I was really pissed off yesterday. My problem is that I happen to have lived, not so long ago, in a somewhat saner Nigeria.
Another problem is the fact that it seems so long ago!
Like I was saying, 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. The members too were mostly petty traders.
But Iya Aladura had something going for her, every member of her church was important to her. It did not matter if a member was a baby. Neither did it matter if a member was 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, for one reason or the other, had made the church their home.
Oh yes, even at that time people could have problems that would render them homeless. But the major difference between then and now was that, then, people did care!
The Iya Aladura herself, did not live an extravagant lifestyle. I could 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 either have a rectangular drum or a maracas which she played.
But one other thing was the spirituality of the church. People went into 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 break, a playmate threw a stone at me which landed just above my eyelids.
My thinking still remains, “What would have happened if I had disobeyed?” I still carry the scar of that bloody business.
My thoughts are that we hardly need all these churches. How come a majority of them are not even thinking of empowering the people. How come many of their leaders are so selfish that instead if relieving people of their problems, they are further emburdening them.
Maybe tomorrow might be better and some of the churches would think of making the factories they are now using as church auditoriums work again. In any case, if they should decide to, such churches are in a win, win and win situation.
But for now, let them be eating from our sweats! Abi, we are yet to complain!!
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