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Faith cannot survive in isolation – Fu’daddy.
Does having a community make worship easy? If so, how have people been surviving in this lockdown where gatherings have been restricted?
6 people share their stories with us.
Taiwo – I pray all my solats at night.
Before now, I used to be proud of the fact that I didn’t miss my daily prayers and that I also prayed at the right time. Having a mosque at work helped with this. So, it was easy for my colleagues and I to stroll for prayers.
However, since I started working from home, that has changed. It’s difficult to pray or even work. So, I end up combining all my prayers late at night after internally gassing myself. I know this is not good but I just can’t shake off the lethargy.
I guess all that uncertainty is making me apathetic. I just hope that on the day of judgment God forgives depression as a reason for missing prayers.
Kene – I have to perform belief.
It’s not like I don’t believe in God but I would rather watch Castlevania than wake up for night vigil. It’s just more interesting. Since I got home, my parents have been waking me up in the middle of the night to pray against Corona. Apparently, as the first child, I have to learn how to start praying for my family. It’s somehow. It feels fake because I am just performing the motions.
Kachi – It’s weird.
I don’t think anything has changed for me. I still tune in for mass during the week and over the weekend. I miss the smell of the church with the incense and all of that. Sometimes, I don’t get that buzzing feeling when I am done with online mass.
I haven’t gone for confession in a while and I feel uncomfortable. I also can’t confess over the phone because it breaks the secrecy chain as there is a third party; network provider. It’s all so weird. So so weird and uncomfortable.
Tope – It’s eye opening.
I realized that without the routine that church provides, my parents aren’t religious like that. Away from the judgmental eyes of church members, my parents are like me. It’s all a performance. We don’t even stream service or anything. All of us just press our phones and mind our business.
I am sure our bibles are wondering if we died.
Remi – I can’t stop praying.
Every night, I wait up refreshing NCDC’s Twitter account. The wait makes me very restless because I don’t know what to expect. Especially with all the news that Nigeria is not prepared to handle this situation. So, what do I do? I control the only thing I can control which is prayer. Any small thing, I find myself praying these days.
The other day, I went to the market to restock my provisions and I kept on saying the “blood of Jesus” whenever someone came too close. Even with my nose mask and hand sanitizers, there’s no way I don’t see myself not getting this thing. It’s actually only God that can save us in Nigeria.
So, I had better start calling him, maybe he will spare me.
Habeeb – I am anxious.
Ramadan is coming and I am worried. The beauty of Ramadan for me has been the communal feeling among Muslims. Everyone is usually so supportive and nice. With that absence, this Ramadan will be difficult. If I don’t see people around me fasting and praying, I am worried I may not be able to complete it. My iman has been low for a while.
For the first time since I was 7, I am scared I will not complete the 30 days fast.
