March 30, 2023
Afro-Scope
(Directed By Harry Agina)
STEALING IN THE NAME OF THE LORD WITH A WAR ON AFRICAN CULTURE
Greetings!
This is Afro-Scope, Beaming African Ways of Life to the world. This is episode 6 of our AfroCultural drama series, titled, “In God’s Name,” I written by our dramatist, Michael Shaibu. If you have not been following this from the start, not to worry; I have the link to episodes 1 to 5 at the end of this. Maybe you should even start with those past editions and catch up before this one.
“In God’s Name” is about African Religions, Christianity, and ignorant destruction of the African Culture by Africans themselves. And this is a huge irony, considering that it was the “white man” who demonized Africa some centuries ago. And today, the “white man” has more respect for the African Culture than the Africans do. What an irony of huge ignorance!!!
In the last episode of this series, we saw Kono’s father admonishing Kono for falling for the scam of a Pentecostal Christian “funky pastor.” And Kono’s mother agreed that Kono’s wife Sela, has better sense of discernment than Kono. As I said, it’s one win for Sela, but there’re more battles to come, from various AfroCultural and religious perspectives—religions, Traditional, and more—in the series. Let’s see what Mikey the dramatist has for us today on, “In God’s Name,” episode 6:
- INT. SITTING ROOM. NIGHT.
IT IS DARK. THE FRONT DOOR OPENS. A BLURED FLOOD OF OUTSIDE LIGHT SILHUETTES TWO FIGURES. THE SITTING ROOM LIGHT FLICKS ON. KONO AND SELA WALK IN AND SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. KONO’S FACE SHOWS HE IS STILL NOT HAPPY WITH HIS PARENTS’ POSITION…
SELA (Walking away): I am going to bed.
KONO: Just like that?
SELA: Well? What else? It is apparent you didn’t like the fact that your parents took my side on this.
KONO: Apparent? How apparent?
SELA: Well, how else? They expected you to say something. You didn’t. And on our way home, you didn’t say a word.
KONO: Well, you didn’t say a word either.
SELA: Was I expected to say something? Something like what was I to say anyway?
KONO: Look, it sounds like you are turning this into a fight. Perhaps you should go to bed like you wanted in the first place.
SELA: Fine.
SELA BEGINS TO WALK AWAY AGAIN…
KONO: Just know that walking away has never resolved any issues before. And I know it won’t now.
SELA STOPS AND PAUSES LIKE THAT FOR A WHILE. KONO WALKS TO AND SITS ON THE DOUBLE SITTER. THEN SELA TURNS AND WALKS TO SIT WITH HIM. THEY REMAIN SILENT FOR A WHILE…
SELA: I don’t know of when silence ever resolved any issues either.
KONO: I am not trying to resolve the issue with silence. I am just thinking.
SELA: Very well.
ANOTHER SHORT SILENCE ENSUES…
KONO (Heaves a sigh): Why don’t we look at it this way? Tell me what exactly you expect me to do.
SELA: What I want you to do is to try and be reasonable about it.
KONO: In what way? Can you be specific? We are talking now. That means we are both free to say whatever we need to say.
SELA (Heaves a sight): Very well. This is what I say: it is not everything a pastor says that is altruistic. Some could be selfish.
KONO: Oh come on, Sela!
SELA: I thought you said we are both free to say what we need to say?
KONO: I know. But we should be mindful of what we say about a man of God.
SELA: And who says there are no false men of God? The bible is replete with stories of false prophets. And that was at a time that proofs of God’s very direct dealings with the people were there for all to see. So…?
KONO: Very well, go ahead with your point.
SELA REMAINS THOUGHTFULLY PAUSED FOR A WHILE…
SELA (Very respectfully): Look love, all I am trying to say is this: your love for God should not be based on what the pastor dictates. Let your love for God and your appreciation be from a wholesome motive, not based on trying to impress the pastor. He claims he saw this vision about you and then went into fasting and prayers. What proof is there of it? And let’s even say he has any proof to…
SELA CONTINUES TO PRESENT HER POINT…
- INT. OFFICE. DAY.
ED IS TALKING AS HE AND KONO WALK INTO THE OFFICE. KONO GOES ROUND HIS DESK, SITS, PUTS HIS BAG ON HIS DESK, AND RELAXES TO LISTEN TO ED…
ED: …is not even what pisses me off. It is the fact that they make it seem like if you don’t make huge contributions and actually broadcast it, such contributions are not pleasing to God. Now, if you were God, assuming any supreme being called God truly exists, how would you feel about it?
KONO DOES NOT SAY ANYTHING…
ED: Well, say something.
KONO: I don’t know what to say. Actually, I know what to say. I would not feel good about it.
ED: Aha! So if you, an imperfect human like me will not-
KONO: But!
KONO CUTS ED SHORT. ED STOPS AND FROWNS IN PUZZLEMENT…
ED: But what?
KONO: Well, you were right. I am just an imperfect human. And God is perfect and supreme. So it is not possible to compare how I would feel with how God actually feels.
ED BEGINS TO SHAKE HIS HEAD FRUSTRATEDLY…
KONO: Look Ed, don’t make it look like I don’t reason. If you must know, this is very like the kind of issue Sela and I are dealing with right now.
ED: You and Sela are dealing with an issue?
KONO: Yeah. It is that same issue I mentioned to you.
ED: The ancestral curse issue?
KONO: Yes. Well, really it is only directly related to it; not it specifically.
ED: Oh, okay. So what is it that is directly related to it?
KONO: Well, the pastor said he had fasted and prayed over it and that the curse has been lifted. So the issue now is how great the thanksgiving for it should be. The pastor advised that it be very elaborate. Sela does not agree. And my parents are on her side.
ED: As am I, if I may say. Truth is…if my advice were worth anything to you, I’d say you ignore it.
KONO: Well, try to convince me as to why I should ignore it and see if I don’t consider it.
ED BURSTS INTO LAUGHTER…
KONO: Nothing is funny, man. I am serious. Try and convince me as to why I should ignore the pastor’s suggestion and see.
ED: Man, tell me something: have you ever tried to compare this imported religion with our indigenous one?
KONO: Are we talking about religion now? Is it possible to talk about religion without talking about God? And let us not forget that someone does not believe in the existence of God.
ED: Yes, I don’t. And the reason is that in both religions, I have seen that a God who is supposed to be loving cannot permit what the adherents do either directly in God’s name or with God’s permission. And I can tell you one each from both religion in just one sentence.
KONO: Namely…?
ED: Slave trade and human sacrifice. But anyway…that’s not even why I asked whether you have ever tried to compare the two religions.
KONO: So why?
ED: Well, agreed, the human sacrifice practiced in the indigenous religion is totally, totally condemnable. But it is nothing compared to the carnage that was committed in the 400 years of slave trade.
KONO: And the point…?
ED: The point is…how could the religion of those who committed such extreme act of wickedness be the one to point out to you that your innocent ancestors against whom that wickedness was committed left behind a curse to assail you, their progeny?
KONO HAS NO RESPONSE TO OFFER TO THIS…
ED: And what is even more puzzling to me and to every sane mind is this: how could you with such a brilliant mind even contemplate taking such as a fact?
STILL, KONO CANNOT SAY ANYTHING IN RESPONSE…
ED (Shrugs): Well, as far as I am concerned, I think I have given something close to a good proof. And now, I have to go to my own office. See you later.
KONO: Yeah. See you later.
ED TURNS ROUND AND WALKS OUT…
END
LINK TO EPISODE 7 OF “IN THE NAME OD GOD”:
AFROCULTURAL DRAMAS ON RELIGIONS AND CULTURE, “IN GOD’S NAME,” EPISODE 7