymbals.
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