"Touch me not", Jesus told Mary.
"For I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God."
John 20:17
This was after Jesus resurrected...
I read this scripture & my imagination started roaming as it always does: I imagine Jesus as a Nigerian. I can guarantee He would have monopolized God the way our pastors do.
It's very common to hear the Nigerian Pastor say, "whatever you're going through, MY GOD will help you!"
"MY GOD will touch you today!"
"MY GOD will turn that situation around!"
It's almost always my God, my God, my God.
Jesus told Mary, MY Father, YOUR Father; MY God, YOUR God.
In other words, Mary, you & I have same access to Him!
We're on the same level relating with God!
If I were a pastor & I always tell my flock, "My God will heal you!" or "My God will bless you!", with time, the flock will start praying, "In the name of the God of Haruna Daniels!"
Or sing, "🎵I am serving the God of Haruna, I know, yes I know...🎵"
Giving the notion that I have a better relationship with God than them, making myself another mediator between God & man.
That is what we see in our Churches today.
I don't know if this is a Nigerian thing: I'm not sure people pray to the God of their pastors elsewhere...
But sha, we thank God that Jesus isn't Nigerian, so He didn't monopolize God.
He opened the access, that's why He called God Mary's Father & Mary's God too.
May we not turn God's Fatherhood into a monopoly.
Amen.
Shalom.
🙏🏿
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Since Creation, there has been one human trait that has been consistent: THE REFUSAL TO ACCEPT BLAME
Man will ALWAYS find someone or something to blame for their shortcomings.
When Adam went against God's instructions in the Garden of Eden, he blamed Eve.
Eve blamed Satan...
And that was the beginning of buck passing: it's ALWAYS someone else's fault!
I must confess, I used to be guilty of this too: until I learned a lesson from a Radio Station.
Now, over 30 years ago (1994), Nigeria crashed out of the USA World Cup in the Round of 16 to Italy...
Nigeria was crowned the African Champions a few months earlier, we were 5th in FIFA Ranking, so we went to the World Cup with a lot of reputation, pedigree & steeze.
Our Team had great players like Okocha, Yekini, Iroha, Okechukwu, Oliseh, Amokachi, Amunike, Siaisa & George...
In the last few years, there's been a constant trend in the Country:
Young folks are ANGRY & they ALWAYS look for a way to vent their ANGER.
In the recent past, we had the #EndSars Protests.
Then we had #RevolutionNow.
We also had #BuhariMustGo.
Then #AllEyesOnTheJudiciary...
We also had #JusticeForMobad.
Now, it's #FreeDeleFarotimi...
Truth be told there things are not new: we also had #AliMustGo in 1978.
Dr Tai Solarin led the SAP Protest in 1989 when it was rumoured that Babangida's wife was cited as the richest black women by Ebony Magazine...
My point is, young folks have been restless in Nigeria from time immemorial.
And the reason is simple: YOUNG NIGERIANS DON'T TRUST THEIR GOVERNMENT.
They believe those in Government are NOT looking out for them, they're just in Office to feather their own nests, nothing else...
Some years ago, a friend called me from Lagos.
"Harry, I'll be coming to Abuja for a project I will be supervising (he's a Building Engineer). I'll be around for about 6 months. Can I stay with you, please?"
I was living alone in a 3 bedroom flat, it wasn't a problem for me...
So I agreed.
He came over a few days later & I gave him a room to stay.
He'd leave the house early in the morning to the site & return around 8pm.
After a month, he told me his wife would want to come over for a weekend.
Is it ok?
No problem, Bro: she's welcome to visit you...
She flew over on a Friday to return to Lagos Monday morning.
I had never met her before, so the husband introduced us when she landed.
She took over the kitchen & made us dinner that Friday evening.
She dished my meal in a plate & dished hers & her husband's together.
This reminds me of a situation some years ago.
After Service, some folks wanted to see the Pastor for counselling.
He then asked a few of them to see me so the load on him would reduce.
So, I became an "Emergency Counsellor" that Sunday morning.
When he was done, I told him: "your problem is not a big deal, Sir. I'll give you a simple solution..."
He sat up, eager to hear the solution.
I told him, "Go read the Book of Galatians & let's talk on Wednesday!"
He was MIFFED!
"The WHOLE Book?"
"Yes, Sir (the Book of Galatians is just 6 Chapters)."
"Ha! Can't you just PRAY for me?"
"No, Sir. It's not a PRAYER problem: it's a KNOWLEDGE problem..."
He got up & walked away to join the queue of those to see the Pastor.
And one Saturday morning, he tells you, "Babe, I want to go watch Arsenal play Chelsea by 4pm in my friend's house".
What will you do?
She replied, "I will be VERY ANGRY with him!"
I asked why.
Why should ANGER be an option?
He just voiced a desire: why should that bring ANGER?
She said, "I wouldn't want him to go: I'll want him to stay home and we enjoy each others company!"
Fine.
So, rather than get ANGRY, why don't you voice your own desire too?
Why not say, "Babe, please don't go: stay home with me!"
"Imagine all Nigerians relocate to the US & all Americans relocate to Nigeria... What do you think will happen in 10 years?"
Rev'd Sam Adeyemi @sam_adeyemi asked this rhetorical question in Church, @DaystarNG over 20 years ago.
There were several responses to the question...
And all agree on ONE thing:
In 10 years, Nigeria would have become a much better place where things work, America would have become a worse place where things don't work anymore.
Rev'd Sam then said: "that tells you that THE MAN MAKES THE PLACE, THE PLACE DOESN'T MAKE THE MAN!"
He went on to explain:
Your EXTERNAL atmosphere will ALWAYS be at the level of your INTERNAL atmosphere.
You will ALWAYS raise or reduce your EXTERNAL atmosphere to the level of your INTERNAL atmosphere.
To BETTER or DESTROY your environment depends on your INTERNAL ATMOSPHERE!