Does Culture in anyway have an effect on our Christian believe?
I can remember growing up, my mum usually frowns at us each time we go out to watch the masquerade (ekpe atu) displayed during festive periods, not just my mum even in the Children's Church, usually the people that went to watch the ekpe are asked to come out, they're flogged and then followed up with a deliverance prayer. One would think that these children committed an unspeakable sin, or even joined a secret cult.
It is a celebration of people's journey, their story both success and failure stories, their victory and lost. Culture defines a group, it gives them identity.
However, we continue letting religion to confuse us and what we stand for.
Late last year and early this year, some age grades (a group of people born within a span of three years) in my Community celebrated their pre traditional retirement (Idotu mmya agba), this basically means bringing wine to the village square to announce that the age grade is ready to take over traditional leadership in the community, at the agba they are supposed to sit there till the proper ceremony starts and will be ushered in by their would be predecessors, but some members of the the age grades refused to sit there as it is against their Christan faith (and oh, the ekpe itself also joined and danced to Christian music), but they still joined the train when the main event started.
Now this brings me to the question if Culture is in Conflict with Christianity?
If they felt sitting at the agba is a form of ritual, shouldn't they have just stayed home and not join at all? What do we call that poor excuse of a mediocre?
Written By
Idika Chidinma