By Kebbi Nassu
Most parents contribute to the reasons why my generation tends to ignore the worship centres. Parents’ inability to listen or know what their wards want for themselves birthed this quiet rebellion and more.
The church is said to be a home for all but the differences and disparities created by parents is causing wreckage, very unlike other faiths driven by compulsion and fear-mongering, like the Ogun worshipper who dreads to swear by iron
This wreckage is caused by parents wanting to constantly force their beliefs and perceptions on their wards.
They want to control everything thereby boxing in and denying the young minds their freedom of speech.
A lot has changed, life itself is dynamic but most parents don’t know this. They believe their old way of doing things is still the best way. I wonder often if it is the Spirit that is truly their Guide. But what do we know, we are constantly reminded, like cracked records?
My generation, people with hyperactive minds and desires, engorged with our thoughts and views, loving and embracing things we have not learnt from home, a generation where we love things hot, spicy, captivating and mind blowing.
Reverse has been the case for most of us, parents constantly forcing their model of churching on us, when what we see is an an idle and drab environment.
Here we are stuck with an anachronistic church, Sunday has suddenly become the worst day, a church where you can predict everything! We are already accustomed to this ancient church and its antiquated ways.
The most exasperating moment is sometimes the sermon, lost in our thoughts and glum to our phones, hoping to hear, “let’s share the Grace,” and off we go to other things more scintillating.
Gradually, the number of young people is reducing every Sunday, but does no one care? Is no one aware? A church where every elderly person looks holy and sanctimonious, how can a struggling young person find a sense of belonging? What happens when this holy set of parents pass away? Will this place be shut down, just as it is happening in the Western world?
What has fate in store for this generation of mine? Should we organise and run our own churches, devoid of this boredom that is killing us?
Well, the pappies and the mammies (aka monitoring spirits) still pay the bills, so we are forced to play along, suffer in silence, and wait for the day the apron string get yanked away.
Monitoring spirits, eh? Yes, that is what they are; and like one parent put it, “I agree, the Monitor of all the universe put me here to monitor you, until you guys come of age, until then, I am in charge. Then, when your time comes, your children can call you monitoring spirits, too.”
But are we getting it wrong? Are we playing so much on the soulish realm, with wild emotions rather than the much more fundamental, spiritual realm? Is our blood too hot and racing faster than it should? Who will help out now? Who? The older generation, fixed in their conservative ways, and not hearing what the Holy Spirit is saying to His Church about fleeing youths? Who will help appropriately direct this bubbly, but capped-up energy we have?
Lord, I need your help! Lord Jesus Christ, we need your help!!
