So, yesterday, on my regularly patronised local airline, Ibom Air, something strange happened as we taxied at 3.20pm (and as we landed 50 minutes later) on a flight for Abuja.
A Christian lady decided to pray, loudly, for all of us to have a safe trip to Abuja. I was surprised. Of course, I profess Christianity. I believe in the Gospel as contained in The Bible. I only disagree with a lot of canonical and doctrinal issues within the faith, and these issues cut across practically all denominations.
Why was I surprised that a supposed Christian lady had an unsolicited prayer session aboard a flight? I thought praying in that circumstance is supposed to be a personal, silent matter, and I had said my prayers without those sitting beside me knowing, though I was sandwiched by two people, a male to my right and a female to my left. They both professed their inherent biological genders (just before anyone asks me how did I know).
Anyway, I considered it improper for someone to offer prayer so loudly in such instance, though a number of people responded. Indeed, not even a clergy has such right.
I once travelled on a flight for Abuja from Accra, and my uncle, Cardinal John Onaiyekan was on board, he never said a loud prayer. I also travelled on the same flight with General Gowon (facilitator of ‘Nigeria Prays’), he never prayed loudly to all passengers on board. Bishops Hassan Kukah and David Abioye (Winners) never did when I travelled on the same flight with them too. I have also travelled on the same flight with the Provincial Pastor in the denomination I used to worship, he did not say his prayer loudly and to other passengers in fellowship.
Prayers and meditations are supposed to be private and intrapersonal on a flight. For instance, on board that Ibom Air flight are Muslims, and possibly Animists, Agnostics, Atheists and adherents of African Traditional Religion (ATR), all of whose sensibilities were offended by my Christian sister, who violated the rights of others to ‘practice’ a faith or propitiate God in any manner of their choices as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution.
Forget what the ruling elites do, Nigeria is supposedly a secular state. The reason I feel it is improper for Government to establish and fund the Christian Pilgrims Commission and the National Hajj Commission. After all, adherents of other faiths also undertake pilgrimages, which Commision will organise their journeys? I mean, the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs are competent and able to organise pilgrimages for Christians and Muslims.
I remember in those days when it was so pleasurable to travel by road, because we had good and secured roads. There was this phenomenon of itinerant evangelists who visited motorparks to preach and pray for passengers before they set out on journeys. Usually, when they finished their exhortations and prayers, they proceed to ask for voluntary support to their evangelistic vocations. Then people often make monetary contributions to them. I don’t know if that trade is still in practice. But despite those prayers, people still experience vehicular accidents, minor and fatal, because accidents are functions of many factors. Indeed, we may never find answers to so many human encounters but I know that a driver in a drunken state is unlikely to be covered by the Blood of Jesus – the Blood is meant for better things and those truly deserving of Its powers, except, of course, God decides to dispense mercy.
In other words, what happened on that Ibom flight yesterday was improper, and I engaged the lead crew member as I disembarked. A beautiful, courteous and cheerful lady, who’s namesake of my paternal grandmother. Fortunately no one was coming closely behind me. So, I asked the lady: “Are such actions as we witnessed before take off and landing permissible on your airline?” She retorted with precision and speed: “No, we were surprised too.” Promptly, I told her: “Then, when next it happens, stop it! Do you understand me? Stop it! When next you make announcements, tell passengers prayers should be said intrapersonally, however anyone is moved by the spirit. God hears our prayers, however we say them.” Then, my aviator interlocutor responded: “Thank you so much sir”. To which I responded: “Cheers”.
I mean, at the risk of self-glorification, I am reasonably travelled, possibly been to all the continents, and I have been on at least 10 different international airlines, but no one ever said a loud prayer as if it was solicited. By my reckoning, the only airline that is noted for this practice is Qatar Airways (one of my favourites), and the prayer is usually for about 10 seconds and it is done in Arabic by the pilot. That’s a culture for which Qatar is noted. I never found it offensive even as a Christian, especially because it comes from the pilot.
I hope as we look forward to building a more cohesive society, we are also mindful of our multiculturalism and importantly, the need to uphold the right of others.
Have a great weekend dear friends.
