Sermon On Molue

Here I am sitting uncomfortable in the rickety Molue bus, heading home after church. Tired, hungry and sweaty, I’d give anything right now for a cold bath then lounge in bed with some soothing music I thought to myself. Suddenly a female voice behind disrupts my reverie, “Praise the Lord”!, the voice said in a raised tone, while some responded, others like me ignored her: I look back and sitting behind me is a dark skinned, ample sized woman in her 40s, garbed in grey clothes, first impression was that she was from one those churches with an iron clad dogma and I wasn’t wrong.

Instantly I got annoyed, doesn’t she realise most of us are coming back from church? What is she going to say that I didn’t hear in church today?  Some people just know how to be a nuisance, I raged inwardly. I remembered how my dad while I growing up used to rationalize why he never went to church, “ I don’t need to go to church every Sunday because whatever the pastor says today, he will surely repeat it the next Sunday,  and I know I’m not deaf. I’ve mastered the 10 commandments and I plan to adhere to them so no need asking me to go back to church next week”. I remembered him saying those words with a nostalgic smile hovering on my lips.

I adjusted on my seat, mentally ready to hear her out.  “Nigeria is in trouble, I heard her say, God has a special plan and purpose for this country but witches and wizards would not let it come to pass, they had a meeting around October 2014 here in Nigeria and are working ceaselessly to draw people to Satan “ most of the demon  possessed people you see in churches are unaware of what is happening, their bodies are being used by witches and wizards to carry out their evils acts......”,  at that point , I tuned out as she droned on while my mind wandered  wondering  at what point it becomes obvious that a Christian has crossed the line from being a mere believer to a fanatic? Or should I call it lunacy? Are there tell-tale signs that we tend to overlook? Is it possible to bring them back on course? Does fanaticism have anything to do with one’s economic level ?