Would It Mean That All The Other Pastors Who Open The Bible For Every Random Quote Make Sincere Judgments



Someone just sent an audio on WhatsApp. A female pastor preaching about anointing her husband's accessories - from his comb, to his brush, even to his food... so he never strays.

19 minutes long. I listened for 2 minutes, and I decided it'd be best to go read my NW by Zadie Smith instead.

I open the book. A text message comes through, a church is holding a service on how to keep love burning in marriage.

Nothing wrong with these things, but Nigeria is under-developed, planning to produce it's first pencils next year. Isn't there something the Church of Christ can do about the waste that is Africa except from elongating hands on tape to justify only-God-knows-what, and telling us how to put our men on a leash?

The early Church was an important part of civilisation and development. Providing education and medical care. Inspiring art and culture. Even politics. Many institutions of learning that produced architects, engineers, philosophers and thinkers were schools built and sponsored by churches.

Through Christianity conversations around human rights, feminism, sexuality and infanticide were argued. Religion provided the platform to expound on intelligent debates to improve humanity and address civilisation.

Europe is developed because of the active participation of the early Church.

Africa in 2017 is the Europe of 1880.

We could even argue that Europe of 1880 was more developed than 2017 Africa.

Do we really have the luxury to focus constantly on personal gratification?

With the numbers and financial strength of the Nigerian church, it is the only institution that can change society.

Before I got tired of balancing people's truth and hypocrisy, I used to enjoy listening to Poju Oyemade on TV every Sunday morning. It was refreshing because he spoke about Christianity like architecture or engineering - from the ground up. But I remember my partner at the time found him to be insincere.

Why?

Because "he doesn't speak from the Bible."

Lol! Nigerians! Isn't the Bible inside of him?

Would it mean that all the other pastors who open the Bible for every random quote make sincere judgments?

Warped.

This is why I know God is not in Nigeria.

After all your bragging about keeping your man under the anointing oil, he will still go and buy Range Rover for a Nollywood actress.

After all your boasting of long life, you may just die when everyone else dies in a plane crash.

There's a part of the audio where the woman, after bragging that her husband will never leave her/cheat on her... she goes to a hospital to care for a member of the church dying of cancer.

If you don't see the irony in that sentence then religion has blocked your brain.

These things are beyond your control - the length of your life and the decisions of a spouse.

But what you can truly affect is the society you live in, preach in, gather numbers in, and collect tithes from.

You can speak up for better education. Address the deaths of students in Queens college. Confront political sham and corruption. Build sermons around police brutality. Rape. Security etc.

-Because the authorities that can change the narratives in Nigeria attend your churches.

Stand up against xenophobia and fanatism. Against racism, ethnic wars. Only Christianity can save Nigeria.

But the practitioners are busy accumulating wealth like their cousins in government, and bragging about how their own men will never cheat on them with an Otobo.

You go to church every Sunday, they pray for you and your household.

You don't need to go to church for your personal growth. You have God in you.

Until I find a good reason to go to church beyond my personal gains, I won't.

Churches need to lay the masterplan for Nigeria's development.
Think!

How to get the local government to work. How to improve educational system. Work with NGOs to provide teachers for schools in Ikorodu. Challenge the government to fix major sectors, first by fixing our mindset of greed, narcissism and laxity.

Whew. There's so much under-development in Nigeria, you don't even need to look too far to see what needs to be addressed.

Abeg dis post don too long. I am sleep.


By  joy isi bewaji
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