Photo credit: Sunrise News
I was pissed off yesterday. My problem is that I have lived in a saner Nigeria not so long ago.
Another problem is the fact that it seems so long ago!
Like I said, in my sane Nigeria, we attended church and tithes were collected. But then, it was nothing in the league of the mega millions of these days.
I particularly remember the church we used to attend in my infancy. It was an Aladura church, and the members were primarily petty traders.
But Iya Aladura had something going for her. Every member of her church was essential to her. It did not matter if a member was a baby or still struggling.
And she was generous to a fault. If I’m not mistaken, she was from Otan Ayegbaju. When she prepared food, she would not fail to prepare for some of those who had made the church their home for one reason or another.
Oh yes, even then, people could have problems that would render them homeless. But the major difference between then and now was that people did care!
Iya Aladura herself did not live an extravagant lifestyle. I recall that she did the ‘ajo’ stuff with other church members. The ajo was a practice of contributing money and collecting in turns.
When any member had financial problems, she did not fail to lend them money from the coffers of the church.
Even the church itself was not organised like the churches of today. The altar only had the tithe box and some crosses.
Mama would sit facing the members. She would have a rectangular drum or a maraca, which she played.
However, one other thing was the spirituality of the church. People went into a trance, and they brought forth messages.
For instance, there was a message for me. The medium said I shouldn’t go to school for three days.
I obeyed!
On the fourth day, I went to school. During the break, a playmate threw a stone at me, which landed just above my eyelids.
My thinking remains, “What would have happened if I had disobeyed?” I still carry the scar of that bloody business.
I think we hardly need all these churches. Why do a majority of them not even think of empowering the people? Why are many of their leaders so selfish that they are further burdening them instead of relieving people of their problems?
Maybe tomorrow will be better, and some churches will consider making the factories they are now using as church auditoriums work again. In any case, if they decide to do so, such churches will be in a win-win situation.
But for now, let them be eating from our sweats! Abi, we are yet to complain!!
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