Nigerian Pastors and their Gross Hypocrisy and Disregard for Rules.

David Oyedepo, Nigerian preacher, Christian author, businessman, architect and the founder and presiding Bishop of the megachurch Faith Tabernacle a.k.a. Winners' Chapel International gave out the hand of his daughter in marriage over the weekend (August 21st and 22nd, 2020).

 

In these pictures, the popular pastor and his wife lead their daughter to the aisle during the wedding ceremony. A wedding day is expected to be a day of joy as two persons come together to become one. But in this case, certain things were seen to be wrong and disappointingly so.
 
The wedding of the Oyedepo's daughter took place in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. And all the COVID-19 protocols were thrown overboard. 

• No masks.
• No social distancing.

This is a gross demonstration of ignorance, stubbornness and nonchalance to public health.
 
And, by the way, it is the usual practice of Oyedepo's church, the Winners' Chapel, to join wedding couples together in a mass ceremony. However, when it came to his daughter's wedding, there were no other wedding couples to share in the limelight. What an hypocrisy!

Sunday is Coming; Sunday Has Come by Ifeoluwa Olawole.

When I am afraid, worried, unsure, I like to think, Sunday is Coming.  I first learnt of this term after Hilary Clinton lost the election in 2016, in the email her pastor sent to her a day after she lost the elector. Let me explain. I think about how Jesus's disciples and friends must have felt the day (Friday) he passed away. The shame, the anger, the loneliness, the humiliation, the worry, the depth of the loss, the confusion. They had been following this man around for so long, proclaiming his royalty and sovereignty, proclaiming that he was King. Then, just like that he died, in what was a drawn out, humiliating, painful process. And apart from dealing with the loss of their leader and friend, they had to deal with the aftermath. In this kind of context, hope is lost. With this in mind, that day must have been a disaster.

Even though Jesus had told them beforehand that three days later all would be restored, in all the chaos they either forgot or just could not see a possibility of it.

If only they knew Sunday was coming. If only they knew life, redemption, joy, celebration were on the way,  then perhaps they would have gotten through Friday with just a little more peace. Because like he had said, indeed on Sunday he rose.

Amazing Grace
how sweet that sound
that saved a wretch like me
I was once lost
but now I am found
was blind...
but now... I see

Friday can literally be anything. Friday can be that depression that just would not leave you. It could be a cancer diagnosis. Friday could be job loss. Or, Friday, most notably, could be a deadly, highly infectious novel virus that we don't understand, but that has brought the world to its knees. Yet,

Sunday is Coming.

I like to take that approach towards life. The idea that though now it looks and feels bleak, laughter is coming. Joy is coming. Celebration is coming. Freedom is coming. And there is no better time to share this than now. So while it may be Friday now, Sunday is coming.

Sunday has come.

Please note that this is metaphorical, I don't know the exact day Jesus died but Friday represents whatever that exact day was, okay sweeeties? Okay. Let's continue. As the above email mentions, life is filled with so many Fridays. I am certain we can get through those Fridays if  we keep in mind that Sunday is on the way.

Some people noted there is no point to Easter because the Bible does not mention it or celebrate it or something. But the Bible also doesn't mention birthdays and wedding anniversaries, but we celebrate them anyway, so what really is your point?

Anyway, as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and the redemption it brought, it should empower us with hope and refocus our gaze on the fact that just as Sunday came for the disciples, Sunday is coming for us too.

I will leave you with this powerful rendition of Amazing Grace by Andrea Bocelli earlier today in Duomo di Milano.

Happy Easter, people!

Love,

I

The Wave of Domestic Terrorism in the United States.

May 2017: Portland (Jeremy Joseph Christian)
May 2017: New York (Richard Rojas)
June 2017: Orlando (John Robert Neumann Jr.)
June 2017: San Francisco (Jimmy Lam)
June 2017: D.C. (James Hodgkinson)
June 2017: Fairfax (Darwin Martinez Torres)
June 2017: New York (Henry Bello)
June 2017: Little Rock (multiple shooters)
August 2017 : Charlottesville (James Alex Fields)
October 2017: Las Vegas (Stephen Paddock)
October 2017: New York (Sayfullo Saipov)
November 2017: Thornton, CO (Scott Ostrem)
November 2017: Sutherland Springs, TX (Devin Kelley)
November 2017: Rancho Tehama, CA (Kevin Janson Neal)
December 2017: Aztec, NM (William Atchison)
December 2017: New York City (Akayed Ullah)
January 2018: Benton, KY (undisclosed juvenile)
February 2018: Parkland, FL (Nikolas Cruz)
March 2018: Austin, TX (Mark Anthony Conditt)
April 2018: San Bruno, CA (Nasim Najafi Aghdam)
May 2018: Santa Fe, TX (Dimitrios Pagourtzis)
June 2018: Trenton, NJ (Tahaij Wells and Amir Armstrong)
June 2018: Annapolis, MD (Jarrod Warren Ramos)
August 2018: Jacksonville, FL (David Katz)
October 2018: Jeffersontown, KY (Gregory Bush)
October 2018: Florida (Cesar Sayoc)
October 2018: Pittsburgh, PA (Robert Bowers)
November 2018: Tallahassee, FL (Scott Beierle)
November 2018: Thousand Oaks, CA (Ian Long)
February 2019: Aurora, IL
—————-
"This list needs an update to include the past 4 mass-shootings/domestic terrorist attacks that took place in the United States before today. People ask why list the “shooters' names?” It's due to the importance of highlighting the fact that it’s not some refugees or migrants committing these crimes. Rather, it’s Americans on Americans". - Author unknown.

Warped Value System by Chidinma Perpetua Chikwelu

The robbers

If those greedy boys who attempted to rob a bank in Dubai had succeeded, by this time, their pictures will be all over the internet especially, the Instagram with the hashtags *#naGod.* *#OluwaIsInvolved.* *#BlessGod* *#ThankYouJesus.*

Those of us who will question the sudden source of wealth will be tagged losers and jealous haters.

And some who do their hustle legitimately but see no bright future in it will feel they are cursed. They will start running from one prayer house and spritualist to another...

In the meantime, the "lucky boys" will begin to take chieftaincy titles. They will receive countless invitations to all kinds of events. They will move with convoy. The police IG and commissioner will assigns tens of policemen to protect them.

The young ones will watch with admiration. They will wish to become like these guys. And why not when they see the society doesn't care about the source of anyone's wealth? And off they go committing all manner of crimes.

Some young women have graduated from prostitution which they call "runs" to eating the feaces of Arab men in Dubai. Anything for the money. Instagram and the society will know they have "arrived". Who no follow na mumu.

All these is as a result of bad parenting and moral decadence in the society. And when you talk about morals they ask you, 'according to whose standard?'. 

Dubai