Of monstrous cathedrals and hungry congregants
SIR: To state the obvious, the new trend in the church calls for concern. ‘ Prophetic utterances’ a la miracles and prosperity are now gushing out like erosion while nobody cares about the Balanced Theology any longer. Apostle James said in the Holy Book that, if someone comes unto you without food and all you have to tell him or her is ‘ go in peace’, what kind of peace would that be without first giving him what the body needs? Same goes for the Sheikhood system where the Sheikh lives large only for the followers to go home poor and hungry.
Take it or leave it, the Church of Christ in the hands of men is practically stinking. From Lagos to Abuja, and from Adamawa to Owerri, the present- day church is filled with various forms of sinful and shameful acts of many shades and shapes being perpetrated by its leaders, better referred to as merchants on the altar of God. There is no distinction, be they mainline or the known privatelyowned churches. The mainline churches are out of their conscience and are in business mainly for the interest of their Bishops, Archbishops and Primates. This is why one cannot find any of their children or loved ones in the country and their target among other things is to buy property abroad and dot every choice location locally with choice cars. No wonder the Holy Book says:
“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begins at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”
The church in Nigeria is bleeding from the wound of financial impropriety inflicted on it by its leaders. Accounts are not being well- kept and promotions and preferments are being stylishly sold under different names and guises. Emergency jobs are being created for the boys in the Departments, Areas, Zones, Dioceses and Provinces. Monies are being collected arbitrarily and parishes are being taxed just to satisfy the taste of the leaders. Is it any wonder then that we have more ‘ healers’ than the healed and more ‘ perfect masters’ on earth than the One who has the ultimate power to give and take away? Indeed, that’s why the NorthSouth dichotomy has only succeeded in dividing us instead of uniting us and why the cankerworms of religious ethnicism and doctrinal fanaticism have eaten deep into our fabric. It is also the reason our society comprises liars whose tokens are frustrated and wise diviners whose knowledge are made foolish.
As it is in the church, so it is in the political- cum- secular world. Things and times have become so troubling that, if a politician decides to build his house on a river, our religious leaders will build a canoe to the place. If they can’t build it, they will go as far as contracting experts from Ilaje in Ondo State to help construct a road to get there. As it is, there are millions of Nigerians who will follow their religious leaders into the lagoon. Anyway, that’s a topic for another day!