SAINTS ON TOUR
on Sabo -Oke (Nigeria), 24/Nov/2011 15:21, 34 days ago
I was travelling– very slowly- by car in Ilorin today when we were passed – almost equally slowly by a minibus full of people. On the side of the bus were painted the words ‘Saints on Tour’. To me it did not look much like the sort of tour bus that staff and players of either St Helens rugby league club orSouthampton FC would have chosen – unless those clubs were in dire financial straits. There were no shining haloes, no feathered angel wings and no loaves and fish– never mind 5 – amongst the luggage bulging out of the back of the bus. Nevertheless, as the bus eased past us, it read across the back window ’Missionary bus’. I may be misguided or over-sensitive, but I feel somewhat uncomfortable about a level of missionary zeal that declares its own proselytizers to be saints! So who were these people, I wondered? I guess I'll never know.It reminded me of that other window sign I saw that stated ‘Jesus Saves’ and then underneath the team badge, ‘Chelsea’. What chance do the rest of the Premier League stand if Chelsea have the Almighty playing for them. In previous blogs I may have hinted at the observation that in general Nigerians are deeply religious– not necessarily spiritual.My car journey ended in the office car park but before leaving the vehicle I was quizzed by the driver as to my own religious persuasion. He was greatly surprised by my reply and ended up laughing uncontrollably at my suggestion that some people don’t take the Bible literally and that heaven doesn’t lie somewhere high above the clouds. VSO warns against getting involved in deep religious discussion, especially given current tensions in the country, but I didn’t initiate this conversation and each answer I gave him to his barrage of questions only seemed to produce more mirth and disbelief. To both his final questions : Was I a Christian? Did I believe in Allah? I answered‘Yes’. In the stunned silence that followed I said ‘Odabo’ (goodbye) and made my getaway.