What I like Most About Pastor Paul and The Experience.

“If I was the one I’m not sure I would give artists from other denominations more visibility than my own artists.”

This honest statement was made a few minutes ago in a conversation with a dear friend, who attends the House on the Rock, whilst he shared with me the things I missed by not going with him to church this morning.  

This honest statement got me thinking a bit and I thought to share my thoughts with you. And It’s all about The Experience, not so much about the December 6, 2013 event as much as the idea and vision.

For Christian worshipers, gospel music lovers and fans The Experience is highly anticipated. It is at once an annual spiritual/worship pilgrimage center and a phenomenal musical extravaganza attracting believers and non-believers alike. 

It is at once evangelical and entertaining, serious-minded and light-hearted.

A consistent occurrence for the past eight Decembers, The Experience has come to represent global gospel music live in Lagos featuring relevant Gospel acts from anywhere in the world. Grade A  international gospel acts like Donnie Mc-Clurkin, Yolanda Adams,  Don Moen, Kirk Franklin, Cece Winans, Deitrick Haddon, just to name a few, have all been featured. 

Aside from international acts, The Experience also represents the biggest visibility and career-catapulting platform for Nigerian gospel performers.

For me though, the biggest appeal of The Experience is it’s vision for the unity and oneness of the Church. In these climes, it is perhaps the only (certainly the most visible) Christian event with a truly generic, non-denominational inclination, motivation, presentation and execution. Everyone feels at home at The Experience, whether you are Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Charismatic, Protestant, whatever.  This is what I like most about the Experience. Though organized by Pastor Paul Adefarasin and the House on the Rock, it is an all-Christian event through and through, as anyone who has attended any of the installments can testify.

Thus we arrive at the crux of the discussion I had with my friend which triggered the writing of this piece. Because it is the vision of the convener, Pastor Paul to keep The Experience very broad-based and all-inclusive it is often the case that House on the Rock pastors and officials take the backstage on Experience night while other leaders from various Christian denominations have center stage. It is the same thing for Music ministers and artists. Appearances and slots are solicited and arranged from a broad spectrum.

This year, of the seven Nigerian artists on the bill, only two were from the House On the Rock. Frank Edwards, who appeared to be the Star Appearance from Nigeria is from Christ Embassy, so also is Eben. Mike Aremu, I think is from the RCCG I'm not too sure, yet all these guys got maximum support, respect and publicity because for the conveners, the industry value, relevance and faith of the artists are chief considerations. Denomination is not.

Thus it happened that when my friend repeatedly mentioned that if he were the convener of The Experience he isn’t sure he would give any artist or music minister from another denomination more projection and showcasing than those from his church, I realized that this is something noteworthy and laudable. Not so many people, pastors or not, will project a higher cause and vision at the apparent expense of more provincial and parochial considerations.  

Therefore my appreciation for Pastor Paul Adefarasin and the vision of The Experience has swelled. And it is my belief that someday Jesus, the Christ by whom we are named, will bless and visit that unified December gathering in ways that will echo through the ages much  like the now legendary 312, Azusa Street, Los Angeles, California…

God bless the One Universal Church of Christ.

Kingsley Iweka on Writing, Writers, Dappled Things and More…

Kingsley Iweka is not just a young, dynamic and enterprising individual, he is a masterful storyteller. I have personally enjoyed reading some of his short stories including Lovers or Friends and Jasmine. So it was for me a pleasure to get him to answer a few questions I had about the art of writing, writers and stuff.  Enjoy.

Uhmm…my first question would be: Who is Kingsley Iweka?

Ok. Kingsley Iweka is a writer, 24 years old, he runs his own creative consulting company… he’s a young man trying to, you know, impact the world in his own little way.

Hmmm. ‘Becoming a Writer’. Do you consider that a popular ambition amongst young people today?

Ehmm, popular; well in a certain way, yes, in another way, no. And no on a larger scale because…ok, let me start with the positive scale. Yes because many young people-many people generally respect the craft, the art of writing. They regard it in high esteem because it is such an incredible thing to be able to create human beings and life generally out of nothing more than ink, paper and an incredible imagination so people revere such ability. I think if there is any ability that mirrors the power of God it is writing, in that light. So yes I think that is an attraction for many young people. But in this part of the world I would say ‘no’ because of the fact that it is not lucrative. It doesn’t quite yield much in terms of earnings and income for writers in the business so I think that is a big ‘disattraction’ for people, yes.

So are you saying there are no wealthy writers in Nigeria?

It will be fair to say so but I know people who are comfortable and also write. But largely their money didn’t come from selling their works, or their craft as writers, no.

Ok. By ‘writing’ really, are we including journalism, all forms of writing? What exactly do we mean by ‘a writer’?

Yeah well, largely—even though I know that you can classify different forms of literary art under writing—I think that largely when people talk of writing they refer mainly to creative writing in the form of fiction and non-fiction, prose and poetry, you know. Journalism is more or less under media and doesn’t quite fall under the scope of creative writing as it were. Even though in some circles they all fall under the same sphere or craft. But to be specific, writing refers to creative writing: fiction, non-fiction, prose, poetry…yeah.

And there are no rich creative writers of non-fiction, etc?

Well, you’ll quickly want to mention the likes of late Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka, maybe someone like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, because they've achieved quite some success in the craft but like I said these are rare examples in the field. Other peers of Chinua Achebe and Wole Soyinka are hardly heard of even though they wrote beautifully. Elechi Amadi, such an amazing writer; Ben Okri is one of such people. While they may not be paupers I can bet that they didn't make their money from their stories or their published books. The structure is not yet there to properly establish a writer in the scheme of things. Also, there is a culture that is affecting the nation where it seems that many people don’t like to read, and to read especially Nigerian authors. So that’s the challenge that we are facing and I hope that somehow someday soon we will tackle that effectively and have a much richer, brighter, enlightened nation of people who read and appreciate the art of writing.

That’s awful really because you just mentioned some very brilliant writers and to think that they haven’t been amply rewarded for their gift…Is this not likely to discourage some other budding talents from expressing their writing gift in a bid to avoid probable poverty?

Err, yeah, in some sense it’s largely discouraging but trust the Nigerian to always find ways out of the situation. I think strongly that a lot needs to be done in terms of boosting the way creative arts, creative writing is appreciated in the country. For instance—and I do not only blame the people, I think that the industry itself, the players in the industry do not yet readily employ the tools that will give them the needed boost, you know. So I think it’s a two-way street. We, the players in the industry and the people of Nigeria and Africa have our roles to play. We have to up our game, you know, write better stuffs, make them available and accessible in different formats so that people who have embraced 21^st Century technology will also have access to these works, and I think the publishers also need to really up their game. They should not be comfortable with selling just a thousand copies in a city of Lagos that has close to 20 million people. I like to differ…that only one thousand people in all of 20 million people read, that’s a big lie so I think that we need to really push the boundaries of what is possible for writing in this country and we’ll see the change that we so desire in the industry.

So in spite of all these difficulties you mentioned why did you choose writing?

Oh, well because I—regardless of the non-lucrativeness of the art—still feel obliged to do what I do because I think it’s important. I think it’s necessary for us as a people to be able to tell our stories and tell them well. I think that a people are only as rich as the history and the stories that define them so I feel obliged seeing as I have the ability to do that- to put words together and make proper meaning of them and have people enjoy themselves while reading my work. So I think that for me it’s more or less like a calling to do what I do.

Ok. Tell us a little bit more about your works.

Errr…Ok. For a long while I have been advocating for positive change in Nigeria and Africa and that influenced largely the earlier works I did. They were mostly articles about change, about attitudinal shifts, passion, making a difference, becoming a better you and getting involved in the whole process of transformation and development for the country and continent at large, you know? I started with that, started a blog, but then I realized that I could actually get more results if I steer these conversations in much more entertaining ways that engage people for a longer period of time so I decided to devote my time to writing that would stir conversations and inspire hope in people. I started writing prose, writing flash fiction pieces, my short stories and then eventually the fiction novella, Dappled Things that I've just put forward. Most of my works are available on my platform iamscopeman.wordpress.com or naijastories.com, search for scopeman, I have lots of stories published there as well.

Where can someone reading this interview who wants to get a copy of Dappled Things get it?

The publishers have been kind enough to make the book available on various platforms online. Amazon,  Ebay, Googlereads, and the website as well www.iwekakingsley.com. Also, in Lagos, Nigeria, in the Adeniran Ogunsanya Shopping Mall, Patabah bookstore to be precise, you can just walk in and grab a copy of the book there, its a thousand naira. Also at LITCAF, E-Centre, Yaba... I am working to have Jumia stock the books in their online store so you can just order from the comfort of your homes and have the book delivered to you. I am still working to create more avenues to make the book available. Right now I am working towards officially releasing the book in Nigeria on the 28^th of November at The Ember Creek, 32 Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. 7 PM. If you can, I’d really love to have you there. Afterwards the book will be available on other platforms that will be announced.

So Ember Creek, eh? Rice and Stew Very Plenty?

Yes o, by God’s grace…(laughs)

Alright, tell us about your influences, your role models. Do you have any?

Ok, I’m guessing you are asking as regards writers. Well, I’m not quick to say that I have any role model, per se, in the industry but I am impressed and inspired by some of the people whose works I have read and some I have had the privilege of encountering. The likes of Myne Whitman who’s been a great supporter of my work and my art so far. I think that she’s such an amazing person and yes she’s one of the great influences, one of the great supporters that I have going forward. Errr…Influences. Influences. My influences come generally from life, you know, the conversations that I have, the people that I meet, the stories that they have, their history, their present, their future, the everyday scenario that I see. The life that we all live generally interacting with one another-these are the things that form my influences and inspire the stories that I write. I write about everyday life, the things that are common to us as people, as Nigerians. I think these—and several of the books, several of the Nigerian and African and International authors that I've read- have shaped my craft.

So what are your favorite local and international books?

Well I particularly like Helon Habila’s Waiting For an Angel, I think it’s an amazing effort. It was his first book and I think he won a Caine prize for an excerpt from it. Amazing book. I loved it and that went a long way to really push me to start writing Dappled Things at the time that I did because I was greatly impressed by the work he put out and yes that pushed me to write mine.I also like reading Chinua Achebe. I think that he’s such an amazing writer who really captures several aspects of our history as a people in such a simple yet captivating manner and I admire that a lot in any writer. Internationally, I love Fall on Your Knees, it’s a book by Ann-Marie, can’t remember her surname now but I think that was such an exceptional book. It was brilliantly written and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Uhmmm…I often hear things like writers are romantic, writers are promiscuous, writers do not believe in God, Is there any truth to any of this?

What I can say about that is that people are romantic, people are promiscuous,  people are anti-religious. I don’t think it has anything to do with the profession really. Even though I would say that yes our craft – or creative writing- has a way of exposing us to different reasonings, different ideologies, different perceptions of things, you know, so it places us in a certain pedestal but I think that as individuals we are who we are for different reasons, not because of the occupation or profession we find ourselves in. So it’s not a writer thing, it’s not a doctor thing, it’s not a Nigerian thing, it’s not a Black or White thing, it’s just a thing. It’s very individualistic, not tied to any classification or group of people.

So is Kingsley Iweka promiscuous, romantic or atheistic?

Oh, well, I don’t know. (laughs) I’d rather you encounter me and make your own opinions because in the end that’s all that matters, how people perceive you. I can go out there and scream and shout about how holy and righteous I am but then it may be a lie, or it may be too true for anybody to believe and thus it would still be a lie so what’s the deal? I’d rather you just look at me, experience me and form your own opinions and honestly I’m cool with whatever you think eventually because more or less it doesn't change who I am in the end.

It’s always a pleasure talking to you, Kingsley Iweka.

Thank you so much. Same here.

Diana's Diary

“I stared at his peaceful face as he lay with his eyes closed and his mouth open and I got that sick sensation in my stomach.  I knew the only way it would pass was if I threw it all up. So I reached for you, my most trusted friend and confidant…my diary.

That day, I particularly had a lot inside.” Diana ended her latest entry and was going to close the diary and drive away but the urge to flip the pages back some and read the very words she had thrown up that day, proved too strong for her.

“Dear Diary,

 Today, as soon as we got here--this secret bungalow in the middle of nowhere-- he told me he was in a very ecstatic mood-it is his birthday- and he wanted to do things to me that he had never done before. Right here in the living room, he started to fondle me, caressing all parts of my body and enjoying the way I trembled.

‘I’ve told you, Diana, forget about all those little boys. They only want one thing from you.’ He said, looking into my eyes as if hypnosis was one of the ‘things’ he planned to do to me.

Then he started to peel off my clothes. ‘Look at your pretty oranges’ He drooled. ‘And they are mine. All mine, Diana. Forever.’

I closed my eyes—as he closed his drooling lips over my nipple—and I recalled how murderously enraged he had been when he came to pick me up from school one day and saw me with Timi. The way he glared at the boy like a crazed lion, the curses and threats he spewed at Timi like fire belched from a dragon’s spleen…

He was touching me there now. I was very aroused. Very annoyed. Very confused. He soon lay me down on the couch and took off all his clothes, smiling down at me. But I had long lost my smile, so I managed a Shrek-like grotesque twist of my lips.

‘I’m going to buy you a brand new bike, Diana. You’ll have the cutest and most expensive bike in your entire school.’ He promised.

‘Bikes are still not allowed in my school’ I said

‘Then you may leave it at home knowing you have the best bike in your school.’

As he made to penetrate me, I wished God would somehow place thorny barbs at my gateway and deny him entry, but of course God hadn’t blocked him for the past two years and He wasn’t planning to start now.

As he thrust within me, my vision grew blurred. Blurred by stinging tears which rolled down my cheeks as I closed my eyes, as if rolling to the groans and grunts of the man on top of me.

I cried because of the pleasure I felt in my body. I cried because of the anger I felt in my mind. I cried because I was ashamed. I cried because somehow I felt responsible. Somehow, I must have led him to desire me in this way.

I cried…and he sighed.

It was over. At least for now.

Panting, he rolled over to the rug and stretched his arms, thoroughly sated. His eyes were open but I knew he could neither see me nor my tears. His heart could feel neither me nor my fears. He was in a world of his own, purring like a contented cat. ”

Diana Bassey closed the diary…and her eyes. The events of that day were still as fresh on her mind as the clothes she presently wore. A black Dolce and Gabbana gown with a matching black hat. She was after all, one of the country’s most respected fashionistas and people always expected her to look the part…even on her father’s thirtieth Remembrance.

As she sat in her black custom-built SUV, Diana couldn’t help but tremble…at how far she had come in these thirty years. The journey this far hadn’t been without it’s ordeals, painful sacrifices and shameful secrets but it had all been worth it.

Her secrets, at least the one that meant the most to her, were safe. She glanced at the diary and smiled. Her friend and confidant of many years. She loved it so much she had never bothered to change it with the changing years. Gingerly and with reverence, she opened it again and continued where she had left off.

“…He purred a bit more and soon he was snoring. He had done way more than his fifty-eight-year old body could handle. I trembled again as I watched him. The tears were snaking out my insides, threatening to rack my body with micro quakes. He hadn’t always been this way. He had always loved and adored, and spoilt me silly—much to the envy of almost everyone, especially my three elder siblings. Then one Monday morning last year, a week after my fifteenth birthday, he came into my bedroom as I slept, and touched me there. I was startled to open my eyes and see him in my room, touching me.

He put a finger across his lips, his eyes a pair of dire warnings.

‘Ssshhhh!!’.

And that was how this started.

He told me that if I ever told anybody, even my mom, the dreaded gods of our village would instantly strike me dead wherever I was because he was a high traditional chief and one of their most ardent worshipers.

I was helpless…at least I thought I was. Until I had the idea to buy him a gift for his birthday.

As he snored so…peacefully, I brought the package out of my bag with trembling hands prodded by a resolute mind. I approached him and the tears rushed at me again. Where had it all gone wrong? How had I been responsible? I brushed away my tears with trembling fingers and got a grip on myself as I got a grip on my gift.

I was done waiting for God to answer my prayers. I would answer them myself.

I looked at his neck and plunged deep and hard. For me, it was a plunge for freedom.

Dear Dee,

I am seventeen.

And I just stabbed a fifty-eight year old man to death.

Nobody knows. Nobody need ever know.

Just you, Dearest Diary.

And I know you understand. You understand why I had to kill my dad even though I loved him.

I just couldn’t handle the way he loved me.”

Diana Bassey closed her diary—finally this time— and started the engine.

She had a husband, three kids and three famous siblings waiting for her at the memorial service.

She had a father to mourn.

She picked up the decades-old diary, kissed it and buried it at the bottom of her bag.

(The above piece is a fictional short story. Any resemblances to real people and events are purely coincidental).

Half a Dozen Things You Should Always Remember About Your Pastor (2)

So this is how we finish what we started yesterday. Welcome. Sit back, relax and enjoy the concluding half of the half-dozen things you should always remember about your spiritual leader.

Half a Dozen Things You Should Always Remember About Your Pastor.

Right now I'm assuming that the pastor or priest you have has, in fact, been chosen and mandated to do what he or she is doing by God. So here are six things I wish many of us would remember more often about our spiritual leaders.

1. Always remember that he or she is first a man/woman. Just like the rest of us, our spiritual leaders also have highs and lows, natural inclinations and influences, emotional conflicts, foibles, and sometimes, even irksome eccentricities- or simply put, weirdness. It is what it is. And what it is is that angels are in heaven. Your pastor or priest isn't one of them.
2. Always remember that he or she is not ONLY  a man/woman, but also a man/woman of God. Yes I know we are all God's children, BUT your spiritual head has been divinely prepared and authorized, in a way that you haven't, to represent God within an allotted sphere, wielding divine authority, spreading divine influence and implementing divine will. Directly opting to confront and oppose them is, in a sense, directly choosing to confront and oppose God.
3. However, always remember that your pastor or priest IS NOT God. We are all human. Meaning we are all very mortal and very dispensable. Your pastor or priest, no matter his or her name or level of influence, is no different. Remember too that they are not perfect, ONLY God is. In my opinion, it is wisdom to make allowance for imperfections and growth, even in your pastor. Revere your pastor or priest but please quit all that boot licking and butt kissing. You do them no good that way. Note this please: God does not love you any less than He does your pastor. As a matter of fact, His love for you forms the greatest chunk of the reason why that spiritual leader of yours was called and assigned in the first place.

RELIGION HAS DAPPLED US

Hi, everyone. On this cool Saturday morning I will be sharing the thoughts of a 'brother'.
Kingsley Iweka is a young and gifted writer with a collection of short stories and novellas to his credit. His novel, Dappled Things is billed for release in a few weeks.

 Enjoy him:

This post was first published here - RELIGION HAS DAPPLED US

Once upon a time, Christianity provided the official system of thought, Life and Law. And I say 'Christianity' for lack of a better collective term to describe the group of people who through their teachings and practices reflect the true identity of those who have been transformed by the renewing of their mind, and who prove what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.

Religion is back, but it isn't Christian in any sense which most people accept. Religion is even fashionable, provided it isn't Christian. Mysticism is taken seriously, but not 'Doctrine'. From being too religious, Christians are now often regarded as insufficiently, or rather naively, religious. They failed to realise that not only had the world changed, but that they themselves could not. The greater number of Christians, unaware of the nature of the influences to which they are subjected, and unacquainted with the detailed arguments of scholars and preachers, floundered in increasing anxiety.

'Enthusiasm', to polite Christians and their free-thinking friends, is not a complimentary term. it means the vulgar religious emotionalism which must not be allowed to spoil the urbane ethical and intellectual system which both Catholics and Protestants have devised (in different versions) to supply their religious needs.

Because we are so cerebral in our religious attitudes (or if we are not, feel we must leave the thinking to those who are) we do not easily absorb wisdom as we breathe, as people once did, even if they ignored it often enough. We need to have it unpacked for us, deliberately and explicitly. This is the reason many have fallen prey, despite their 'intelligence', to so-called 'men-of-God' preaching 'a gospel' yet perpetuating abomination as they go by.

'Middle-class morality', which means the version of Christian ethics which the respectable and prosperous have tailored to fit their need and prejudices.

This is the human world, made by man for his survival, and suspicious of anything that seems likely to undermine his precariously achieved social security. Customs and Laws and mental attitudes are all part of the system. The assumption in many societies that personal efforts is meritorious and deserves success is one example of an attitude of mind which is extremely important for the survival of certain kinds of society.

There is a principle more powerful than any of these and nothing you do will alter it, because this is the fundamental law of man's spiritual nature.

It is the job of Christians to change the world. The methods used by Christians need to be intelligently extrapolated from scripture, and the key ingredient in this process is simple obedience. The Christian Spiritual Effort should entail recognising the 'Christian Faith' and the 'Human Predicament'. We need a new start in this work, one which recognises our oneness, but also our aloneness. Side by side with this, but sometimes at odds with it as insufficiently realistic and effective, is the realisation of the Christians obligation to be politically aware and active, since the real remedy for oppression is not soup kitchens but revolution - non-violent perhaps, but effective.

How do we answer the Christian Vocation now? How do we take up the cause of this generation as our own? In trying to discover an answer to such questions, it seems necessary to find a way of thinking about the Christians Personal Understanding. We may set about developing a Christian life which, faced with unique challenges, is human, contemporary, uncompromising and hopeful. We ought not wrong in details nor inefficient in practice, but rather, we must be right in principle.

18 Hours in an 18-Year-Old Mind

Imagine me. Two hundred followers on Twitter, eight hundred friends on Facebook, some of the ‘sickest’ pictures on Instagram, four girls and counting—thanks to ASUU strike.

I’m bad, man. Eighteen, crazy, cool.

7 A.M.

Sh*t! My dad. He never lets me enjoy my sleep. I've barely slept four hours, come on! Ughhhh!

Ok. Now, I’m sweeping the entire compound. Boring as mad but what can I do? Na ASUU cause all dis ones. If I was in school now, I would certainly still be sleeping. But hey, thanks to my Nokia. Before I am done listening to eight to ten jams, I would be done sweeping.

Man, this new Busta Rhymes and Nicky Minaj Song is sick sha…

‘Yes. Mummy!’ Why is she calling me now? How many things will I do at once? Oh, ok, she says she didn't call me. I must be hearing things.

‘When you hear the kick!’ O, boy, the yansh in the video of this song sha! My dad shouted the day he saw it na: ‘What is this? These videos just keep getting worse by the day—please take it to CNN!’ That’s why I hate watching TV with any of them, they’ll be acting as if yansh was not as much a part of the female anatomy in those days as it is now…

So, as of right now, I no longer sweep floors. I wash cars and scrub tires. My elder brother should be the one doing this; after all, he’s the one that drives this car most of the time. I’m sure he’s still sleeping. That’s all he does. Sleep, eat and order us around. He won’t go and find work o. (hiss). His mates are living in their own houses, and pushing their own cars—

‘Yay! I woke up in a new Bugatti!’

Ah, thank God, I’m done…

Breakfast is served. I mean, breakfast is eaten. My dad is off to an estate meeting. My mom was just saying something about me following her to Shoprite, but, hey, my sister can do that. As for me, ghost mode dem nor go see me! I’m just going to take a bath and go to Dipo’s house. 

He has their BQ all to himself. We are going to play X-Box while we wait for Amaka and that her friend with mighty jugs. And then when they come, we will entertain them with chow from Tantees, the bottle of Rosé I lifted from my dad’s collection and Spartacus Season 3. That should help put them in the right frame of mind for us. Man, they had better act right—speaking of which, I need money o. I need like 3k. Mmmmmmmm, what do I do, what do I do? Ok! That 3k Daddy gave me for petrol and Gladys’ transport, I’ll do it somehow, somehow.

That’s it; sorted…

2 P.M.

Everything is going as planned.  X-Box tossed aside, food on the road to digestion, Ice Cream consumed, wine flowing, the girls happy. Spartacus is next.

See how Amaka is just laughing sha? I wish I could switch from her to her friend, but Dipo already has plans. See how excited they both are! Mannnn, alcohol is truly a boy’s best ally. My phone! Who could that be? Ah, my brother. Sheeeet!! Why’s he calling me now?

Oh! Church!!

We are supposed to attend Youth Fellowship by Three. O, boy, I won't pick o. Not right now. Shey, it’s  3-6? I will meet him there, after doing what I have to do here. After all, he’s the one that’s always telling me: ‘A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do’…

5pm.

Man, thank God I made it to church o. See that new girl. She’s hot, man! Why was she making her face like she wanted to cry when we were singing? Maybe that’s how she also does her face when—Oh, why is Aunty looking at me now? Oh, no, Ma, please don’t ask me any question! Ah, f**k! Oh, no, I’m in church I shouldn't even think ‘f**k’. What? How do I think Christian youths can deal with pornography? Oh, this shouldn't be too hard to answer.

‘Um, as my brother always says, we should watch the kind of movies we watch, and we should also be prayerful and steeped in The Word. That way, such thoughts will be the last things on our minds, and the devil will not win the battle over our minds’.

Jeez, hope that chick is impressed? Yes! She’s nodding her head. Man, can we say the grace and go home already? I can’t wait to talk to her after Fellowship. 

Keep your eyes on Aunty and nod your head like Bros is doing, Idiot! 

Ok, Boss. I am all eyes.

I wonder who will leave the Big Brother House tomorrow? Angelo? Bimp? Dillish? Mannnn! Na wa o. Tough one! If Angelo goes, the VIP lounge will no more be fun to watch. If Bimp goes, Bimp is cool sha. If Dillish goes—that reminds me, I must vote for her tonight. She must not go…

8 PM.

One hour into Fast 6. My friends have been bugging about this movie. I need to buy a Blackberry though. I need to keep in touch with the girls. It’s expensive calling all the time and some of them are not on 2Go. I know what I will do, I will add 40k to the accommodation fees I present to my dad next week.

Brilliant! That’s sorted.

Ohhooooo. Who’s calling me again? Can’t somebody rest in this house? I should what? Come and iron my dad’s clothes for church tomorrow? (Hiss)…

10 PM.

Now, I can finally concentrate on this movie…

12AM.

My eyes are closing. I feel myself drifting away. Oh, but I should pray o.

Lord, You know everything sha. You know that I’m not born again and holy like my brother, but You also know that I plan to be one day. I’m only 18, and You know my brother wasn't this born again when he was my age. Please protect me as I sleep. I’m so tired I can’t even open my mouth. But I know You can read my mind, and you hear my thoughts clearly. You know I think about going back to school every day. Please help the Government find a solution for the lecturers. Lord, please keep me so that I will be alive to…to worship You in church tomorrow, I mean, today.

 Lord...

I Understand. I Just Don’t Get It!

It’s a bright and sunny Sunday afternoon here, and many of us Christians have been to our various centers of corporate worship. The Preacher has most likely delivered a ‘message’ that now has us feeling recharged, hopeful and ready to take on the week.

But the truth is many of us went to church today with our ‘demons’, and we are back home with them. One such ‘demon’ that I know a lot of ladies in and outside the Church are battling with is this: “I am in a relationship with a man I love an awful lot, but in more ways than one he treats me like dirt. And for some strange reason I just CAN’T leave him.”

To borrow the words of R&B crooner, Joe Thomas, in his 2001 song, ‘I Understand’. Yes I do understand that with matters of the heart things are not that simple and straight forward sometimes, and the head almost always bows to the heart causing a conflict, which several divas have aptly expressed.

Alicia Keys, for instance, in Fallin' put it like this: '...Sometimes I feel good, at times I feel used. Lovin' you, darlin' makes me so confused.' And as if that was not beautifully said already, she went on to nail it even further: '...I never felt this way. how do you give me so much pleasure and cause me so much pain? Just when I think I've taken more than would a fool, I start fallin' back in love with you' .
And the result of that curious mix is what we know as a 'love-hate relationship' where you hate how much you love him (Rihanna paraphrased). I need not emphasize that these are not just mere artistic expressions of commerce-driven divas; they are in fact the heart's cry of many a lady: Your beautiful, all-put-together colleague at work, your tongues-speaking church department member, your lovely daughter, or your dear sister, cousin, niece- need I go on?

Today, I have no answers.
To some extent, yes I think I understand; but then again, I don't get it. So, like Joe and borrowing his words, I'm at once saying and asking:
'Why don't you take those chains and break those chains? No love should cause you so much pain. Why don't you walk away before it gets too late. Leave him now...love should never hurt.'
This is my question today. Why? Why would you rather stay in an abusive relationship where you are mistreated, serially cheated on. unloved and unvalued, when you are not even yet married to him?

Dear lady, I know you are no fool, so there must be a reason. Care to share? Can you help us understand your quandary better?
Anyone may leave a comment beneath, or drop me a line at nelson.akhabue@gmail.com.
Have a great week, Y'all.
God keep us. 

THREE ATHEISTS AND THEIR QUESTIONS FOR GOD (2)

  (Some months ago I promised this follow up, so here it is finally):                                         

Three men were there again. Same bar, same table, same drinks but not the same men. Well, not exactly. Professor Aletor was there and so was Dr. Douglas but the third man wasn’t Professor Michaels.

Professor Michaels had very recently lost a long-drawn battle with hypertension, and had passed on. The third man here now was Professor Leigh, a Catholic Priest and Philosophy Professor.

Prof. Aletor: Uh, Prof., I must say that it really is a pleasure to have you here. Thanks for honoring our invitation. We planned to do this over a month ago, in a more public and academic fashion, but the sudden passing of one of our dear friends, Prof. Michaels-

Prof. Leigh: Oh, yes, yes, I heard about that. What a loss. I knew the man. A very brilliant mind, if there was any.

Prof. Aletor: Yes he was. So thanks again for agreeing to meet us at this ‘unholy’ venue. I must say,  I didn’t expect you to agree to come here,

Dr. Douglas: And not only did you come, Prof., you are also actually exploring the wonders of Arthur Guiness! That’s a pleasant surprise.

Prof. Leigh smiles, nods but doesn’t say anything. Dr. Douglas continues.

Dr. Douglas: We invited you here for a little intellectual cum philosophical exchange. A discourse on the perennial issue of God, theism and what not. As you know, Prof., we do not believe in the existence of any God, whether Allah, Jehovah, Jesus-

Prof. Leigh: Of course, Doc, Your atheism is internationally known.

Dr. Douglas: As is your theism. Your apologetics and  arguments-if I can call them that- for the existence of God, while not novel, are quite passionately enunciated, so I—eh, we felt that hey, come on, let’s invite the good Prof, and hear each other out.

Prof. Leigh: Fair enough.

Prof. Aletor: As he said, Prof, we don’t believe in God, but let’s assume there is a God, I put it to you that he is a sadist, a kill-joy, and a villain. I mean, what will you call a God who took, or allowed the taking, first of Prof. Michael’s wife, and then the good Prof himself, making his children orphans in this cruel world! How do you describe a God who made a hell fire, and can’t wait to send majority of humankind, who He claims to have created, into it for endless aeons?

Prof. Leigh: Now, esteemed colleagues we are here once more tackling the intractable Problem of evil, a problem you and I know can never be resolved, not in this world, neither you, the sceptical atheist, nor I, the theistic believer, can satisfactorily resolve all the quandaries inherent in this problem.

Dr. Douglas: Agreed.

Prof. Leigh (continuing): Having said that though, suffice it to say that just as there is evil in this world, deaths, disasters and what not, there is also good. Sacrifice, benevolence, love, justice, etc; we complain about the evils but take for granted the good. Listen, Sirs, this is earth, not heaven! Religion, well Christianity, does not teach that in this world we will not experience pain, it teaches that there will be pain, but, unlike what you seem to think, God is touched by our griefs and pains-

Prof. Aletor: Yet he does nothing to end them!

Prof Leigh: There is one who exists solely to kill, steal and destroy.

Dr. Douglas: Satan?

Prof. Leigh: Yes. He is the author of much of the evils, disasters, diseases and so on which we experience.

Prof. Aletor: Yes, but why does the ‘omnipotent’ God seem helpless in stopping this devil in his tracks?

Prof. Leigh: To fully explain that I will need to go into some theological expatiation but suffice it to say here that God gave man freedom, volition, and all, man used this freedom, and still uses it against God, thus giving the devil much authority to do pretty much what he likes on the earth except…

Dr. Douglas: Except what, Prof?

Prof. Leigh: Except the saints- humans- pray.

Prof. Aletor: So, like Augustine, you blame man for all the evil in the world. I find that unacceptable and irresponsible on the part of the omnipotent God who claims to love us. Besides, Prof, a lot of ‘saints’ prayers go unanswered.

Prof. Leigh: I can understand why you must feel that way and I honestly don’t have a satisfactory answer or explanation for you. However, to your second question about how a good God could have prepared hell for his creation. Let me ask you, Prof. Who prepared heaven?

Prof. Aletor: According to you guys, God did.

Prof. Leigh: And God also made hell. What does that show you? Balance. Justice. In every State for instance do we not have freedom, and yet there are jails where people’s liberties are taken as punishment? You see, we are often hypocritical. We blame God for the things we also do. He’s a sadist for creating hell, but yet we are just to have jails, Guatanamo Bays and lethal injections.  Just as the state is not excited to sentence a criminal to death or to a lifetime in prison but has to do it for security and justice to take its course, so also it is with God. We don’t have to go to hell, we can choose to go to heaven, can’t we?

Dr. Douglas: Can we, really? Prof, the conditions for this heaven you talk about can only be met by masochists. I mean, anyone who hopes to live a complete human existence taking life’s pleasures and enjoying  natural freedom cannot go to this your heaven. If I drink I go to hell, if I have sex I go to hell, yet the tendency for arousal is in my nature just as the tendency to get hungry, I came to realize myself with these tendencies but yet I’m to be punished for them?

Prof. Leigh: These pleasures you talk about were created by God. I’ve heard people say, like you, Prof, said earlier, that God is a kill-joy and heaven will be a very boring place, but take a look at the pleasures in nature, examine even these sexual  pleasures you just talked about, the devil didn’t initiate or create them, God did! He loves us to have fun healthily and pleasurably live our lives as human beings, not animals. But the anarchical nature of humankind relishes uncontrolled and unfettered liberty and he calls this ‘freedom’. Freedom is not anarchy, freedom is a choice to abide by natural law, and divine law. To be truly free is to be responsible and under control!

Dr. Douglas: I hear a lot of illogicalities and contradictions in your statement, Prof, but I fear I cannot take you up on them just right now.  My wife and I have an appointment with the doctor in thirty minutes so I’m afraid I must leave.

Prof. Aletor: Prof, this discourse, as you said, is intractable. But I suggest we meet again and talk about these issues, particularly the concept of freedom.

Prof Leigh: Its been a pleasure being with you, gentlemen. I look forward to next time.

Prof. Aletor: Yes, Prof, maybe next time you can tell us why God let the devil live in the first place after he left from being Lucifer, the singing cherub, to Satan, the terrorist. After all, didn’t Obama eliminate Osama?

They all laugh…

                                             To be continued