The Office!

I open my mouth in awe when colleagues gist and joke about things that happened within the office walls. It has become a trend that when things happen, I am usually the last to know. The love triangles; the undying lust of the aged, these are some of code names I recently learnt for epic grapevine hot gists. I have myself to blame since I have chosen to focus only on the work alone thereby leaving little room to socialize.

When our prayer warrior cum cleaner connived with her pastor to help deliver the office from shackles of invisible demon dogs, I was the last to know. I was not even aware the devil binders who come in daily to pray got their pay after each session while my colleagues and I are told to hope and pray for the best at the end of each month. Imagine, this is the second month now with no pay. How do I tell the bus conductor to hope and pray? I am definitely treading a part that'll get me slapped or beaten.

The office drivers who complain and whine daily even have a more robust take home pay than I do. The essence of complaints about threats from their landlord or creditors is for people like us to help them financially. Sometimes with loans we never get back. It took awhile to comprehend that I was not the only one contributing to make their life a little more comfortable than mine.
While some of us fasted and prayed for salary to be regular, some fasted to trim down spending. If I had known that a cup of tea with a few spoons of cream and cookies does not nullify fasts, I would have sneaked to the kitchenette to do so like my boss who suggested the need to fast.

I got to realize that I was the black sheep of the office, along with 'longus' my tall friend. We never believed in the prayers. We opened our eyes, smiled and even 'YINMUed' at them. Surprisingly, when prayers got answered we were still told to hope for better days. We were practically expected to live on hope.

I was also the last to know that while my friend and I sabotaged the prayer sessions, the prayer warrior (our cleaner) had to organize extra prayer sessions along with the randy security man after office hours. The aggrieved driver who always had an eye for the cleaner gave me the steamy details. The cleaner would not show him a green light because he is married and most importantly, “he can't treat a woman right”. Need I say, she is the boss favourite. She shows more zeal during prayers than the rest of us.

I always have this smile on my face whenever I meet the cleaner. The smile says 'I know what you did'. Whenever she asks me the story behind my smile, I just respond by saying ' you saved the office with your prayers'.

Yes to homosexuality

I never expected any president of America in this new age of technological and scientific advancement (moral backwardness as well) to go against the touchy issue of homosexuality. I will not be surprised if developing countries and their leaders follow this trend as it is now a norm to make America or other western world’s our models in morality.

I have failed to adequately reconcile the relationship between rise in immorality and civilization. We have been made to believe that homosexuality which has a lenient name coined for it is a natural disposition from birth. Homosexuality is not a predisposition; it is a condition which results from hormonal imbalance or disturbed childhood. Traditionally or religiously it has no place. It is condemned by religions. Nonetheless, the agitators of this evil act term the religions or doctrines that condemn it as archaic. I heard about a gay pastor in the United States and I wonder what portion of the holy book he misrepresented to justify his evil beliefs.

I am sure some Africans will hail the recent decision of Obama supporting gays and lesbians. I do not expect wise people to seek approval or opinion of a public figure whose opinions are largely shaped to please the voting majority. We fail to realize that they are men like us and thus they are not infallible. They occupy positions of limelight in which most times their personal opinion may make or mar their political aspirations. Obama has been flip-flopping on this issue for some time and I was not surprised when some of his followers called his prolonged decision making as evolving.

And if by tomorrow my opinion is required about homosexuality, it will be shaped by my religion and seconded by my tradition. Does my opinion really matter even if I am contesting for a position? Does my singular opinion matter in a democratic environment where I know majority has the day? So if the majority like, by the year 2050 let them agree and legalize stealing and killing since it can be termed to be an orientation from birth and thus should be allowed in the constitution.

Between Belief and Unbelief

I guess the African superstitious traditional belief is one thing many cannot get out of their system. Most people of differing faiths are not true adherent of their religion because they still hold on tight to some traditional beliefs which have no basis in their religion.

Reasoning alone already nullifies some of these superstitions beliefs. Nonetheless, our fear of the unknown makes us slaves to these beliefs. How can one explain people who ought to know better concerning their religion yet they have more belief in fetishism.

A lot of folks do not even believe in their own prayers and neither do they believe in prayers from their religious heads, they prefer to be handed weird looking objects, miracle water or holy handkerchief. Their belief in this item clearly shows their unbelief in God.

So far, religion has been proven not to negate science and technology, rather religion attest to it. Thus, it is irrational to place our belief on talismans that have not been scientifically (medically) proved to be beneficial or have no remedial or healing power. Some look on to the crucifix which they hang on their neck or the rosaries which they count. To the best of my understanding, it’s our belief that makes the majority of these talisman works for us. It is absolutely not because they possess any power.

In conclusion, I will share the story of a mother who does so much house cleaning. She woke up very tired one morning while she has some cleaning to do. Psychologically she felt she was not strong enough for the days cleaning. Her little daughter was also whining so she had to pacify the girl with candies. She kept the remaining candies in her apron alongside her aspirin and resumed the cleaning. She got tired and dipped her hand into the apron to take some aspirin pills. She swallowed the pills ensuring she does not taste the bitterness. She completed the cleaning with so much energy bursting in her. While trying to wash the apron she noticed the aspirins. She had taken candies instead of aspirin and it worked for her.

All we need for our prayers to be answered is to believe. Fetish objects are facts that we do not truly believe in God to answer us.

When eating together becomes ‘Chop-I-Chop’

The essence of the family is unity and feeling of unconditional love among every member. A lot of tradition within the family which dates back to history is meant to promote love within the family. One of these traditions is eating together from the same plate. Many middle age folks and older ones may have at one time while growing up ate with members of their family from the same plate.

Some have funny memories attached to this tradition. It may be the memory of ‘Daddy’ always eating the biggest meat of the two meats while every other member of the family shares the smaller meat. Some still lament playfully how an elder brother or sister cheated them of their meat. These memories are sweet memories of happy family (ies). They are memories of funny pranks between siblings. Memories which most of us long for it to happen again but its experience are sadly impossible.

I doubt if families still share this wonderful experience. I wonder if the love of sharing today can be compared to the love at that time. I do not feel ashamed eating in the same plate with my siblings and I still see some older folks do it till date. You need to see them to feel the aura of love that engulfs such people. I will not be surprised if kids of today see me as been dirty or backward. I am sure most of them prefer the westernized method of dining table or dining alone.

We also have some of the older generations who do not want to forget the tradition of eating together. In another sense though, and they have coined another name for it. They prefer the concept of eating together when it comes to looting or sharing the national cake. That is the reason they call theirs ‘Chop-I-Chop’. This way, as long as a man is corrupt, he should and would turn a blind eye to the next man who is also corrupt. A sense of unity replaces love between them. Irrespective of family, ethnicity or political affiliation, they have a strong bond which till date nothing can break

Do yourself a favour by accepting polygamy.

There is a Yoruba adage which says ‘we watch an incredulous scene with our mouth wide open’. This was the case as my mouth was left agape while I watched a documentary of native Indians who practised polyandry. The two brothers interviewed are married to the same woman and they live happily with their children.

In my study of sociology, I was made to believe that there is no universally accepted standard for right or wrong. Reading about the bizarre customs of some communities in Nigeria was an eye opener. I know it is no longer news for some people that some communities in Nigeria allow for temporary exchange of wives and another community allows for the husband to offer his wife to sleep with his visitor.

Traditionally, in the African society, the man is allowed as much wife as he can take. This was a measure of a man’s wealth and affluence in the medieval periods. This is still the case in some few places. Till date some African men still hide under this tradition to take more than a wife. The western culture which we are eager to emulate to the letter frowns at polygamy though it has to tenable basis for this. The western culture believes in a man to a woman. However, let’s not forget it is the same western culture that encourages fornication by giving it a name -‘cheating’. It’s the same ‘perfect’ western culture that is pushing homosexuality down our throat by calling it freedom of human rights.

Religiously, either in Christianity or Islam, I have not seen any clear text from any of the holy books which frown at or negate polygamy. Quite a number of prophets were married to more than one wife. I also believe that the prophets are sent by God so that they can be models for us in living our lives. Conversely, there are texts in the holy books that forbid fornication, adultery as well as homosexuality. Thus we should stay away from them.

Any woman who will not accept that traditionally or religiously a man is entitled to have more than a wife may have the heart (lustful nature) of the man to contend with.

What makes an excellent parent?

The irrational quest for material wealth is not a determinant of success. The daily search for sustenance and the pursuit of happiness is intertwined with an honest source for livelihood. However, majority have become slave to money no matter how successful they look.

I call it a pyrrhic victory when you are deeply worried about the turnover or security of your investment. You are even in shackles when a greater part of your day is engaged to meet your employers target thereby your free time is just to rest for a few hours.

Our children suffer the consequences of our overly busy schedule. Parents who feel a sense of achievement due to work place elevation need another second assessment of themselves. Probably, they are living in a fool’s paradise if they know just little about the children that are products of their own loins. The argument of a greater part of them is centred on the misconception that material wealth takes care of all other issues.

Many refuse to understand that the best parents can give to their children includes love, attention and personally teaching them ideal values to hold on to within the society. Many parent leaves the responsibility with the teachers who are already over-stretched with trying to massage the inner cravings of all students in the classroom. Other parents showcase their folly by trusting a house help who also needs mentoring to help train their children.

We can blame the society which no longer places importance on personal values. We can blame the society that encourages massive accumulation of material wealth at any means. Alas, we are the very one that shape the society. Are we not fools if we continue to loose grip of what matters by holding on to vanity?

Our unbelief in God

Everything about life, existence and nature may just be a coincidence. However, deep reflection will make us realize it’s more than a coincidence. The awesomeness of the miracle in everything is an attestation to the existence of a supreme power which is well hidden yet visible to all of mankind. We can’t be any better than an atheist, polytheist or pagans if we don’t fully understand the concept of God.

To ‘fully’ understand the concept of God in itself is a journey that can lead to guidance or misguidance and/or madness. We are not meant to go beyond the revelations and explanations given by the holy books and the various prophets sent by God. Ground breaking discoveries by science has added to the evidence of the existence of God than it has supported the position of an atheist. There is always a question of ‘why’, ‘what’, and ‘who’ after causes or explanation for a phenomenon which otherwise was a miracle earlier.

God created everything. And everything includes human, spirits, animals, trees and every order living and non-living things. We shouldn’t confuse ourselves by thinking the world is controlled by two opposing forces of good and evil. Entertaining the thought that the devil has equal but opposing power to that of God is an act which can be described as associating partners with God and not admitting God has power over every.

Since God created all and possesses power over everything, everyone and every action, then it’s important it’s Him and Him alone we worship. There are miracles in all of God’s creation. The sun, moon, the galaxy, each and every animal, the mountains, all show that there is miracle in all of God’s creation. If the miracles we see are enough to make us worship any of His creation then we should be worshipping all His creations including you, the reader of this article since you are also God’s miracle. God is not embodied in any of His creation. Space and time contains Him not.

Worshipping or idolizing any of God’s creation questions our belief and faith in Him. Worshipping any other deity solely or along with God doesn’t make us better than pagans, atheist or polytheists.