It is impossible to be on Instagram and have not seen the hallelujah challenge on some page and the olowogboboro hash tag. Pardon my ignorance but I assume them to be somewhat related, if not thesame thing . I think it is a good development that such positive Christian vibe can be made to trend on social media. But that's as far as it gets for me.
The rest is carnality: and I will tell you why.
Religion in Nigeria is heavy laden with foolishness. Apologies to the faithfuls of which I am one. Someone mentioned recently how ironic it is that people flock enmasse to Lagos Ibadan Expressway each Sunday to one of the various options of mega churches to attend. They hiss and curse at each other while in traffic to the venue just in order to get to the "house of God" and be blessed. They sit and shout "amen" to all the arrays of verbal blessings the wealthy pastors speak over them while they pay tithes and donations to finance ministries (thesame ministries that build schools many of it's church members cannot afford even though they helped build them, but thats another days gist ) only to depart feeling "blessed" return to traffic and curse each other till they arrive back to their usual lives. Is that not an irony?
For the more conservatives, they dress up nicely on Sunday morning and put on christian airs in order to feel holy until noon when they return back to their regular filth and vomit of a lifestyle that requires sun-daily confessions of sins and cyclical redundant repentances. The majority dont even bother. Many attend churches for social reasons.
Religion in Nigeria is more of a social compliance than a spiritual affair, and that defeats the purpose instantaneously. Religion in Nigeria is not about God. God left the picture long ago. Its about peer pressure and social relevance.
That is the ONLY REASON why someone will be reposting snaps and DMs of NIGERIAN CELEBRITIES and their comments on the hallelujah challenge, and announcing the number of people and celebrities that where in attendance. It is utterly disgraceful, unspiritual and brazenly foolish! It is a reflection of how much we have misunderstood Christianity. (Apologies if this offends you but I will speak the truth no matter whose ox is gored. The truth shall set you free.)
Why would you repost Don Jazzys comment or Annie Idibia or PSquare? Are they shining examples of christian virtue worth emulating? Is Tiwa Savage or Davido an excellent example of Christian values? Are they not thesame creators of carnal content that is daily decaying the morals of our society by showing half naked girls in their music videos with suggestive lyrics and imagery? Have we become so unspiritual as a people? I am ashamed every time I see such a post on Instagram!
So I daresay that the hallelujah challenge, whereas well intended by the organizers, has long been hijacked by carnality in the minds of most of the participants. Like they say the Devil is in the details. It seems to take on a different relevance to most people. If the hallelujah challenge were just 3 people how many would be reposting on IG? They are not reposting because they had a fulfilling spiritual outing, but rather because it is popular; it is the new trend of religious social compliance; 70k people were tuned in and Flavour Nabania and Ice Prince Zamani commented. So it is not spiritual but social. It is the same reason why many people chose to attend one church or the other: large membership and status of the congregation. That God is there is an assumption never investigated.
We have thoroughly misunderstood God and Religion. God doesn't move in a crowd and all through the Bible He has constantly made that point clear. He brought 2 million people out of Egypt but only 2 made it to the promise land- Joshua and Caleb. The rest perished in the wilderness. God moves with a sincere heart. Hence Christ fed 5000 people once and 4000 people at another time, yet had only 12 disciples: the masses only followed Jesus for fish and bread. Not for the truth. So of 70k+ I dare say perhaps 10 people are truly blessed of it. I myself have never participated. Kudos to those who have.
But as a final note, once again I do commend the organisers and the participants. It is at least a good change of atmosphere on Instagram rather than the usual "slay Queen" and "pepper dem gang" content. More of such is encouraged and I do expect many others to follow suit as is the trend on social media and religion. So which church is next? =D
But that they are 70k participants is no proof however that God is involved. If Christ's words in Matthew 5,6 is anything to go by, the prayer that God seeks is best done in privacy and in John 4:24 God seeks those who won't worship at this mountain or that mountain (popular gathering place) but those who worship in truth and in spirit.
That's my foolish opinion. I'm not holier than anybody. Thanks for reading.
Teniola Esan
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