on faith.

faith alive, as the name implies, is a faith based organization. it is funded by christian organizations (outside of PEPfAR funding, but if you are like me, you might even consider PEPfAR a christian grant). as some of you may know, i am not christian. in fact, i am buddhist. which is fine. i grew up in a christian world my entire life, and i know what i believe. when i decided to work at faith alive, it was not due to its religious component, it was because of the actual work they are doing. outside of "the students" (as we were constantly referred to), the other americans here are missionaries. although we are here for different reasons, there is good work to be done. this entry is written through the eyes of someone who is not christian or muslim (the two very dominant religions present in jos and nigeria).


today is sunday. an important day in jos. in fact, i have read that jos means "jesus, our savior." it is primarily a christian city. although statistics have reported that nigeria is 50% muslim (mainly the northern areas), 40% christian (southern areas), and 10% indigenous beliefs. a typical sunday morning includes much more singing than usual, and NEPA (the power company) is on the entire morning. this is due to the fact that people need to go to church, which requires a lot of power, as i will get into later.

usually i will hear the preacher in the morning, who is really just the town nuissance with a giant megaphone who preaches late in the night or early in the morning, depending on the type of person you are. usually, you cannot make out anything he shouts into his megaphone, except a few words. jesus!, praise the lord!, christ! even the devout christians despise his wake up calls. it's so LOUD and one time, i swear it sounded as if he had satan inside of him, like linda blair sans split pea soup dripping from the mouth. he is usually at this for hours on end, until most people are up and ready for church, work, or starting a ban on public street preaching. when i first arrived in jos, he did this nearly everyday. i suppose he had a stern talking to since then, because i usually only notice him on sundays or saturdays, which i do not mind as much.

everyone sings. EVERYONE. and i've come to realize that very few nigerians (or at least the ones that live around me) have a good voice. bible songs and hymns are frequently heard in the streets of jos, whether it's in a church or outside by the laundry line, music is everywhere. it makes the city come to life, and to be quite honest, it is a bit unnerving when the city is silent.

religion is VERY important in jos, unlike in most areas in the states. it's a part of everyday life. it's so easy for me to go through a typical day in the states without having to hear preaching (in fact i don't think i've ever experienced preaching to the extent that i have in nigeria). here is how a typical conversation goes for me:

nigerian: did you read the bible this morning?
me: no.
nigerian: why not?
me: because..
nigerian: are you not a christian?
me: no.
nigerian: you are a muslim?
me: no.
nigerian: you are a pagan?
me: no. i am buddhist.
nigerian: ohhh.. how do you worship? do you believe in god?
how do you pray? what is it like to be pagan?
me: i am not pagan.
nigerian: oh yes, right. what is it again?

as you can tell, this is the type of mentality i am up against. but despite all this, i am not judged horribly for not being christian (something i have grown used to, especially living in apple valley throughout my high school years). people just don't understand. they think all americans or white people are christian. and when i first arrived, i got an overwhelming amount of "praise the lord!" and "hallelujah!" thrown at me at the end of each sentence of each conversation. i suppose it began to leak that "the students" (although some of us are christian) are not missionaries, and do not care for constant references to jesus. as my time in jos ends, a lot of the religious talk has also ceased (at least to me), and i find myself having normal conversations with people.

it is certainly interesting to go to church here. i have been to a few churches, and they have all been very different from each other. most baptist services last for HOURS. there is much sitting and standing, sitting and standing. no matter how big the church is, there is always a microphone and a band with a LOUD sound system. despite the fact that you can hear the pastor perfectly well without the mic, they will immediately turn on the generator if NEPA happens to fail during a church service. and when they pray, it can go on for a while, as well. one time, i found myself praying for nearly 25 minutes, and i am pretty sure i fell asleep somewhere in between.

i have been to tiny churches composed of about 25 people and consist of one room buildings with white patio chairs and metal slabs used for roofing. i have been to giant churches with several floors and sunroofs. i have been to churches in tiny villages, which are just mud huts, but with 80 people crammed into them. i have been to services in english, hausa, and yoruba. i haven't been to any catholic services, but supposedly, they are shorter.

since i work for a christian organization, most of my exposure to religion is through christianity, of course. however, i have met a few muslims (including some who work for faith alive), and i have ventured through the muslim part of town. athough jos is relatively stable as far as religious battles are concerned, there is still a hint of animosity i have noticed. i have heard both sides bad mouth the other in a subtle sense, especially in reference to politicians. the president is christian and the vice president is muslim. i do not know much about muslims, but i would love to learn more, possibly on my next visit. here is a picture of the mosque, which is visible from my flat. it's beautiful!

to anyone wishing to come to nigeria, be aware that religion is very important and a part of life in this country (especially women who visit the northern states where sharia law is in place - this means cover up and observe the roles between men and women, but it also means for everyone, no drinking, theft, etc., or strict punishments will ensue). it's everywhere. in music, television, billboards, schools, the marketplaces, in everyday conversation.. everywhere. i am pretty sure they do not know the meaning of the word secular.

but the people, regardless of religion, are very gracious here. and only one person has tried to convert me, but it's ok because he is a very nice person.