Welcome to the third and final season of Cues Corner! What an awesome ride it’s been with these six millennials and those that concern them! Time to find out what happens with the squad: is Nana Asor finally pregnant now? What happens with Becky now that her father is dead? And what is it in Bishop Gordon’s past that seems to haunt him so much?
Well, we’ll definitely get answers to these questions in this season. In the meantime, let us begin the new season as we did the previous one: with the bishop himself…
It was a pleasant Saturday evening, and Cues Corner was once again packed to capacity. Not for a football match, but for the second edition of MensTalk. Following the successful first edition, the male patrons of Cues Corner were delighted when Quincy put out the announcement for the second meeting. Many of them had loved the opportunity to meet up and discuss matters pertinent to them, and could not wait to get talking once again.
As always, the ever-busy Quincy, after attending to other customers at the bar and the main side of the restaurant, made his way to the front of the gathering. Once he was satisfied every attendee was seated and waiting for him to begin, he tapped the microphone, nodded when the sound came through, then began.
“Good evening, good evening, good evening, my dear gentlemen! Here we are for the second edition of MensTalk! Tonight, we continue what we started the last time—an open and honest dialogue about the things that shape us, challenge us, and inspire us as men.”
A ripple of applause broke out briefly. Quincy allowed it to fade before continuing.
“For tonight, we have a very interesting topic at hand, and I couldn’t think of anyone better to lead us than the very man who got us thinking deeply in our last meeting. His insights left us inspired and introspective, and I know he’s going to do it again tonight.”
Murmurs of excitement rose among the gathering as eyes moved in the direction of the said speaker. No prizes for guessing who it was.
“My distinguished gentlemen, you know him, you love him, you give him fans whenever you can. Let’s welcome to the stage, our bishop! Bishop Gordon Godwin Eselali Tamakloe!”
The gathering erupted in applause and cheers of ‘Our bishop’ as Bishop Gordon, casually dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans, rose and made his way to the front of the gathering.
“Thank you, thank you, my people!” he began gratefully. “It’s good to be here once again with you guys. I thank God for the privilege to be able to be a blessing to you all, and I’m glad we get to do this once more. So, for tonight, we’re gonna be delving into a topic that we like very much. It’s something we men, we like paaaa. But it’s in a different setting.
“This is a topic that’s often neglected by many of us in the society, yet it’s extremely crucial in shaping the moral fabric of our society. This topic is… the need for men to practice sexual purity.”
A murmur arose from the gathering.
Bishop Gordon smirked. “Just the reaction I was expecting. You’re probably thinking right now, ‘Ah, wait oo, isn’t this the kind of talk we usually hear directed at women’, right?”
A few nervous laughs emanated.
“Yep. It’s not your fault, don’t worry. It’s what our society has taught us. And sadly, even some of our leaders in the body of Christ have pushed this sort of thinking. Placing the burden of sexual purity solely on women, always urging them to “save themselves” for marriage, while excusing us men from similar expectations. And what annoys me the most is how sometimes, this idea of men being unable to control their sexual desires is echoed like it’s not a problem.
“There was this one time, eh, I attended this traditional wedding. And there was this one grown lady from the woman’s family, apparently a woman of God. She was saying to the woman that she should always be humble and submissive, the usual stuff. And then she goes on and says… that in her marriage, her husband has cheated multiple times, but she’s held on regardless, and that the reality is, men will always find a way to cheat, and that is how God made us, so she should embrace that.”
A couple of ‘Ahs’ arose from the gathering, in disbelief at this short tale from the bishop.
Bishop Gordon shook his head, the disgust on his face plain for all to see. “Exactly. Absolute foolishness. She’s very lucky I didn’t get the opportunity to speak, anka the blasting I would have given her in front of everybody. Such nonsense. You see, excuses like, “Boys will be boys,” or, “Men are wired this way,” are not only stupid and senseless, but also very insulting and demeaning. What you’re saying is, as for men, we are slaves to our impulses, and we are incapable of exercising the self-control God calls us to have. My dear brothers, this is a lie from the pits of hell. When the Bible talks about self-control and steering clear of sexual immorality, was there any emphasis on gender? Did the apostles say that only women should heed those commands?”
The group responded with loud Nos.
“Exactly. It’s sad that society continues to burden women with carrying the entire weight of sexual purity, while acting as if the rules don’t really apply to us. Let me remind you, my dear brothers: God’s standards apply to all His children. And as for me, my church members will tell you, I will place that burden to practice sexual purity on you, whether you’re a man or a woman. His standards are universal, and we’ll all have to give an account one day.”
***
“Now, despite what you’ll sometimes see in the media glorifying it, you all need to remember this: a lack of sexual purity will destroy you as a man. I mean, history is there for us to see. The downfall of men in positions of power who allowed their lack of sexual discipline to destroy everything they’d built. From footballers to politicians to pastors, the pattern is always the same. One moment of indulgence, one bad decision or a series of bad decisions, and their legacies are tarnished forever. You know some of them. John Terry, Ryan Giggs, Bill Clinton… the list is endless. Look at the disgrace they endured because of that failure to be sexually pure. How it impacted their families.
“If you look at the Bible, there are so many examples of this as well. Look at King David. This was a man described as ‘a man after God’s own heart,’ yet he went up the roof, saw Bathsheba bathing, and went haywire with desire. What did that lead to? He went to eat someone’s wife and ended up killing the man just to cover it up. Look at Samson. A strong man with a mighty anointing, yet he allowed Delilah to take advantage of him and deliver him into the hands of his enemies. As to how he did not wake out of that stupor, I still don’t understand. That one, unless God explains to me when I get to heaven.”
The gathering burst into light laughter.
“At the end of the day, my brothers, all these examples are proof of why sexual purity isn’t just a suggestion for us as men; it’s a necessity. Listen to me, I know the bodies look sweet. I know. Body no be firewood. Those of you who are #TeamAss, you see some curvaceous booty and your brain is spinning. Those of you that like breast, you see some lady some with heavy distins in front of her and your heart is beating fast. You feel that chale, you have to handle those juicy things or life won’t make sense. I know that feeling paaa. I’ve been there.
“But listen to me, it’s not worth it. Massa, the action, maximum fifteen minutes, then you’re done. Those fifteen minutes of doggy or missionary or whatever, it’s not worth the trouble that follows. If you’re in covenant, stick to that covenant and enjoy the wife of your youth. If you’re not there yet, wait and let God guide you. Choose sexual purity, my brothers! Forget the rubbish the world tells you, that is the best way!”
A few claps rang out at the end of that impassioned speech.
“Listen, there is honour in being a self-disciplined man. There is dignity and respect in submitting yourself to the boundaries of purity and keeping your vessel from unnecessary indulgence. For those who are married, practicing purity by sticking to your wife alone lays a foundation of trust and fidelity in your marriage, and also, it sets a powerful example for your children, especially your sons. We need our children to understand that sex is beautiful and it’s sweet when done the right way. We need them to know that there’s nothing cool or manly about lacking self-control and just firing any girl because she looks sexy. We need them to know that having control over your body and emotions is a true sign of strength; when you can push aside the flimsy desires of the flesh and focus on what really matters in our lives.
“Because gentlemen, we all have purposes in life, don’t we? Whether it’s to spread the gospel like me, or to build an empire, whatever it is, isn’t it the ultimate satisfaction when you fulfill that purpose? Is it worth casting that purpose aside to remove some girl’s panties and destroy her just because you’re horny? Obviously not. There’s a legacy we seek to leave, and we can’t let our sexual hunger ruin that. Some of the men I mentioned, Giggs and Terry for example, see how their legacies in football have been tainted by their sexual failures. People still make fun of John Terry as a wife-snatcher, just because he couldn’t tame his desires. Would you want your legacy to be tainted by that?”
The responses from the gathering were negative, as expected.
“Thank you! So please, my dear fellow men, with all that’s been said, I’ll ask you this simple question: will you continue to live as though self-control is optional, or will you rise to the calling God has placed on your life?
“Remember, in all this, I want you to know that if you’ve stumbled in this area, there is grace. Like David, you can repent and be restored. He not only went to play with a married woman’s breasts, but he killed the husband on top. That’s as devious as it gets, but chale, God restored him. And like Samson, you can cry out to God and find strength in your weakness once you recognize your mess up. Minus the killing yourself, of course. That one diɛɛ, we don’t like.”
Muffles of laughter echoed.
“Yeah, we shall live and not die in Jesus’ name. So, brethren, by the mercies of God, I implore you all: let’s endeavour to rewrite the narrative. Sexual purity isn’t a burden just for our wonderful women; it’s a blessing for all of us. It isn’t a restriction; it’s freedom. If we can champion this cause, our society will fare much, much better. Brothers, let’s rise up and lead by example—not just for ourselves but for our families, our communities, and most importantly, for the glory of God. Thank you.”
Bishop Gordon stepped back and nodded as the audience erupted into applause, some visibly moved, others deep in thought.
“Okay, now, it’s time for questions, contributions and opinions… and trust me, I know there’s so much you guys have to say in relation to this topic. We have about one and a half hours, so… let’s talk.”
***
Two hours later, and the second edition of MensTalk was done. An extra thirty minutes had been added, with the conversation extending long beyond its allocated time. From passionate arguments to vehement disagreements, everything had been poured out. Ultimately, the message had been driven home, and there was a lot for everyone to think about.
As Bishop Gordon received his bag from Quincy, who had placed it in his office for safekeeping, he heard a familiar voice behind him. “Bishop Bishop!”
He turned, and it was Deladem, with Bruce and Clarence.
He smirked. “Ahhh, my guys! How are you doing?”
“Good oo, Bishop,” Deladem answered. “Very good meeting it was today.”
“No doubt, chale,” Bruce added. “This matter dey hia pass, about keeping yourself pure. Na the guys I know that think manliness is about eating different girls by heart diɛɛ…”
Bishop Gordon shook his head. “Chale, it’s a serious matter. There’s so much work to be done. But we’ll get there. Eventually. Oh, anyways, have you gone to see Becky yet?”
The three shook their heads. “She’ll be available from tomorrow,” Clarence mentioned. “So we’re going there in the afternoon.”
Bishop nodded solemnly. “Alright, alright, thanks for letting me know. I’ll let Akpene know, and we’ll join you guys. Hmmm, so unfortunate that she’s lost her father…”
A pretty strong topic the bishop spoke on, you’ve got to admit. Definitely worth the time…
