The Folly Of Sunday Worshippers

I love God. Who wouldn’t? In this age of security scares as well as sudden deaths. I know some don’t. Age is not a barrier. My good friend, who was once a diehard believer, has caught a new bug. He is now a devout Atheist. He should be in his late sixties now and proudly debunks any argument that ascribes power and all majesty to an invisible God who, in his argument, watches humanity rot in evil and wickedness.

His arguments don’t sit well with me, but that is his choice, as all attempts to bring him back to his Christian roots have hit brick walls. Instead of returning, he boldly made attempts to conscript me into his newfound belief by willingly giving me a book to expound my understanding of his new belief; an offer I politely turned down for my soul’s sanity.

I also know of a 27-year-old lady who rebuffs any attempt to drag her into a discussion about God at the centre. At 27, she blames God for life’s minor drawbacks. You begin to wonder what offence God committed in the life of a 27-year-old lady. What really is her grouse with God, whose mercies have kept her, preserved her and surrounded her with good health?

Such people don’t think they owe God any form of worship. But for me, I owe God all the gratitude and appreciation for all He has done for me, in life, career, my family and for sustaining me with good and sound health. As an expression of my appreciation, I hit the road every Sunday morning, despite my unrighteousness, to join others in worship of the God of all flesh. Because the Holy book tells us to keep the sabbath holy, I hit the road expecting piteous traffic conduct by drivers heading to Church.

Sadly, most people who also hit the road on Sundays forget the Biblical injunction to believers to obey all authorities as contained in Romans 13-1-2 which states, ” Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. ”

So, how do we flout every traffic rule, such as traffic lights, which has been treated several times on this page in the name of rushing to Church to worship a God who says He is not mocked, as contained in Galatians 6:7, which says that God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

What would it really cost you to spare a second to obey the traffic light installed by the government to ensure safety and sanity? What example do we really project when we profess our faith but exhibit disdain for rules put by the government to promote a safe driving culture, preserve lives and avert rising cases of avoidable road traffic crashes?

The traffic light violation is just one of numerous infractions committed daily by believers rushing to Church. I know of a popular church around Jahi in Abuja where, daily, including Sunday, believers, including well-placed individuals and workers, as well as an elder troop, drive against traffic instead of sparing a few seconds doing what is right before man and before God.

The irony is that they do it with such audacity, disregarding their own lives, the lives of others, and their safety, as aptly captured in Ecclesiastes, which warns against the dangers of extremes and advises people to avoid self-righteousness and foolish wickedness. For emphasis, it says, ‘’Be not righteous overmuch; neither make thyself wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? Be not overmuch wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

I can go on and on, listing all the mannerisms displayed. I recall a case in my church in 2024 when I travelled on vacation. My colleague called to seek my intervention regarding a traffic infraction committed by a young man in church who was assigned to bring a guest Minister of God. Instead of following the normal route, he drove against traffic and was arrested by the Federal Road Safety patrol team and ticketed for a route violation, with the threat of impounding the vehicle in the absence of his driver’s license. Mind you, the Guest Minister was cited in the vehicle and didn’t scold him.

Offences such as overloading and distracted driving are not left out. Arrest the vehicle, and all manner of utterances would be uttered describing the team as devilish without first questioning the rationale for not obeying rules as God has instructed us to. I have a friend who drives to church with more than seven people in a vehicle meant to carry five under the guise of going for service. In most cases, children under twelve are strapped in the vehicle without the use of car restraints, which adults fail to comply with.

Distracted driving is no exception, whether on the way to church or back from Church. The story painted is no different on Fridays when my Muslim brothers go for prayers, which begs the question on how deep our religious faith truly is, one that is mere cosmetic or deep-rooted. I leave that for God Almighty to judge.

I don’t know if you read my piece, The Highway Worshippers. As I draw the curtain, let me remind you of what I said in that piece -the truth is that our highways have become strange places of worship. Before the engine starts, there is a prayer. Before the horn blares, there is an ‘’Amen’’. Before the overloaded bus sways onto the expressway, there is an ‘’Insha Allah’ ’Yet minutes later, the same driver overtakes on a blind bend, ignores traffic signs, and turns the road into a battlefield.

What an interesting contradiction. The Christian driver, like the one I saw on Saturday or those we see most Sunday mornings on their way to Church, boldly pastes’ God Is Able’, ’Covered by the Blood’’ or ‘’No Weapon Formed Against Me’’ across the windscreen, then drives as though he is determined to test every promise of divine protection.

The Muslim driver recites Bismillah, hangs a prayer bead from the mirror, and confidently declares that only Allah decides the hour of death, while speeding through crowded streets with reckless abandon. Both invoke the Almighty, yet both sometimes behave as though human responsibility has been cancelled by divine mercy.