SEREMALA

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”Matthew 23:27–28 (NIV)

There’s this old song that kept ringing in my mind yesterday evening as I was having a tete-a-tete with Rev. Njuguna.

“Kitanda ulicho nitengenezea Seremala,
Nikilala kinalia kocho kocho,
Seremala weeeh… Seremala.”

Funny, right? An old tune, almost forgotten. Yet somehow, its simple words carry deep truth about our lives.

The Seremala—the carpenter—made a bed that looked fine on the outside. Polished, well-crafted, appealing to the eye. But when tested—when someone lay on it—it squeaked, it complained, it revealed its weakness.

Isn’t that many of us? Outwardly, we shine. We dress the part, speak the part, and even serve the part. But when life tests us—when pressure comes, when nobody is watching—what’s the sound that comes out of us? Is it steady and firm, or does it creak under the weight of truth?

None of us can claim righteousness of our own. The Bible says, “There is none righteous, no not one.” Yet daily, we are invited to walk in integrity before God—to let Him work on the hidden parts, the unseen beams of our lives, not just the visible polish.

Maybe it’s time we asked ourselves: What can be said of the real me?

• Do I appear strong and godly, yet inside I’m weak and broken?
• Am I the Seremala—crafting what looks perfect, but hollow within?

Let this old song remind us that God isn’t impressed by gloss. He desires truth in the inward parts. He wants to shape us, not just for display, but for real use—strong, steady, and faithful even in the quiet weight of the night.

So today, may we let the Master Carpenter—Christ Himself—rebuild us from within, that when life presses, what comes out is not a squeak of weakness, but a sound of grace and truth.

Seremala weeeh… Seremala.
Lord, work on me again.

This song climaxes by saying Seremala wa Ukweli ni Yesu, muwache akurande rande roho. won’t say anything further!