I see the way people worship and I am moved. I usually look like I don’t know how to worship because comparing what I do to what these ones do, it is certain that I must be a learner. However, what seems to marvel me a lot is how these worshipers tend to frustrate others, even when the lord said love your neighbor as yourself
I feel like I should curse them …but I won’t cause I know better. Despite the lock down and all the horror that seem to be going on in the world, these ones still find time to disturb me with desperate cries to God who is supposed to fix everything. I have been up since early morning, going about my daily activities, then when It is now finally time for me to rest, the church close to my house starts these fighting services. They set ablaze, cast out and fight spiritual warfare’s at my own detriment. On most day, it all goes down with loud and fast drums in the middle of the night. I toss, turn in desperate need for sleep and at some point, I start having a headache.
On other days, I am too tired to pay any mind to them, I plug my earpiece and try to listen to soothing music until I fall asleep. Some days like today, I am not having it at all. I want to call NCDC or the police to chase them out of that gathering. They are risking their lives and invariably mine with all these praying they are doing.
It’s 4:30 am, hmmm …finally! …They have stopped. I heaved a sigh of relief. Only for me to be awakened at 6:00am by the mosque also close by.
What if my religion is not either of the two, what will I do to sleep peacefully in my house? I thought of storming out of my door and blowing out their speakers because after all, that’s their weapon of disturbing my sleep but I can’t afford to be violent. I even though the worst, entering their gathering and beating them up but these are just lame and weary thoughts from my sleeplessness and frustration.
Well I blame them not, we are no respecter of other people’s feeling in this part of the world. Neither is noise pollution a priority for our government so much so, no citizen’s way of life should disturb others. How can the government even do anything about this trivial matter when our president can go for trips in search of what should be in the country and senators and ministers are busy looting the country and pretending to faint when asked to give account?
Lagos State, Eko as it is fondly called is the modern day “Westeros” amongst the 36 states of Nigeria in this 21st Century generation. Compared to its size on the map, Lagos houses the most businesses in Nigeria as well as over 21 million people. All of these individuals are not all from the bubbling city but it is their experiences that make them part of Eko.
Glazia’s Lagos experience column was created to bring the vast diversity of the Lagos population together through true stories of its bonified citizens. This will help those who do not dwell here, experience first-hand the life in Lagos and build a community of Lagosian through experiences.
Story Teller;
Adepoju Olabisi
Writer
Content Strategist.