Paraskevidekatriaphobia

Have you heard the word ‘Paraskevidekatriaphobia’or ‘Friggatriskaidekaphobia’? Well, if you haven't, it is a morbid, irrational fear of Friday the thirteenth. That’s today’s date. Don’t get spooked yet, an event that will occur today would do that. Let me call it Frigga for short because the full name of the phobia requires a lot of mouth muscle manipulation.

Frigga is the most popular myth of our century. Do you know that there is no real origin of this myth? According to Wikipedia, there is no written evidence for a "Friday the 13th" superstition before the 19th century. The earliest documentation occurs in an 1869 biography of Gioachino Rossini:
[Rossini] was surrounded to the last by admiring and affectionate friends; and if it be true that, like so many other Italians, he regarded Friday as an unlucky day, and thirteen as an unlucky number, it is remarkable that on Friday, the 13th of November, he died.

Do you know that many hospitals have no room 13 (not in Naija anyway, we don’t even have enough hospital rooms); while some tall buildings skip the 13th floor and some airline terminals omit Gate 13?

I’m sure, if we went down to the dusty and creepy libraries of old we would find something concrete about Frigga's history. What you wouldn’t find in the library is me.
That’s enough on the history (or no history) of ‘Friday the thirteenth’ superstition. If you get spooked in any way today or you witnessed any unusual occurrence – like a dog wearing sunglasses or a monkey beckoning to you - please feel free to tell us about it. Don’t get spooked, just have a great day.

Who Do People Say I Am?

Jesus asked his disciples, ‘Who do people say I am?’
They answered, ‘John the Baptist; but some say Elijah, and others, one of the prophets’
Jesus asked ‘Who do you say I am?’
Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ’
Simon Peter recognized Jesus for who he really was. I understand from that passage of the holy bible that Peter had watched Jesus closely and could tell that he was not from this world. Other people also had an idea of who he was. They all thought highly of John the Baptist and Elijah and therefore thought highly of Jesus since they associated him with the great prophets. This passage of the bible struck a chord in my head because of an incident I witnessed.

An Intern in a corporation was asked by a staff to carry his backpack to a specified location. The intern did this without hesitation or questions. Thirty minutes later, the staff was seen marching back to the office, his face was distorted by anger. He went straight to where the intern was sitting and jacked him up.
‘Where is my Laptop? And what did you do with my three phones and documents?’
He brandished slaps across his face and began to drag him by the trouser to the security office. People had gathered to watch the scene and after the staff had given a recap of how the intern stole his things they joined in the castigation.
His vindication came when about 7 staff of the department who he worked with directly ran out to defend him. They fought the staff on his behalf. They insisted that he could not have done what he was being accused of. A senior staff shouted ‘This young man can never do that. Stop dragging him’
This went on for a while, the security intervened and the staff was asked to leave the boy. A moment later the staff went into his office and found out that he had picked up and given the intern someone else’s backpack – there were other staff that had the same backpack. He had accused the intern wrongly and had to apologize. The following day, the staff of the intern’s department demanded a formal apology from the staff. This staff went round the offices and to the security apologizing. The boy was vindicated and all those who were part of the ‘crucify him’ party also heard of his vindication. They apologized duly, giving excuses for their actions.

I marveled at the way the intern’s departmental staff defended him. They had seen him work. They had studied his behavior. They knew who he was. A hardworking, honest and humble young man. I admired the intern more because all through the accusation, he was still very respectful and did not fight back. He only tried to defend himself by speaking out.
If you were caught up in the same or similar ‘boat’ as the intern, will you be defended? Will people stand up for or against you? Will your Peter say ‘you are the Christ.’? Who will people say you are?