Teacher: Hmm, everybody has different standards. I treat it the way Paul said to treat food offered to idols. So if someone gave your child Easter eggs, you won’t receive them?

Pastor: Yes, but I will also explain why.

“You know what, I’m sorry about the digression. Let’s forget about candy and return to African women issues. May we check our bibles? Let’s read why Eve and Adam actually transgressed.”

Teacher: Good idea.

Opening our bibles to Genesis 3: 1-6, we identified the three reasons Moses proclaimed by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; Eve saw that the tree was good for food, pleasant to the eyes and desired to make one wise (vs. 6)

Pastor: See, those three reasons are the same ones why women are deceived today. (He closed his bible).

Teacher: Not really. The reasons for the fall may not be the same reasons after the fall. Let’s also not forget that we are in the dispensation of grace and Jesus has already paid for the salvation of the world. Women maybe deceived because they are not satisfied with their societal values.

“The real reason is because spiritual leaders do not teach women the truth.” Looking at the pastor, I declared  “If I were a member of your church and I had to listen to your views on me being a “sub-human”, I would definitely not trust God with my whole heart.

Pastor: That’s the truth of God’s word. He made Adam first for a reason. Women are too problematic. All the problems I’ve had in ministry were started or promoted by women.

Teacher: There are two kinds of wisdom, and that does not sound like the wisdom from above.

“So you’re making your experience the norm. I’m not surprised you’ve had troubles with women, when you put them down, you’re bound to meet resistance.”

Teacher: You can’t just put all the blame on women. It takes two to tango. I’m sure you’ve had some satanic male members as well. Every minister goes through persecution. Jesus warned us of what to expect. I’ve had my share of false brethren, immature brethren, carnal brethren, but they came in male and female bodies.

“Let’s move on, why did Adam transgress?”

Pastor: Because Eve gave him the fruit.

Teacher: Because he listened to Eve.

“I don’t think we really know. There seems to be another reason hidden behind his hearkening to his wife’s voice.”

Pastor: I have taught my men not to listen to their wives otherwise they’ll end up like Adam…. just joking, ha! Ha!

Teacher: Derbrah, you’ve got me hooked. I’m going to do another study on the fall of man.

“Hello…” a man greeted my teacher friend. Introductions were made and I commented that his face looked familiar.

Teacher: He’s a human activist. He’s very passionate on elimination of traditional practices that are harmful to women.

“That’s it. I’ve watched a video on women’s issues that included an interview with him. He impressed me. It’s normal to see many women speaking up for women’s rights but when men do it, it’s just wonderful.”

Teacher: He’s very good. He denounces stigmatisation of widows, poor education of girls, polygamy, early girl child marriage, unfair treatment and other things.

Pastor: Derbrah, did you say your friend Emma was from East Africa ?

I nodded my head in affirmation.

Pastor: She’s from the area of Africa where they physically cut women.

Teacher: It is also done in Nigeria , we just call it circumcision so it doesn’t appear to be as bad.

“That’s true,” I replied, “circumcision is not a good term to describe what actually happens. It’s really mutilation and that’s another way the African female human is oppressed.”

Teacher: It only happens in northern Nigeria right?

“That’s wrong information.” I replied. “It happens all over Nigeria . Some places more than others.”

Pastor: Derbrah, Yorubas don’t do that o, no we don’t!

“We don’t usually practice type III but we practice type I and II.”

Teacher: How many types are there?

“Four.” I replied.” And do you know that it is only in Nigeria that a pregnant woman is made to undergo the procedure? I noticed that they both flinched.

Pastor: You mean Yorubas do that thing? No, I don’t believe it. What I’ve heard is a little excision, which is not even painful. No o, haba. Ours is not that cruel. What happens to those people is very bad.

“Why are they those people? They are your people as well.”

Pastor: Yes, but you know what I mean.

“I don’t know where you heard that it was not painful.” I began. “Try cutting off the tip of your toe and measure the pain.”

Pastor: I cannot even begin to imagine. I may not be big on women’s spiritual rights, but I don’t support physical torture in any form. Subjecting women to that is barbaric.

Teacher: We’re back to where we started, African women are having it really bad.

“Which is why you should help them, not add to their misery. As you rightly mentioned, if our women are not free in the church, where can they be free?”

Pastor: Ootọ dẹ lẹ sọ (you spoke the truth). Now I’m convicted. I will start supporting the cause of women more actively.

“Start where you are. Teach your women the truth about God’s word. You don’t even believe that God made females and males equal! That itself is evil.

Pastor: How about if I do more study on the subject? Will that satisfy you?

“That’s a start.”

Teacher: How else can ministers help?

“Keep speaking for the voiceless.”  I proclaimed. “Support the weak, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, spread the message of God’s love among the lost, and affirm women that they, just like men, are the very image and likeness of God. In plain words, give females the same rights and privileges you give yourself.”

Teacher: You remind me of the Nēqēba.

Pastor: What’s that?

Teacher: It’s a group of women I met sometime ago. They called themselves Nēqēba, that’s the Hebrew word for female.

“That sounds cute. That would be abo in Yoruba.

Teacher: They’re very vocal about equal spiritual rights for males and females.

Pastor: Nēqēba, abo, female, so? Different words for the same thing.

“I like the word, thanks for sharing that. I would like to know more about them. Maybe I can join.

Teacher: I’ll check my records and send you an email.

The song playing in the background reminded me of my friend Juli. This was one of her favorite hymns; Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.

“By the way, have you heard from Juli lately?”

Teacher: No I haven’t. She hasn’t written me since Christmas.

Pastor: Juli, isn’t that the pastor lady that went to Nigeria ?

“Yes. It is.”

Pastor: You know I liked her ministry.

Teacher: I thought you didn’t believe women should preach?

Pastor: Well, there are some exceptions, women like Juli can preach. She is very seasoned. I’m not surprised she handed her church over to another woman, Tolu too is a good minister.

Teacher: Tolu ordained me into the ministry. See how God works. If there were no Juli, there would have been no Tolu, and there would have been no me. God does not discriminate.

“Women are a blessing and I thank God daily for making me a woman. Females are just unique! From the way we are framed, to the way we feel, think and speak, it’s so beautiful. There was a gift I received in 2006 that really blessed me. It was the New Testament read by women, just female voices declaring God’s word. Recently, I began to wish I could have the Yoruba bible read by women. That would just be lovely.”

Pastor: You can really dream o! Yoruba bible read by women, when we don’t even have a Yoruba bible in contemporary Yoruba yet, you’re already dreaming of a women only bible, I should call you Josefu or is it Danieli?

Teacher: Derbrah, that is a splendid idea. Don’t let him water down your dream, it can be done, let’s talk more on this, it can be done.

“You know I haven’t heard from Juli in two weeks. That’s unlike her.”

Teacher: She must be busy. She moved in September but her church is already filled to the brim. She has a lot on her plate.

“I don’t think that’s it.” I replied, “Someone sent her this video for international women’s day and from her last email, it was as if she was traumatized.

Pastor: Haba, what kind of video is that? Was that a horror movie?

“In a way you could say that.” I replied, “It was a video of a young girl being genitally mutilated.

Teacher: For real?

I nodded my head. “I watched a similar video several years ago. I screamed when I saw the act! It took me some days to get the image and the screams out of my head.”

Pastor: I don’t want to watch that kind of movie.

I looked around the restaurant and stated, “We are all eating, drinking and chatting, but beneath our physical bodies, only God knows the scars on our souls and beneath our clothes, only God knows the scars on our bodies. I wasn’t always grateful to God for making me a female, you know. I used to believe the nonsense that I was taught as a little girl about women being weak and this and that and all that deception until God revealed the truth of His word to me. Thank God He made all of us in His image and likeness. God is a Spirit and we have the awesome privilege to worship Him in spirit and in truth. I am abo created by the Almighty God in His image and likeness to give Him pleasure. If I were not a living spirit, I don’t think I would still be alive today. This is the resurrection season, I proclaim that Christ has made me a living spirit.”

Teacher: 1 Corinthians 15:45.

Pastor: Derbrah, let’s pray for women before we live.

We all held hands and prayed.

Resurrection Message:

Jesus Christ lived thirty-three and a half years on the earth about 2000 years ago. He was conceived without physical spermatozoon thereby fulfilling God’s prophecy in Genesis 3:15 as the Seed of the woman. He died for the sins of mankind on special Sabaath (Wednesday) and rose from the dead sometime between the end of the regular Sabaath (Saturday evening) and early Sunday morning after spending three days and three nights in the grave as he prophesied (Matthew 12: 39-40, 16:21, Luke 24:6). He fulfilled the justice requirement of God for the redemption of mankind (Romans 5) and makes the spirits of men alive (John 1:12). If you are reading this and you are not yet saved, I invite you to receive the love of God and believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. If you are willing, pray this prayer out loud; Heavenly Father, I agree with You that I need your salvation, I believe that You raised Jesus from the dead, I declare that Jesus is now my Lord and Savior. Thank You Father because according to Your word in Romans 10:9-10, I am now saved. Amen.

Jadesọla’s restaurant is a drama ministry of the Yoruba Christian Women (YCW), an international faith-based non-governmental, not-for-profit organization. Similarity of names and stories are coincidental. Feel free to copy for non-commercial use. Commercial use requires permission. For more information on YCW write Jesutoyin Ajikẹ-King (toyinking@yahoo.com).

Robot  Villager

# 1 ...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 23.03.2008 12:25