January 10, 2023
Afro-Scope
STEALING IN THE NAME OF THE LORD WITH A WAR ON AFRICAN CULTURE
Greetings!
This is Harry Agina, and I’ve got a new AfroCultural drama series for ya. Umm huh! And the subject matter is among my most favorites. In fact, I will soon publish a very comprehensive, voluminous book on this subject, titled “Invasion Of The Funky Pastors.” The subtitle says, “Church Business At War With African Culture.”
This drama series is based on the essence of the book. It’s about some of the criminal, sinful, terrible things that contemporary Christians do, in the name of the Lord. Back in 1976, Jamaican reggae musician, Max Romeo, released a song titled, “Stealing in the name of the Lord.” I have the song for you at the end of our drama. If only Max could even imagine then in the 20th century, the level to which his observation would get to in today’s 21st century Christendom!!!
In fairness to other Christians, I always must mention that this sin is committed mostly by the new wave Pentecostal Christians. We’re Afro-Scope. Hence, naturally, our primary interest is what happens in Africa, what happens for Africa, and what happens to Africa and the Africans. So, let’s take the global pandemic of ‘stealing in the name of the Lord’ home to Africa. And, without mincing words, my country Nigeria, in West Africa, is apparently the headquarters of “Stealing in the name of the lord.” Nigeria’s Pentecostal so-called pastors have completely gone haywire! Many who are good in the game are millionaires in American dollars. Some of them live the private-jet lifestyles of billionaire gangsters. Do remember that the Christ who they claim to follow had no material possession.
Anyway, again, our Afro-Scope angle is how the rotten part of contemporary Christendom has affected the African Culture. No wonder, my book is subtitled, “Church Business At War With African Culture.” Now, enough of the preamble; let’s get to Michael Shaibu’s AfroCultural drama, “In God’s Name.”
AFROCULTURAL DRAMAS ON RELIGIONS AND CULTURE, “IN GOD’S NAME,” 1:
- INT. OFFICE. DAY.
KONO SITS AT HIS DESK, BUSY WORKING ON HIS LAPTOP OR DESKTOP. BESIDE THE LAPTOP OR DESKTOP IS A NICE PHOTO OF HIMSELF AND HIS BEAUTIFUL NEW BRIDE, SELA IN A MEDIUM SIZE FRAME. THERE ARE SOFT KNOCKS ON HIS DOOR…
KONO: Come!
THE DOOR OPENS AND HIS CLOSE PAL ED WALKS IN, A PUZZLED FROWN ON HIS FACE…
KONO (Smiles): Hey, Ed!
ED: Hey, yourself!
KONO: Whoa! Did I do something wrong?
ED: I just heard you and Sela got married. Tell me that is a lie and I will immediately say sorry for taking offence.
KONO RISES, PICKS THE FRAMED PHOTO, WALKS ROUND HIS DESK UP TO ED, HANDS ED THE PHOTO, AND LOWERS HIS HEAD…
KONO: It is not a lie. And I am sorry I didn’t wait for you. But if it is any consolation, I didn’t invite anyone too. I just took my younger brother and Sela’s cousin with us to the marriage registry to sign as witnesses. That’s all.
ED: Gosh, man! Why? I mean, I am happy for you. But why the rush? You were there for me during my own wedding and I could have left everything I was busy with and come with…
KONO
(Cuts in): No, no, no! There was no need to inconvenience you like that. Sela and I just wanted it that way. No noise. No crowd. No religion. Just the signing and the witnessing.
ED LOOKS AT THE PHOTO LONG AND THEN SMILES. THE TWO FRIENDS SHAKE HANDS, THEN HUG. KONO TAKES BACK THE PHOTO, RETURNS TO PUT IT BACK ON HIS DESK…
ED: So…ready for lunch yet?
KONO: Yes, of course! Just give me a minute to tidy up the budget proposal I just did, and then we can go.
KONO SITS AND RESUMES WORK ON HIS SYSTEM…
ED: By the way, something you said while responding to me pricked my interest. No religion. Why is that?
KONO (Smiles, still working): What? Are you now suddenly interested in religion? We all know you’re almost an atheist.
THEY BOTH LAUGH HEARTILY…
KONO: Anyway, Sela and I thought that was the neatest way to go about it, since we are both from very religiously divided backgrounds.
ED: Really? How divided?
KONO FINISHES WORKING ON THE SYSTEM, SHUTS IT DOWN, RISES, PICKS HIS JACKET, AND BEGINS TO WEAR IT…
KONO: Well, Sela’s Dad is a Muslim and her Mom worships Osun, the river goddess. Of course, you know my dad is a Christian and my mom simply vacillates…neither here nor there!
ED: Wow!
THEY BEGIN WALKING TOWARDS THE DOOR…
KONO: Yeah. So you see…if we had allowed religion, they all would have wanted us to incorporate an aspect of their faith.
THEY WALK OUT THE DOOR AND SHUT IT…
- INT. NARROW STREET. DUSK.
SELA IS RETURNING FROM VISITING HER MUM.
THE MUM IS WALKING WITH HER PART OF THE WAY, TYPICALLY ATTIRED IN THE USUAL WHITE GARB OF OSUN DEITY WORSHIPPERS.
THEY ARE CHIT-CHATTING ABOUT THIS AND THAT…
SELA: …and that was why Kono and I decided to do it that way. It was not meant to spite any of you.
MOM: Well, I hope you both will go round and tell everyone that. You know how your father and his people are. I have no problems at all…as long as you are happy.
SELA: We are, mom. We really are! And yes, we will go round.
MOM: That is good then.
THEY WALK ON IN SILENCE FOR A WHILE. THEN THEY ENCOUNER A MAN IN WHITE GARMENT WALKING THE OPPOSITE WAY. THEY ALL GREET WELL THEN WALK ON, EACH ON THEIR OWN WAY. AFTER A COUPLE OF STEPS, THE MAN STOPS, TURNS ROUND…
MAN: Young lady! Mommy! May I have a word with you, please?
SELA AND HER MOM STOP, TURN ROUND, AND WAIT. THE MAN WALKS UP TO THEM, NOW SPEAKING IN “TONGUES”…
MAN (Intermittently speaking in tongues): Young lady, it has just been revealed to me that you are surrounded by evil.
BOTH SELA AND HER MOM TAKE IN SHARP BREATHS OF PANIC…
MAN (Continues): But God loves you and decided I must deliver you.
BOTH SELA AND MOM LET OUT SIGHS OF RELIEF. THE MAN RESUMES SPEAKING IN TONGUE, SHAKING HIS HEAD VIOLENTLY..
MAN: However, we will need costly, perfumed soap. The type we need is only available at my church and costs a lot. But forget the cost. The spirit says to take just whatever is available on you right here!
MOM: That should not be any problem at all. Sela, give him that 10 thousand naira I just gave you to keep for me.
THE MAN INCREASES HIS SPEAKING IN TONGUES ON HEARING 10 THOUSAND NAIRA…
SELA: Mom! Come on. I cannot do a thing of this magnitude without my husband being aware! I will have to tell him about it. We need to do it together.
MAN: Well, that is good. But if you have to come to the church, the spirit might demand for more money! So…why not bring the 10k and then come to the church with your husband?
SELA: No, no, no; this money is my mom’s. Let me bring my own money along to the church.
THE MAN STOPS SPEAKING IN TONGUES ABRUPTLY, SHRUGS IN DISAPPOINTMENT, TURNS ROUND AND WALKS AWAY. SELA’S MOM BEGINS TO COMPLAIN…
MOM (Soto voce): Sela! Why did you let him go just like that? It is rare that direct messages like this come to one. Anyway, when I get back home, I will…
SELA (Cuts in): Forget it, mom. Didn’t you see his face? I can bet he didn’t get any messages from God about me. In any case, when I get home, I will pray to God myself.
MOM: But he was the one God revealed it to and so…
SELA: Mom! Forget it.
THEY WALK ON IN SILENCE…
- INT. DINING. DUSK.
SELA AND KONO ARE HAVING AN EARLY DINNER.
KONO’S PHONE RINGS AND HE PICKS AND LOOKS AT THE SCREEN.
IT IS HIS MOTHER CALLING.
HE PUTS THE PHONE ON SPEAKER…
KONO: Hello Mama.
MAMA (Filtered): Kono my son. How is your wife?
KONO: Sela is fine, mama. How are you and papa?
MAMA (Filtered): Your father is fine. Uh…my son, is your wife there with you right now?
KONO LOOKS AT SELA TO GET HER CONSENT BEFORE RESPONDING. SELA NODS…
KONO: Sela is right here, mama.
MAMA (Filtered): Good. Put the phone on speaker please. I want you both to hear this.
KONO: I have just done that, mama. I hope there is no problem?
SELA: Hello Mama!
MAMA (Filtered): Sela my daughter! I hope all is well with you?
SELA: We are very well, mama. I hope you and papa are too?
MAMA (Filtered): We are, my daughter. Listen Sela my daughter. Your mother has just come to see me. And she is very worried. She said you might listen to me, that’s why she came to me. Have you told your husband the message you got?
KONO: She has told me, mama. We will do something about it. Don’t worry about it, please. Tell Sela’s mother so too.
MAMA (Filtered): Is that a promise, Kono?
KONO: It is a promise, mama.
MAMA: Thank you, my son.
THEY SAY GOOD-BYES AND CUT THE CALL. BOTH KONO AND SELA ROLL THEIR EYES, SHAKE THEIR HEADS, AND CONTINUE EATING…
END
Well, according to the seer-pastor, we have seen that God’s messages of salvation, or whatever, cost money in today’s Pentecostal Christendom. Mind you, in the days of Christ, he fed the people that he gave his own messages. He didn’t ask them to pay.
I’ll leave it at that for now. Let’s wait and see where Mikey is taking us to, in “In God’s Name.” Remember, every story or drama or motion-picture that you see on Afro-Scope is a true account of African Culture and African people. No fabrications. In the case of dramas like this, they are based on true environment, true events or customs/traditions of Africa. Some may even be verbatim dramatization of the events. Of course, names of persons may be changed where necessary, but each story is a true African story.
That’s where I leave you for now. Let’s see what happens as Mikey’s “In God’s Name” unfolds. If you haven’t done so, please subscribe to Afro-scope.com. That way, you will be informed when episode 2 is released next week. And you will always be linked to our varieties of AfroCultural InfoTainment presentations. Thanks a million.
I did promise you Max Romeo’s song, “Stealing In The Name Of The Lord.” He says “My father’s house of worship has become a den of thieves, back in the 20th century when the stealing was still like child’s play. So, here it is, just a click away:
HERE IS THE LINK TO EPISODE 2 OF “IN GOD’S NAME”:
AFROCULTURAL DRAMAS ON RELIGIONS AND CULTURE, “IN GOD’S NAME,” 2