Vida e Morte

Do to other people what you want them to do to you. That is what the law and the writings of the prophets say - Matthew 7:12

Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow.

A former schoolmate of mine recently passed away. He was my senior back in high school in Nigeria. I hadn't seen him in years but recently we were in regular contact on facebook. An avid photographer himself, he usually left comments on photographs I took.
So it came as a shock when last week a friend of mine in Sunderland (who through facebook had got to know my former schoolmate) texted me and told me she saw pictures of a memorial service which suggested he had passed away.
I hadn't heard anything from him since the new year began but I didn't view it as suspicious, many people's use of facebook varies according to their workload.
Shocked by this news, I went to his facebook page which by now was inundated with 'Rest in Peace' messages. I thought it was a recent event, "he must have passed away a few days ago" I thought, only to find out that the RIP messages stretched back to January 1. He had not lived to see the new year.
A student at the University of Pretoria, I later found out that he had gone to Durban to usher in the new year. He and his friends went to the sea, and he had ventured to far in, and for some reason unknown to me, he had drowned. Doctors tried to resuscitate him, but they were unsuccessful.

The next day, I told my friend, William Cunningham about the story of my former schoolmate. What he told me afterwards deeply saddened me, and made me think about our duty to our fellow human beings.

It turns out that William had heard the story of his death from one of his friends also studying at the University of Pretoria. She told William that people shunned my former classmate, a lot of people spoke ill of him behind his back. He was the subject of much derision. The topic of gossip.
When the news of his death had reached the campus, those who shunned him in life felt guilty, if only they had talked to him, if only they hadn't bad-mouthed him, if only...if only...

We shouldn't live life in retrospect, we should always remember to be courteous and kind to everyone, even if we know them or not. Not only was this the teaching of Jesus, but whether we subscribe to a religious faith, whether we are agnostic or atheist, it is our duty as humans to love each other, to treat one another with respect and dignity.

I pray he rests in peace.