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Appearance can be deceptive
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One of the themes running through Shakespeare’s work is the conflict of appearance and reality. He was the first to tell us that “All that glitters is not gold,” and he again reminded us that “Every cloud engenders not a storm.” In trying to tell us that things are not always as they seem, the bard said, “Things sweet to taste prove in digestion sour.”
It is sometimes good for us to reflect on the themes of great literature because their truth isn’t always limited to a certain time or people. And we, much more than the people of Shakespeare’s day, are living in a world of false images where reality is hard to sort out from appearance. It’s a world where a political candidate’s hairstyle may prove more important to his campaign than his stand on the issues. It is a world where we know one another so superficially that for some our best friends are those flickers of a colour on a television set. It is a world where our dream homes are the slim facades of a Hollywood movie set. A world where we put on fronts because we are uncertain people will like us without our veneer.
The great danger in all this is that we may become so confused between appearance and reality that we put our faith and time in the temporary, rather than the eternal, spending a lifetime chasing cotton candy realities. It is too easy to equate the importance of a person with his visibility, the meaning of a job with its notoriety. We may let those things which seem the most pressing pull us away from the things which are most important. We may begin to think that power is wealth and influence, rather than personal integrity.
It was Rudyard Kipling who said, “Lo, all our pomp of yesterday, Is one with Ninevah and Tyre,” two cities which have utterly vanished from the map.
Appearance and reality, if only they would label themselves so we could clearly recognise them and act accordingly. But appearance has a way of seeming immediate, important, demanding. And reality dressed in simple clothes fades quietly into the background. We rarely have time to stop in our running and ask, “What really matters in the eternal scheme of things?”
Thus, there is the father who misses his child’s first piano recital, but not his business meeting. There is plenty of time for a mindless magazine, but not the scriptures. We learn to envy those who are served, not those who do the serving.
But one day when our eyes are clear, appearance with all of its false gaiety and self-seeking will take a final curtain bow and reality will take its rightful place centre stage. Then we will know if we have put our faith and time in their proper place.
Long ago, the prophet Samuel was taught: “. . . the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” This passage of scripture is familiar to many. But, like Samuel, we may find it difficult at times not to be distracted, or even misled by appearances.
Samuel was struggling to find a replacement for King Saul when the Lord gave him this counsel: “Look not on the countenance, or on the height of his stature,” but rather look on the heart. He was still mourning the downfall of this great leader when, as prophet, he was commanded to anoint a new king. At that point in time, looking on the heart of any other man even a future king required the opening of his own heart.
And so, it goes for each of us. Think how our lives are enriched when we choose to look on the heart, and when others look on ours. How we value the friend who at first seemed so different from us, but who we took the time to get to know. How we cherish the family member who sees past our shortcomings and never fails to find goodness in us. For who we are on the inside how we think and feel, matters so much more than what we appear to be.
Appearances can be deceptive, to be sure. The clothing we wear, the company we keep, the car we drive, the house we occupy are all outward measurements that can keep us from each other’s hearts. They allow for quick and easy classifications. But the stature of a person’s soul is so much more difficult to qualify, let alone discern.
Henry David Thoreau had much to say about looking deeper: “We know but few men,” he wrote, and “a great many coats and breeches.” So often, our evaluations of each other don’t extend far past coats and breeches. But, as Thoreau decides, “. . . if my jacket and trousers, my hat and shoes, are fit to worship God in, they will do, will they not?”
Certainly, the Lord is less concerned about outward appearances. His all-seeing eye penetrates the very heart and discovers there the greatest treasure. He sees goodness, because He is good. He knows truth, because He is truth. He discerns real love, because He is love.
The more our own hearts are full of His goodness, truth, and love, the more we will be able to see as the Lord sees and really look on the heart.
By Samuel Enos Eghan
Mr Issahak Ibrahim, the Atwima Mponua District Chief Executive (DCE), has stressed the need to invest in initiatives that will encourage school children to read at all times.
He said a nation that invested in reading invested in its future, since a reading child was a potential future leader.
Speaking at the District Reading Festival for 32 schools in the district, at Nyinahin, he said reading strengthened literacy skills and inspired young leaders to unlock their full potentials while nurturing a lifelong love for learning, which leads to success.
Mr Ibrahim, therefore, enjoined teachers, parents, pupils and all stakeholders in the district to inspire every child to discover the limitless possibilities that begin with the act of reading in order to make it reflect the shared commitment to building a generation of confident readers, critical thinkers and lifelong learners in the society.
He pledged his commitment to support and empower more children and help them to achieve higher educational laurels in the area, while championing the cause of reading among children to achieve the related benefits.
“I remain committed to supporting educational initiatives that would empower our children with the knowledge and skills they needed to succeed in an ever-changing world,” he stated.
The festival was organised by the District Directorate of Education in conjunction with the ISMAT Foundation, a local educational non-governmental organisation (NGO) founded by the DCE, to support needy learners in the district and beyond.
The festival was under the theme: “Turn a page to begin a journey.”
The festival was aimed at encouraging and motivating the interest of pupils in reading and general learning.
All the 32 participating pupils from four zones within the district received school bags, exercise books, pens, pencils, erasers, mathematical sets and certificates.
Lawal Kwame from the Botrampa D/A Basic and Sadique Bamba from the Mpasatia African Faith Preparatory schools in the Nyinahin Zone, emerged first in the KG One and two classes, whilst Alice Fosu, Beatrice Sarfowaa and Priscilla Agyemang from the Adiembra Anglican Basic School also in the Nyinahin Zone, came first from Basic One to Basic Three classes respectively.
Ernest Duah from the Mampong Abebrese D/A and Blessing Sika from the Sreso Presby School in the Sreso Zone as well as Eric Osei Agyemang from Adiembra Anglican Basic School came first in the Upper Primary department.
Ms Ama Adwubi Asafu-Adjaye, the District Director of Education, commended the DCE for the programme, which was the first of its kind after the year 2022 one, which was supported by the USAID.
She said a Basic One boy called Obed Awuku from Mampong Abebrese D/A Basic School climbed from the district through a Regional contest, won and placed second at the national level in the year 2022 as one Salam Mohammed of the Otaakrom D/A Islamic Basic School, who also emerged as the 2024 winner in the district also placed fifth among the 16 regional participants even though they had a very short notice for preparation.
She said other achievements encouraged her and her management to make the programme an annual event in June and July as part of the activities on their academic calendar and a source of pride for the district.
She, therefore, encouraged the teachers to work harder to produce talented kids for higher achievements from the area. -GNA
The forecourt of the Gbewaa Palace, was a mixture of rich tradition and emotional scenes as thousands of mourners concluded the three-day adua for the late Overlord of Dagbon, Ndan Yaa Naa Abukari II.
For the period, the Gbewaa Palace became the spiritual and cultural heartbeat of the Dagbon Kingdom as Islamic clerics, traditional rulers, politicians, security personnel and ordinary citizens united in prayer for the repose of the soul of the revered monarch.
From dawn each day, streams of mourners, mostly dressed in traditional smocks and black attire, steadily filled the palace grounds and adjoining streets, transforming the royal seat into a sea of mourners.
Men, women, youth and children sat under canopies and open spaces while verses from the Holy Qur’an echoed across the palace, creating an atmosphere of reverence and reflection.
The air occasionally reverberated with ceremonial gunshots and traditional warrior displays, symbolising honour, bravery and the rich cultural heritage of the Dagbon Kingdom.
The adua, observed in accordance with Islamic tradition following the burial of the Yaa Naa, was attended by eminent Imams and Mallams who offered continuous prayers, seeking Allah’s mercy and eternal peace for the departed King.
Throughout the three-day observance, a steady flow of dignitaries visited the Gbewaa Palace to pay their respects and sign the book of condolence.
Among them were the Northern Regional Minister, Ali Adolf John Mburidiba; the Savannah Regional Minister, Salisu Be-Awuribe Issifu; and the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, who joined members of the royal family, traditional rulers and mourners in honouring the late Yaa Naa.
Security remained tight throughout the mourning period, with the Ghana Police Service deploying 450 personnel to ensure law and order.
The officers were stationed at strategic locations, including the Gbewaa Palace, major entry points into Yendi and other key installations, where they managed traffic, maintained public order and provided security for thousands of mourners and visiting dignitaries.
Beyond the official ceremonies, the event reflected the deep respect the people of Dagbon and Ghanaians at large had for the late monarch.
The conclusion of the three-day adua marks another important milestone in the funeral rites of the late Yaa Naa and signals the gradual transition towards the customary processes leading to the selection and enskinment of a new Overlord of the Dagbon Kingdom.
Although the formal three-day prayers have ended, mourning activities continue, with the seventh-day Islamic prayers expected to draw another large gathering of traditional authorities, government officials, religious leaders and well-wishers from across the country.
From: Geoffrey Buta, Yendi
