Beautiful World and the Truth
8 September 2026 By Abiodun Giwa
The world is beautiful, but it is not without imperfections, especially in its people. People have power, and they misuse it. In "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner," the sailor had the power and used it to kill the bird without justification. But as the saying goes, God keeps flies away from cows that have no tails; an unseen power reined in the sailor's actions after a peaceful journey turned chaotic. And all on the journey turned to the sailor with a question about why he shot the bird, and that his act must have brought the misfortune to them. The sailor's act is similar to Cain's killing of Abel.
The difference between Cain and the sailor is that the latter later showed love for other sea creatures, while Cain retained hate in revenge for his brother. Modern leaders can learn a lesson fr, om Samuel Coleridge's poem. The albatross did not cause the ship any harm, but was, in fact, a source of joy to passengers aboard. The journey was troublesome, but the bird brought calm.
Was it the food or play the creature needed that enraged the sailor? Consternation and unbelief followed. Some said the sailor did right; others wrongly said the bird was the harbinger of ill wind, pushing he truth under the fog. The confusion did not last when the creature's death began to manifest in the sea's changing colors. The trouble was such that they had water everywhere but none for human consumption. All the men on deck were dead and stared at the sailor. The bird turned into an object of fright around the sailor's neck instead of a cross. He saw the curse in the dead men's eyes. Frightened and helpless, he suddenly beheld the beauty of sea snakes and blessed them; then he began to recollect his own senses of love and blessings and recovered his ability to pray.
Cain was tight-necked. He was careless about whatever happened to Abel. His answer to a higher power's question about Abel's whereabouts that he wasn't his brother's keeper said much about arrogance. It is a good thing to love and bless others. Marriage is about love of another, and a marriage ceremony connotes procreative love. When the sailor showed love to some other creatures from the sea, the dead albatross around his neck fell off. He regained the ability to sleep and pray, showing a connection to a higher power that ordains love and marriage, and that prayer is a part of humanity. A higher power attended to his misery. He received forgiveness and healing for a deadly crime against another.
Cain was tight-necked. He was careless about whatever happened to Abel. His answer to a higher power's question about Abel's whereabouts that he wasn't his brother's keeper said much about his arrogance. This reminds us of Nigeria's Commander Ebenezer Obey's song: 'O nsoro bi Eledumare, ta lo mamumi o.' (Meaning he talks like God, and who will hold me accountable?) 'Won gungi tan, won to reyin aiye.' (They have climbed the tree and believed no one will hold them accountable.)
It is a tough measure when a human being turns himself into a god, like Nebuchadnezzar in Scripture. The sailor was foolish for his act against the albatross, as many people still do, and carried on without remorse, triggering vengeance. The bird could not avenge its death, but a higher power intervened. In the midst of the trouble the sailor found himself in, he realized his own foolishness. Perhaps he was destined to love those slimy sea snakes to escape an evil end. Or how can one explain the hundred-degree sudden change from killing one innocent creature and turning to love another so soon?
Cain, like Nebuchadnezzar, paid dearly for his act and his lack of remorse, unlike the sailor who changed, showed love to other creatures, and escaped the harsh reality: you don't kill what you cannot create. Some people do things secretly, believing their steps are covered, unaware of posterity's intervention. When the wall caves in, their entire empire becomes a victim. Oedipus, a tragic hero in Greek mythology, is another great example. He killed his father, married his mother, and saved his people from peril, but when the truth of his past unfolded, the end was disastrous.
The difference between Cain and the sailor is that the latter later showed love for other sea creatures, while Cain retained hate in revenge for his brother. Modern leaders can learn a lesson fr, om Samuel Coleridge's poem. The albatross did not cause the ship any harm, but was, in fact, a source of joy to passengers aboard. The journey was troublesome, but the bird brought calm.
Was it the food or play the creature needed that enraged the sailor? Consternation and unbelief followed. Some said the sailor did right; others wrongly said the bird was the harbinger of ill wind, pushing he truth under the fog. The confusion did not last when the creature's death began to manifest in the sea's changing colors. The trouble was such that they had water everywhere but none for human consumption. All the men on deck were dead and stared at the sailor. The bird turned into an object of fright around the sailor's neck instead of a cross. He saw the curse in the dead men's eyes. Frightened and helpless, he suddenly beheld the beauty of sea snakes and blessed them; then he began to recollect his own senses of love and blessings and recovered his ability to pray.
Cain was tight-necked. He was careless about whatever happened to Abel. His answer to a higher power's question about Abel's whereabouts that he wasn't his brother's keeper said much about arrogance. It is a good thing to love and bless others. Marriage is about love of another, and a marriage ceremony connotes procreative love. When the sailor showed love to some other creatures from the sea, the dead albatross around his neck fell off. He regained the ability to sleep and pray, showing a connection to a higher power that ordains love and marriage, and that prayer is a part of humanity. A higher power attended to his misery. He received forgiveness and healing for a deadly crime against another.
Cain was tight-necked. He was careless about whatever happened to Abel. His answer to a higher power's question about Abel's whereabouts that he wasn't his brother's keeper said much about his arrogance. This reminds us of Nigeria's Commander Ebenezer Obey's song: 'O nsoro bi Eledumare, ta lo mamumi o.' (Meaning he talks like God, and who will hold me accountable?) 'Won gungi tan, won to reyin aiye.' (They have climbed the tree and believed no one will hold them accountable.)
It is a tough measure when a human being turns himself into a god, like Nebuchadnezzar in Scripture. The sailor was foolish for his act against the albatross, as many people still do, and carried on without remorse, triggering vengeance. The bird could not avenge its death, but a higher power intervened. In the midst of the trouble the sailor found himself in, he realized his own foolishness. Perhaps he was destined to love those slimy sea snakes to escape an evil end. Or how can one explain the hundred-degree sudden change from killing one innocent creature and turning to love another so soon?
Cain, like Nebuchadnezzar, paid dearly for his act and his lack of remorse, unlike the sailor who changed, showed love to other creatures, and escaped the harsh reality: you don't kill what you cannot create. Some people do things secretly, believing their steps are covered, unaware of posterity's intervention. When the wall caves in, their entire empire becomes a victim. Oedipus, a tragic hero in Greek mythology, is another great example. He killed his father, married his mother, and saved his people from peril, but when the truth of his past unfolded, the end was disastrous.
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