I remember writing those words a few weeks back the motivation behind them being that religion is a sensitive issue here as in most parts of the world and, at the time, I had every intention of sticking to it. Of course, I had also assumed that Lagos, a huge city in the far South of Nigeria, would be extremely different from Sabon Guida, my rural village in Southern Niger where, as the result of a heavy Islamic influence, there is hardly a conversation that goes by without some reference to God, giving thanks to God, God blessing you, God giving you something, God doing something, God willing something, or anyone doing any number of things "in God's name." Their stance on religion is tightly woven into the fabric of their language and thus cannot be separated from their daily lives. Try as one might to avoid the "controversy" surrounding religion, you simply can't avoid it, and, without realizing it, slowly it becomes a some-what natural thing to speak about God all day everyday even for someone, like me, who isn't very religious.
An example of this is an average conversation in Sabon Guida that would go something like this (I have translated for the benefit of those of my readers who do not speak Hausa):
Me: (attempting to enter a house- a nice substitute for knocking) Peace be with you.
Villager: And also with you (this is the signal that I am allowed to enter).
Me: Did you wake in health?
Villager: In health, thanks be to God.
Me: How is your family?
Villager: In health, thanks be to God.
Me: How is your work?
Villager: One thanks God for the work.
Me: Are you planning to come into work today?
Villager: If God wills it.
Me: No, I'm asking you if you're going to come to work today.
Villager: If God wills it.
Me: (Getting frustrated) At what time, if God wills it?
Villager: At 12 o'clock, if God wills it.
Me: ....Alright. (realizing that this could mean anytime between 12 noon and never).
Villager: May God give you patience.
Me: Amen.
Did you catch all the references to God and religion? In case you missed it, I highlighted every religion-based comment in bold.
However, this is a heavily Muslim village in a heavily Muslim country (roughly 99%) we're talking about here. It seems somehow normal that religion would be such an unavoidable, important part of daily life. There's a very low chance anyone would be offended as, of course, nearly everyone practices the same religion. Of course, there would be no way a city as heavily populated, culturally diverse, and commercial as Lagos would be so overtly religious on a day-to-day basis, right? Wrong.
Although I've never spent much time in the Bible belt of the good ol' USA (thank God... haha), living in Lagos is what I imagine its like to live in Texas: Mega-churches on every corner, at-work prayer sessions, Christian rock and pop-based worship songs blaring from the radio, preaching street people, and, yeah, even BIG hair (not a religious thing, I know but still important).
True, religion isn't woven into the language here in Lagos but, looking back on it, as an outsider, I almost prefer that style of religion more. When religion is part of the language, hearing people speak about God and religion all the time seems like such a natural thing. Similar to the way Americans automatically say "fine" when a stranger asks how they're doing, Hausa people (the predominantly Muslim tribe in both Niger and Nigeria) automatically bring God into their conversation. Instead of saying "fine," they give thanks to God.
Here in Lagos however, it seems as though people look for an opportunity to throw religion into the mix; They define themselves by their religious involvements, they carry their bibles with them to work, they pray openly (and sometimes disruptively) in public, and they take great joy in the 4-8 hours they spend at their church every Sunday... and then telling others about it.
For example, when working on a brochure to advertise one of the businesses I'm currently working for, one of my supervisors was asked to submit a small, 2-sentence paragraph high-lighting what he would want people to know about him (in American terms, a "Bio") to be included in the brochure. Within those 2 sentences, he highlighted attending church and leading a bible fellowship.
At this point, I want to interject that I'm not trying to say any of this is "wrong." What I'm saying is, its just taking some adjusting to.... and, yeah, I guess I'll also admit that I'm finding it a little unnerving.
Of course, its only "unnerving" by the Western- American standard... which essentially means anyone West of Texas. And, of course, I say this in a ridiculously general sort of way because even in those relatively religiously- liberal Western states, there are large pockets of heavily religious people (Mormons, anyone?). I suppose the difference is that, even though I know there are deeply religious people in the US, I don't expect to walk into work on Monday morning to find my co-workers holding hands and praying loudly. Its simply not the "done" thing in the American workplace.... or most public places for that matter. The absence of overt religion in daily life does not mean that Americans aren't religious, it just means that we're highly aware of the potential controversy of bringing our personal religious beliefs into an average conversation and so, rather than risk offending someone, we keep it to ourselves. Interestingly enough though, religion has also been carefully woven into the fabric of our daily lives (i.e."In God We Trust") so that, in a way, we DO get to bring religion into everything without actually "bringing religion into everything."
But I digress.
The point I'm trying to make is that in Lagos, Nigeria as in Sabon Guida, Niger, it is difficult to avoid coming into extreme contact with religion.
As an example of this, here is an approximate recreation of a conversation I had today at work:
One of my bosses at one of my many jobs asked me how my weekend was.
I said it was relaxing. Thanks for asking.
She then asked me, without pause, "Did you go to church?"
"No." I honestly replied. (Notice how I didn't go into detail. I'm not supposed to be discussing religion, remember?)
"Are you Christian?" she pressed me
"...Uh.. yes, I guess. I mean, I'm Methodist but I believe in a lot of other religions as well so...um... yeah" (Here, as you can see, I'm not used to discussing my religious beliefs at work let alone with a superior so, clearly, I'm fumbling for the right words to say.)
"But," she continued "if you're a Christian, you're supposed to go to church." (Talk about an awkward conversation)
"Uh..um... yes.. well, I do go to church but usually only on Christmas and Easter"
"Why?" -my boss asks, pressing further still
"Well...." I pause trying to find a politically correct way to say 'I don't really like going to church every Sunday' without actually saying it "... I guess I... uh... I get busy on the weekends."
"Well, now that you're in Nigeria, your weekends aren't as busy. Would you like me to take you to church?" - my boss offers.
"Uh...well... um... isn't church here in Nigeria, like, 8 hours long?"
"Ak! No!" she exclaims "I go to church for 3 hours. But I go to a Pentecostal church so its mostly singing and dancing and praising the Lord" - she informs me
.....
At this point, without trying to offend anyone, I have to admit that churches where people sing and dance and wave their hands in the air and "talk in tongues" make me the MOST uncomfortable. Its just SO much to take in... and very, very overwhelming especially for someone, like myself, who enjoys going to church every once-in-a-while just to be in a calm, quiet, peaceful setting.
.....
"Uh..." I say, stalling "Maybe on Easter Sunday"
"Ak!" She says, clearly not satisfied with my answer, "There are so many Sundays between now and Easter. Why don't you come with me this Sunday?"
"Umm.... well, uh, that's very nice of you to offer but...um... I think I might be busy this weekend" - This is not entirely false as we do have tentative plans to spend all of next weekend in the "nice," Victoria Island part of town.
Giving me a skeptical look she says "Ok. But you let me know when you're not busy and I'll take you to church."
"Thanks" I say, breathing a sigh of relief that the conversation is over. ...Oh...but wait... it isn't over yet.
"I suppose," she says, clearly trying to come to terms with my lack of church-going enthusiasm, "If you don't go to church, you can still have a relationship with God if you read your Bible" (as she says this, she picks up the Bible on her desk for emphasis.)
"Uh...yeah..." I say, not wanting to admit that my Bible is on my bookshelf at home in the US where it has been for about 6 years. I'm also hoping she doesn't press me further. ...Too bad... she does.
"You DO have a Bible, right?"
"Um... yes. But its at home" - at this point I'm hoping she thinks "home" just means "not at work." Nope. Tough luck.
"You mean in America?!" - she is incredulous "Why didn't you bring it with you?!"
"Well... I guess because I don't really read it all that much"
"What?! How can you talk to God without the Bible?!" Oh jeeze... Isn't this conversation over yet?
"I guess I just find a quiet time when I need to" - yes, this is a vague answer but my religious beliefs are pretty vague too and, oh yeah, I'm not supposed to be discussing religion.
"How do you remember the stories?!"
"Uh... I guess I just do."
She gives me an incredulous look, clearly not sure what to do with me.
"Well," she says finally, "you can borrow my Bible if you ever want to read the stories again."
"Thanks." I say and then, before she can push me further I ask "Are you sure there isn't a project I can help you with?"
- End of Scene-
So it seems that, despite my best efforts to not discuss religion (ever.), it is something that is difficult to avoid altogether. Its very much a part of daily life.
In closing, I would like to say that Nigerians are wonderfully welcoming people...they just happen to be very openly religious too. And, of course, it doesn't seem to be that anyone is going out of their way to make me feel uncomfortable. In fact, on the contrary, any discomfort is purely my own which I suppose stems from my own American cultural bias that reminds me at every turn that religion is a taboo subject that should simply not be discussed. Ever.
An example of this is an average conversation in Sabon Guida that would go something like this (I have translated for the benefit of those of my readers who do not speak Hausa):
Me: (attempting to enter a house- a nice substitute for knocking) Peace be with you.
Villager: And also with you (this is the signal that I am allowed to enter).
Me: Did you wake in health?
Villager: In health, thanks be to God.
Me: How is your family?
Villager: In health, thanks be to God.
Me: How is your work?
Villager: One thanks God for the work.
Me: Are you planning to come into work today?
Villager: If God wills it.
Me: No, I'm asking you if you're going to come to work today.
Villager: If God wills it.
Me: (Getting frustrated) At what time, if God wills it?
Villager: At 12 o'clock, if God wills it.
Me: ....Alright. (realizing that this could mean anytime between 12 noon and never).
Villager: May God give you patience.
Me: Amen.
Did you catch all the references to God and religion? In case you missed it, I highlighted every religion-based comment in bold.
However, this is a heavily Muslim village in a heavily Muslim country (roughly 99%) we're talking about here. It seems somehow normal that religion would be such an unavoidable, important part of daily life. There's a very low chance anyone would be offended as, of course, nearly everyone practices the same religion. Of course, there would be no way a city as heavily populated, culturally diverse, and commercial as Lagos would be so overtly religious on a day-to-day basis, right? Wrong.
Although I've never spent much time in the Bible belt of the good ol' USA (thank God... haha), living in Lagos is what I imagine its like to live in Texas: Mega-churches on every corner, at-work prayer sessions, Christian rock and pop-based worship songs blaring from the radio, preaching street people, and, yeah, even BIG hair (not a religious thing, I know but still important).
True, religion isn't woven into the language here in Lagos but, looking back on it, as an outsider, I almost prefer that style of religion more. When religion is part of the language, hearing people speak about God and religion all the time seems like such a natural thing. Similar to the way Americans automatically say "fine" when a stranger asks how they're doing, Hausa people (the predominantly Muslim tribe in both Niger and Nigeria) automatically bring God into their conversation. Instead of saying "fine," they give thanks to God.
Here in Lagos however, it seems as though people look for an opportunity to throw religion into the mix; They define themselves by their religious involvements, they carry their bibles with them to work, they pray openly (and sometimes disruptively) in public, and they take great joy in the 4-8 hours they spend at their church every Sunday... and then telling others about it.
For example, when working on a brochure to advertise one of the businesses I'm currently working for, one of my supervisors was asked to submit a small, 2-sentence paragraph high-lighting what he would want people to know about him (in American terms, a "Bio") to be included in the brochure. Within those 2 sentences, he highlighted attending church and leading a bible fellowship.
At this point, I want to interject that I'm not trying to say any of this is "wrong." What I'm saying is, its just taking some adjusting to.... and, yeah, I guess I'll also admit that I'm finding it a little unnerving.
Of course, its only "unnerving" by the Western- American standard... which essentially means anyone West of Texas. And, of course, I say this in a ridiculously general sort of way because even in those relatively religiously- liberal Western states, there are large pockets of heavily religious people (Mormons, anyone?). I suppose the difference is that, even though I know there are deeply religious people in the US, I don't expect to walk into work on Monday morning to find my co-workers holding hands and praying loudly. Its simply not the "done" thing in the American workplace.... or most public places for that matter. The absence of overt religion in daily life does not mean that Americans aren't religious, it just means that we're highly aware of the potential controversy of bringing our personal religious beliefs into an average conversation and so, rather than risk offending someone, we keep it to ourselves. Interestingly enough though, religion has also been carefully woven into the fabric of our daily lives (i.e."In God We Trust") so that, in a way, we DO get to bring religion into everything without actually "bringing religion into everything."
But I digress.
The point I'm trying to make is that in Lagos, Nigeria as in Sabon Guida, Niger, it is difficult to avoid coming into extreme contact with religion.
As an example of this, here is an approximate recreation of a conversation I had today at work:
One of my bosses at one of my many jobs asked me how my weekend was.
I said it was relaxing. Thanks for asking.
She then asked me, without pause, "Did you go to church?"
"No." I honestly replied. (Notice how I didn't go into detail. I'm not supposed to be discussing religion, remember?)
"Are you Christian?" she pressed me
"...Uh.. yes, I guess. I mean, I'm Methodist but I believe in a lot of other religions as well so...um... yeah" (Here, as you can see, I'm not used to discussing my religious beliefs at work let alone with a superior so, clearly, I'm fumbling for the right words to say.)
"But," she continued "if you're a Christian, you're supposed to go to church." (Talk about an awkward conversation)
"Uh..um... yes.. well, I do go to church but usually only on Christmas and Easter"
"Why?" -my boss asks, pressing further still
"Well...." I pause trying to find a politically correct way to say 'I don't really like going to church every Sunday' without actually saying it "... I guess I... uh... I get busy on the weekends."
"Well, now that you're in Nigeria, your weekends aren't as busy. Would you like me to take you to church?" - my boss offers.
"Uh...well... um... isn't church here in Nigeria, like, 8 hours long?"
"Ak! No!" she exclaims "I go to church for 3 hours. But I go to a Pentecostal church so its mostly singing and dancing and praising the Lord" - she informs me
.....
At this point, without trying to offend anyone, I have to admit that churches where people sing and dance and wave their hands in the air and "talk in tongues" make me the MOST uncomfortable. Its just SO much to take in... and very, very overwhelming especially for someone, like myself, who enjoys going to church every once-in-a-while just to be in a calm, quiet, peaceful setting.
.....
"Uh..." I say, stalling "Maybe on Easter Sunday"
"Ak!" She says, clearly not satisfied with my answer, "There are so many Sundays between now and Easter. Why don't you come with me this Sunday?"
"Umm.... well, uh, that's very nice of you to offer but...um... I think I might be busy this weekend" - This is not entirely false as we do have tentative plans to spend all of next weekend in the "nice," Victoria Island part of town.
Giving me a skeptical look she says "Ok. But you let me know when you're not busy and I'll take you to church."
"Thanks" I say, breathing a sigh of relief that the conversation is over. ...Oh...but wait... it isn't over yet.
"I suppose," she says, clearly trying to come to terms with my lack of church-going enthusiasm, "If you don't go to church, you can still have a relationship with God if you read your Bible" (as she says this, she picks up the Bible on her desk for emphasis.)
"Uh...yeah..." I say, not wanting to admit that my Bible is on my bookshelf at home in the US where it has been for about 6 years. I'm also hoping she doesn't press me further. ...Too bad... she does.
"You DO have a Bible, right?"
"Um... yes. But its at home" - at this point I'm hoping she thinks "home" just means "not at work." Nope. Tough luck.
"You mean in America?!" - she is incredulous "Why didn't you bring it with you?!"
"Well... I guess because I don't really read it all that much"
"What?! How can you talk to God without the Bible?!" Oh jeeze... Isn't this conversation over yet?
"I guess I just find a quiet time when I need to" - yes, this is a vague answer but my religious beliefs are pretty vague too and, oh yeah, I'm not supposed to be discussing religion.
"How do you remember the stories?!"
"Uh... I guess I just do."
She gives me an incredulous look, clearly not sure what to do with me.
"Well," she says finally, "you can borrow my Bible if you ever want to read the stories again."
"Thanks." I say and then, before she can push me further I ask "Are you sure there isn't a project I can help you with?"
- End of Scene-
So it seems that, despite my best efforts to not discuss religion (ever.), it is something that is difficult to avoid altogether. Its very much a part of daily life.
In closing, I would like to say that Nigerians are wonderfully welcoming people...they just happen to be very openly religious too. And, of course, it doesn't seem to be that anyone is going out of their way to make me feel uncomfortable. In fact, on the contrary, any discomfort is purely my own which I suppose stems from my own American cultural bias that reminds me at every turn that religion is a taboo subject that should simply not be discussed. Ever.
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