Dear Editor,

Two weeks ago, I, along with some friends from high school and college, went to support a mutual friend at a funeral to lay his beloved grandmother to rest.

I left high school almost 14 years ago, and if memory serves me right, I hadn’t seen one of my classmates since that time. He always wanted to be a pilot. He fulfilled his ambition and I am extremely happy for him.

During our catching up, we discovered that everyone is working in the field of his youthful ambition: one in banking and finance, one in entrepreneurial physiotherapy, and others in education, whether administration or academia at the secondary or tertiary level.

I recall that when I was bringing the group up to speed on my work and whereabouts, my former classmates confirmed that I even looked professorial. They knew I would end up in higher education, engaging in research and being a thought leader in my field as well as on national issues.

Kareem Morrison, the pilot, spent a good amount of time learning more about my columns and asking about motivation and feedback. It turned out that he does come across some of them on social media and reads a few whenever he has a chance.

I had a great weekend being there to support our aggrieved friend and spend time with my former high school class and college mates who are making waves in their respective fields and living a life of purpose.

At the funeral service, I also saw Keriffe Clarke, a colleague who helped me in my younger days as a practice teacher. As modern language majors, we always operated in an ecosystem of support and collaboration. Our former lecturers demonstrated and encouraged these qualities when we were in college. Keriffe is now the acting principal of the National College for Educational Leadership (NCEL) and is doing brilliant and transformative work. He was never one to settle. He pushes boundaries, though young he may be.

I mentioned Keriffe because I commended him on his work and achievements. Both he and I serve as great inspirations to the modern language community and mentors to several colleagues and past students.

In our interaction, I said to him, “One thing I learnt from very early is that a life lived on purpose is the best life.” He fully endorsed my sentiments.

In fulfilling purpose, one must ask what truly brings satisfaction. Is it peaking early in one’s career? Is it attaining the highest academic degree? Is it travelling? I travel a lot. I love a good intercultural experience. Is it amassing a great degree of wealth? What exactly are we chasing and what value comes with it?

As a Christian I try to to be Christ-like; therefore, I examine closely Jesus’s life. Jesus’s fulfillment was embedded in a life of obedience to His Father and service to humanity. The principle of servanthood is supported in Matthew 20:26, “Whoever among you wants to be great must become the servant of you all, and if he wants to be first among you, he must be your slave.”

We do not need to bear an executive title to make a difference. We do not need to be the most eloquent, the most qualified, or the most resourced to live our God-given purpose and make an impact.

There was nothing kingly about Jesus. There was no room available for Him to be born, so His mother, Mary, was directed to the stable. In Isaiah 53:2-4, it was prophesied that Jesus would not be the most attractive for people to desire Him. He would not be esteemed, yet He took on our sin, guilt, and shame. He was later crowned King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

What legacy are you leaving? Will you leave this Earth one day not having made a positive difference?

May you be “inspired to inspire”, as Keriffe always says, because “we become to help others become” as I always remind my readers.

Oneil Madden

maddenoniel@yahoo.com