When there is so much confusion around me, as a black Jew I stay away from the fray. I push my chest out and take a deep refreshing breath and watch. When there was a raging storm around Jesus, he let out a secret. He infused his word with power and authority and firmly rebuked in faith. Peace, be calm was all my father said and the tsunami became perfectly still. Fearful disciples who were standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Master were torn apart in their unbelief. There is something about faith which resonates in the mind of a black Jew. As a black Jew, I wash in the cleansing and living water of faith 24/7. I eat the biscuit of faith. I drink the tea of faith. I chew on the cord of faith. I poured on the timeless gems of fathers of faith. They are the pillars over which I anchor my Christianity.

Proudly, I have made a sanctified effigy of Abraham, Elijah, Elisha, Smith Wigglesworth, Charles Spurgeon and Kenneth E. Hagin in my famous prayer closet. Faith is my armour. It is my breastplate. It is the ballistic missile I throw from Europe to the coven of witches and wizards in far away heathen wasteland of Ilogbo Ekiti. My father, Jesus, has burned into me that he recognises me only through faith and not how many degrees I hung on my wall. He cares less if I am a good man like Mallam Shehu Shagari or a nasty fallen soul like Sanni Abacha.  The imprint of his DNA on me is only visible through my faith. I likened faith to an Iroko tree-big, strong, foreboding and mysterious. If you love your life develop it. I am a black Jew, my brothers!

Have you ever wondered how the snail got into Noah’s ark? Come on think! Cheetah was the first animal to get in. We all know why. It is the fastest land animal. There is a time for speed and a time to slow down completely. Noah‘s call for a ride in his boat was timeless and he was prepared to wait. With dignity and awesome gait and shall we say, unassuming poise, the snail appeared, bearing it all with applauded perseverance.  The snail made the ark with perseverance. Marriages have been destroyed, career ruined and destiny annulled when the light of perseverance is not in full glow. A black Jew has steadiness of purpose, perseverance and mildness of temper to reach his destination without minding the cheetahs galloping ahead.  Whenever you are confronted with any awesome task, plan, pray and overwhelm it with supernatural perseverance reminding yourself of how the snail made it to the ark. Chew on this like a chewing stick, our famous ‘pako’.  I have spoken. I am a black Jew, my brothers!

Do you have a healthy relationship with your parents? Do you support them financially and meet them at the point of their needs? If you answer in the affirmative, you are budding black Jew. In the last book of the old testament, there is a timeless truth which could save you from bad cosmology.

Malachi, which means my messenger, said in a quiet, stern but truthful voice that a son honours his father. God reacts with awesome favour to any kind child who honours his or her parents. A black Jew knows that when you celebrate your parents it always go well with you. Why? The Holy Spirit deliberately selects your mother’s womb for you. That is where God has laid the foundation of your life’s anchor. Honour the womb that held and fed you for nine months. Bless the parents who fed you through periods of both abundance and lack. They may be poor, ugly, disabled and illiterate.  Refuse to be narrow minded and hold them in high esteem. You will be one of the few black Jews who daily make God laugh in his holy of holies. Do this and watch the unleashing of supernatural favour and blessings on you by the Almighty God. Blessing or curse, you can now choose! Another wisdom from me, I am a black Jew, my brothers!

As a Nigerian and by extension, an African we all take pride in our black heritage. I was born in Lagos at a time when Adeniran Ogunsya supplied me with milk in my primary school. I rode on my dad’s bicycle with care free abandon which was the hallmark of life in the 70’s. My earthly father hailed from Ibadan, a few kilometres from Lagos. He had aversion for his village and throughout his time here with us, he never took me there. He kept the secret to his grave! Then I read the story of the blind man of Bethsaida in Mark 8v22-25 and pondered for days for its revealing mystery. You have to pray for discernment whenever a morsel of truth is to be dropped into your spirit by the Holy Spirit. This is the way of the black Jew. Some people brought a blind man to Father Jesus for healing. His father spoke into his spirit. My beloved son, lead that man outside that village. Jesus, as usual obeyed. He restored the eyesight of the blind man. Then, a secret was here revealed for all Africans who love the serenity and idyllic ambience of the village.

Rather than send the man back to the village, Jesus, relying on his wisdom dropped a clanger. He warned the healed blind man; do not go into the village.  Jesus knows that a village represents darkness and an outpost for heathenism and idol worship. Unfortunately, our villages fascinate us, but they are still steep in the worship of trees, rivers and streams. And there is this maverick envy from villagers toward the city dwellers. Sometimes, city dwellers could be silly fools. A Christian has no right to be foolish. It is the reason why the Bible has the capacity to make the simple wise. Promising lives have ended prematurely and career ruined when people failed to heed my father’s warning that city dwellers should not go to the village.

Stories are told of smart city movers and shakers who left London to go and build houses in their villages but who are no longer around to live in it. Stories also abound of some who returned from villages not with garlands but with mysterious and fatal illnesses without a name and cure. Some have gone down to paint their village red with city money only to be found later on Lagos-Ibadan expressway in the red pool of their blood.

A black Jew shields himself from the dangers of the village by fleeing from it. My earthly father was right in his decision not to take me home. My heavenly father, Jesus, was doubly prophetic in his wisdom which we scarcely heed.  A Bethsaida Quest, that is, the longing to go to the village, may appeal to our undeveloped flesh, but remember that African villages are littered with codes of death which we hardly ever know how to decode.  I have entrusted you with time honoured wisdom, guard it with your life. I honour my words. I am a black Jew, my brothers.

Tijani, a social and Afrocentric scholar, lives in London.

Robot  Villager

# 1 When there is so much confusion around me, as a black Jew I stay away from the fray. I push my c...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 12.04.2008 13:04

truthsayer33  Villager

# 2 What is this? A magical mystery tour? You forget that we are in a village and you warn us against village life. What is this dread that you and your father have? I think you should go to your village and start asking questions. Posted by truthsayer33| 12.04.2008 13:36

Olamide  Villager

# 3 My friend, stop discouraging people from visiting their villages. Remember that at least 95 percent of Nigerians, except those who have lost touch with their roots, have links to their villages and most have succeeded in life and in different endeavours. If your village is full of witches, wizards and those mysterious aliens you spoke about, it is nice of you to share them with us but do not try to spread panic. We shall not consult you if you are looking for that opportunity to be consulted on how to tackle the 'witches and wizards' in our respective villages. We don't have them. Illiteracy, coupled with grinding poverty is responsible for those 'envious' looks you see when you go to the village. It is very difficult for someone who has lived from hand to mouth all his sixty years to comprehend the idea of a 28 year old 'boy' (to a 60 year old man or woman, a 28 year old man is a boy) having a nice car. Do not blame the old guy but blame visionless leadership that has made most Nigerians poverty ridden in the midst of billions. It is people like you who will never tell people the cause of their problems directly but start attributing everything to witches and wizards just so that yu can fleece them of the small money they have. I am sure your solution to the problem of a graduate who cannot write a good application letter will be to come for deliverance from the 'Ogbanjes' Mammy Waters', 'Daddy Waters' and the 'principalities' instead of telling the concerned fellow to go and sharpen his writing skills to convince prospective employers that he will add value to their organizations if employed. Write on something else. Posted by Olamide| 13.04.2008 07:11

Austin  Villager

# 4 Okay Taju wins again. You got me flat out. Deepthought, sorry, I take back my words, Khalil, thanks for you show of support This writer still seems a bit confused though, And he wants to take some of with him to that land Of Confusion. Maybe! maybe not! As for me, I am headed back to my village Adios Posted by Austin| 13.04.2008 15:54

Big_watcher  JJC

# 5 This author's self view is abit of an oxy*****; he calls himself a black jew (what ever that means) and then goes on to describe jesus as his father. If you or anybody else cannot see the sad contradiction then you are really hopeless. Posted by Big_watcher| 13.04.2008 15:55

10Kobo  Villager

# 6 No Place like Home. The Bible said "Touch not my annointed and do my prophet no-harm". Uncle Tj, as long as the anointing of the father is all over you, let the Villagers try you, dem go chop grass like Nebuchadnezzar, for ten years! HE shall turn their wisdom into foolishness, ask Ahitopel (in the Bible) if you doubt me. But dont forget the caveat o: the anointing must be flowing :D otherwise, you're meat. :D:D:D Cheers, witches koo, wizard nii. Posted by 10Kobo| 14.04.2008 06:47

Airblaze  Villager

# 7 the author seems to be lost ! how can you be a black jew ? how can you even possibly be a Jew ? is it because of aceptance ? when would we have pride in ourselves as Africans ? it is for a similar reason that Michael Wacko lost his originality.. we need to wake up from our slumber. Posted by Airblaze| 14.04.2008 11:06

Austin  Villager

# 8 Taju has just written an article, nay two articles that is technically difficult to decode. This could either be because the author is confused; over-playing his hands; does not fully understand what he is doing; or simply out for mischief. Whatever that has got to do with annointing is better left for the religiously zealous to explain. Sorry, I forgot, everything must have a spiritual meaning, mustn't they. And he shall surely turn their wisdom into folly, shan't he? Abeg, 2nd base jare! Posted by Austin| 15.04.2008 15:51