Hope

I had a very eventful weekend, I did three things I haven’t done in a very long time. I went to the beach, went to church and was on radio.

I really want to go to the beach more often but beaches in Lagos are hardly relaxing anymore. Too crowded, music too loud and you have to pay a gate fee (I dislike gate fees, I am frugal like that).

Church is also somewhere I wish I could go more often but that is a very long story, one day I might actually garner the courage to tell it. Anyway, today I understood something important — the only institution that has been successful at selling hope to Nigerians is the church. A discussion of the substance of that hope is a separate topic for another day.

A very distressed looking man sat beside me during mass. He was reading a copy of “Rhapsodies of Realities” — he didn't seem to think it odd that he was reading the religious publication of a Pentecostal church during worship in a Catholic Church. I wouldn’t have given it a second thought if not for three curious things.

1. The chapter he was reading was by Pastor Anita and the title was — “Prosperity: An Ability”.
2. He was reading the book upside down the whole time. (he appeared to be reading for sure because he constantly flipped pages).
3. When it was time for thanksgiving offertory he turned to my cousin and said in Igbo— “Please give me #500 let me go and give to God.” (I was closer to him but he didn’t ask me, maybe because my cousin looks like (and is) the richer of both of us.

Hope is an optimistic attitude of mind based on an expectation of positive outcomes. And that’s exactly what this man’s actions showed. He was reading (or pretending to read) about prosperity and he wanted to give something in thanksgiving even if he had nothing. He hoped that his actions will lead him to “prospertity”.

That struck me. (oh, my cousin didn’t oblige his request, her beef was with him telling her the exact amount she should give him, she said he was just a hustler). It was probably something he saw in the book that prompted him to make that request. The book sold him hope and he bought it (assuming he wasn’t just a hustler).

Sometimes going to church makes me sad, I see people who Nigeria has robbed of hope, so they come to church. You cannot deny that if our transportation systems were up to standard, there will be less “God I need a car” prayer points in Nigerian churches. People will be focusing more on asking for non-material blessings e.g a forgiving heart.

On radio today, we were discussing #343Orphans — a project we came up with to help some children who have been displaced by the insurgence in Borno State. There are about 350 children (we have lost some to cholera and malaria) in a Nigerian camp somewhere who have had their hopes taken away. With no parents and limited access to proper food, clothing, shether and medication — how do you tell a child to look forward to tommorow? So by providing these kids with their basic needs and showing them that someone cares, we hope to sell hope to them.

The worst thing that can happen to anybody is for their hope to be taken away because sometimes that’s all we have.

My hero today, is that man who sat beside me in church(again, if he wasn’t a hustler). I didn’t get his name but I am hoping that a day will come when he will no longer have to beg for money to show his appreciation to God.

Guard your hope jealously …..

Moe