About a year ago, I wrote a
noteon the best social networking site in the world (and also the biggest distraction to a college student),
Facebook, about how many of our miseries in life are our greatest ministries. I enjoyed writing that note because, at the time, I was experiencing a lot of negative feedback about why I chose to enter into the social work profession, how my profession was insignificant to the larger society, and that I wouldn’t get paid (you know, the typical response when you tell someone you’re a social worker). I am reminded of this piece I wrote way back when because, throughout my stay in Nigeria, I’ve been reminded of how true this statement is.
In learning about Nigeria’s socio-economic-political situation, I’ve learned some interesting things, but what stands out most is the tension that revolves around ethno-religious differences. Nigerians are split into three major categories of faith: Christianity, Islam, and Tribal beliefs (or non-belief). Tribal or non-believers are a small percentage of the overall population (less than 10%), which leaves Christianity and Islam as the two dominant religions of the country. Complicating this difference is the ethnic differences of the people: The three major ethnic groups are the Yoruba, Hausa, and Ibo tribes (NOTE: There are several tribes and tribal languages throughout Nigeria and it is important to not understand Nigeria according to the major groups.). What is interesting about the religious and ethnic differences of Nigeria is their geographical divisions: Most Muslims live in the northern part of the country who also are Hausa; Most Christians live in the southern or southwest part of Nigeria who are of the Yoruba tribe; and many tribal believers live in the southeast part of Nigeria are Ibo (although most of this region is said to be Christian as well). And, as you may have guessed, there are tensions amongst the groups.
So, in trying to understand the Nigerian situation, one must take into account religious, tribal, and geographical issues. There are many interesting things to note about this issue, but I’ll just mention two for now. The first is that in trying to develop Nigeria, it’s hard to figure out exactly what the underlying problem is as it relates to ethno-religious-geographical tensions. Is it the religion? Is it the tribe? Is it simply the location of where people live? What causes people to hate each other to the point of fighting and/or disagreeing and therefore delaying country development? It’s a complicated question, with a complicated answer (that neither I nor the leadership of Nigeria have). The second is that the sharp divides make everyone very attached to their identity, whatever it may be. So, it seems like it’s hard, from a macro perspective, to figure out how to get people interested in the concerns of other groups (which, now that I think about it, seems to be the issue across the globe…but that’s another day’s discussion).
What I find most fascinating, particularly from the religious perspective, is that religion is everywhere one goes (at least in the southwest, though I’ve been told is similar throughout the country). People talk about God (Jesus) and Allah all the time like it’s nothing. I see churches and mosques and prayer areas everywhere. I see cars, buses, and okadas (Yoruba for motorbikes) that have bumper stickers that relate to Jesus and Allah, for blessings and protection. I feel God’s presence throughout the country. Even CEDAR has morning prayer every Monday morning, to ask for protection over another week and giving thanks for having seen another week pass.
Here’s pictures of what is typically seen on the streets:
Largest church in the country - Abuja
Largest mosque in the country - Abuja (about 5 min highway drive apart from one another)
Yoruba bumper stickers praising God
Back of a semi truck
Mosque
Yoruba saying praising God
Back of semi...Allah
Back of a cabbie - Lagos
BEAUTIFUL mosque - Ibadan
Mosque
Back of a typical bus
Mosque
Mosque
Sticker inside a cabbie (my feet are at the bottom of the pic...)
I see God’s hand in the land. I feel Him. And I have observed from the people of the southwest that faith is the most important part of a person and their family, in the sense that the day to day activities revolve around God. Example: Asking someone (regardless of being Muslim or Christian), “How are you? How far?” is answered with “We thank God.” I feel that Nigerians are so much more aware of God or have a more openness of their faith than people of the U.S.
It’s so interesting, amazing, and humbling for me, to see people so open with faith. Having prayer in an office space before work resumes? YEAH RIGHT, like THAT would EVER happen in the U.S. We’d be shut down as an NGO so quick for “infringing on people’s personal beliefs” (or however they phrase it in the Constitution). And the fact that religion…Jesus…Allah…is literally everywhere you go, you’re always reminded of a higher power. A higher being beyond yourself that is taking care of you from day to day. It’s definitely been such a help to me as I have tried to renew my own personal relationship with God.
I’m humbled moreso because I feel like the people of Nigeria only have faith as a means from getting from day to day. And I wonder what it would be like if we, as Christians in the U.S. (yes, just the U.S. because I feel like other developing countries practice the same kind of faith-living that I’ve seen in Nigeria) lived like this? Where we didn’t think our personal achievements were because of own skills and hard work? Where we didn’t think that waking up everyday was because we deserved to see the days? But that we understood that God is who sustains us…and that we’re merely people here on this Earth to bring glory to someone other than ourselves?
I wonder…
And yet, even still, I’ve been witness to the Sunday morning worship, special first-Sunday-of-the-month communion, Monday prayer, Tuesday Bible study, 5-times-a-day praying, Friday Jumah, chador, niqabs, burqas…all of these activities and fashion adjustments…yet there is still tension that results in violence (I’m actually coming to believe that the violence stems moreso from tribal issues, but, again, I don’t really have any evidence to support it…especially given that in the north, the violence is well-known to be based on people refusing to follow Islamic law).
Although I believe in Jesus Christ as the one true God, I’ve always been an advocate of the Islamic faith (well, since 2002, when I had my first personal encounter living with a Muslim woman during freshman year of undergrad – What UP, Nohey!), particularly in the African American, African, and Arab communities. I’ve always had an interest in the dynamic tensions between these two faiths (and Judaism), as they all have two central tenets:
Love your God with all your heart (and don’t have anything else put before God)
Love your neighbor as you would love yourself (and how God loves you)
And so I find it fascinating that I live in a world where the three dominant religions have these two commandments, and yet we have the level of violence we do today. It’s baffling to me, but it brings me back to the topic of the blog:
One of the world’s greatest miseries – religious tensions – is also the world’s greatest ministry.
For Nigeria, the misery is that the people don’t see the beauty of differences in faith and instead approach the difference in violence or pressured conversion/acceptance. The ministry is that they have a country full of people with a faith in a higher power…and that faith could really be used as a tool for development. And then you may pose the question, well, which faith. And my response would be: Does it matter? If we’re following the first two commandments of any faith, it won’t matter. We’re loving God and loving others (through creating policies and services that are best for everyone, regardless of their affiliation).
God is bigger than the air I breathe
This world we’ll leave.
And God will save the day
And all will say
My Glorious
You’re my glorious
My glorious.
-JadeDinNigeria
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