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0Today’s featured post by Taiwo Asiwaju is bound to challenge the way you use God in your everyday speech. Don’t forget to share the post and drop your comments. If you’ll like to feature your post, send a mail to analyticalmusings@gmail.com Happy reading.
I recently decided to stop including “God” in statements when I’m really not referring to the person of the Creator. “God” comes in when what we aim to express in question is a subject that is beyond our control, or as a filler at points of vocabulary paucity. This mental lexicon is characteristic of the vast majority of Lagosians, and I daresay Africans, because the acceptance of the existence of a God spans across practically every culture.
A good example – one Sunday afternoon, making my way out of an eatery, I ran into an acquaintance. Without my asking, she spilled out to me that she had just left an ATM where after punching in the wrong PIN thrice, her card was seized. This is in keeping with CBN regulations – we all know this- she inclusive. But in the way of women, she was still anxious. I smiled in solace and she sighed saying “Well, it’s in God’s hands.” Really? But how? Just like that? I lost all sympathy for her immediately. Go and retrieve the card from God’s hands, why don’t you.
Yet another – a Monday morning, walking along my campus corridors, I came across two ladies chattering excitedly. As they advanced I was able to hear what was being said by one of them “That topic always comes out in exam oh! And you know nobody likes reading it? That’s how God works!” I marked her face. That’s how God works? The omnipotent has a preference for which topics you are examined on? So, perhaps he has topics he’d rather mortals didn’t bother learning?
With all freedom of conscience, I make a narrow guess what range of figures the IQ of such individuals falls into.
Though these cases might seem harmless and I might have come across as a cynical observer of society, let me give a more spectacular example of how this lingo has revealed a crack in our mentality as a people. Two years ago when the then-Minister of Aviation Stella Oduah, on remarking on the fatal aeroplane crash that claimed numerous innocent lives infamously said it was an “act of God”. Act Of God!
Why would God act this way? Does the awareness of the sovereignty of a God clearly not reveal a lack of sense of responsibility? Surely she started by using “God” as a punctuation mark in sentences of more mundane things. She was probably one of those students who when asked how their exam was,would reply off their spine ” We thank God oh!”
This is not a theological discussion. I myself believe in God and his involvement in the affairs of men. Heck, I am thankful to Him too when I’m through with an exam or challenging situation. What I propose is that we be more deliberate in the way we include “God” in our sentences. Try doing without that ‘punctuation mark’ for a week – you might find yourself being more mental about your choice of words, and your logic of conversation more lucid. You might even develop a healthy respect for the person of God along the way, as the good book even teaches not to mention His name in vain.
Lastly, if nothing else, when speaking in public (not in religious circles) you would not give yourself away as a shallow thinker,speaker and average Nigerian, and not irritate the ears of those who aren’t so easily disposed to such concepts. In the board rooms “God” is not reckoned with.
“God” is not a punctuation mark.
Taiwo Asiwaju is a self-styled social critic on a quest to minimize mediocrity in his immediate environment.
A veritable ambivert and natural leader, he is a firm believer in excellence. He currently studies at College of Medicine, University of Lagos.
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A veritable ambivert and natural leader, he is a firm believer in excellence. He currently studies at College of Medicine, University of Lagos.
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Missy Tee's
November 28, 2014 — 4:52 pm
That’s my Taiwo. I agree, I must confess I’ve spoken like the second lady oh and the first one too at some point in my life. We keep learning daily. This is a nudging post- Thanks Tee.
Ty Ash
November 29, 2014 — 10:37 am
Thanks Tewa. You rock
Oladayo Olakulehin
November 28, 2014 — 4:57 pm
Very interesting read! & valid points raised. Maybe it is more of a culture issue than an intelligence one. I’m also sure the ladies won’t mind that [coincidentally & I bet unintentionally] the examples used have been their gender. But that’s unimportant.. We get the author’s point 😁
Ty Ash
November 29, 2014 — 10:38 am
Thanks sah! Following your footsteps ! #Mashters
Ty Ash
November 29, 2014 — 10:35 am
Wow, even I hadn’t noticed that all examples used are by females! Haha. I think it’s worthy of note, females being more sentimental in their logic.
It was just brought to my notice that “act of God” is actually a term in the dictionary. Though that does not contradict its use in this article because the subject actually was not,by definition, an act of God. Nonetheless I stand corrected. S/O to my brainy readers!
IROKO
December 28, 2014 — 11:38 pm
A thoughts provoking piece set down with a lot of thoughtful deliberation…dare I ask if this is a skill from man or an “act of God”?
IROKO
December 28, 2014 — 11:39 pm
A thoughts provoking piece set down with a lot of thoughtful deliberation…dare I ask if this is a skill from man or an “act of God”?