This week's Message from a Listener was sent in by an avid listener and friend of the Super Morning Show, Pastor Ebenezer Obeng-Tieku. It's a motivational message he read somewhere and wants to share with the nation this morning.

Yesterday as I watched the National Geographic Channel, I discovered for the first time, a  fish called The Electric Eel (zoological name, Electrophorus Electricus). This fish is commonly found in the fresh waters of the Amazon  jungle.

From the narration of the documentary, I learnt that electric eels are mostly blind, although they are not born that way. Throughout the documentary, I kept thinking, what beautiful creatures. How come they are blind?

I then read about them and came to understand that these animals have three pairs of abdominal organs that produce electricity as a defensive mechanism against predators.

Whenever the animal senses danger, it activates an electric pulse of up to 860 Volts to electrocute its attacker (that is nearly 4 times the 220V electricity supplied through the sockets in our homes).

The eel also needs to rise to the surface of the water every 10 minutes in order to take in Oxygen before going back under the water. Due to this routine, the fish has developed a mindset that it is vulnerable to attack due to its constant need to come up for air, hence it is always in ‘suspicion mode'. So to avoid any sudden surprises, the eel  constantly and regularly electrocuting its environment even when it is not under attack.

The unfortunate side-effect is that the constant electrocution ends up affecting the delicate eyes of this amazingly beautiful fish, rendering it blind over time. The more electric pulses it generates, the worse eel's sight gets, and the more paranoid it becomes, and so it generates even more electric pulses. This becomes a cruel cycle of killer current and punitive paranoia, which just makes the poor fish blinder every day.

You see, here are some people who insist on living their lives like the electric eel. They believe everybody and everything are out to get them.

They are always thinking, ‘someone is doing me’, ‘something evil is going to happen to me’, ‘someone is planning to harm me’, etc.

By having this kind of attitude such people also release shock waves that electrocute whoever comes near them.

Friends who meant well, are branded enemies, parents are considered evil, siblings are suspected of hatching dastardly plots work and  colleagues are branded enemies.

When people go into such a mentally self-destructive mode, all they think about is themselves and not the feelings of others. In their desire to protect themselves, they end up hurting others.

From today onwards, let us all strive to cultivate a positive attitude of love and trust towards each other. In Hebrews 13:1-6, Paul says, "…let brotherly love continue." In other words, treat each other in a brotherly manner. Think about these things. God Bless you and have a productive week.

 

My name is Kojo Yankson. and I thank Pastor Ebenezer Obeng-Tieku for inspiring the nation.

GOOD MORNING, GHANAFO!