Yesterday, in far away Russia, in the ongoing 2018 World Cup, Nigeria defeated Iceland. Ekong (Ibibio) passed the ball to Balogun (Yoruba) who found Mikel Obi (Igbo) who laid the pass to Moses (Christian) who sent the vital cross that Ahmed Musa(Muslim) scored for Nigeria.
For a moment, I looked around as Nigerians who barely knew each other jubilated and celebrated our victory. Almost every person, complete strangers to every other person, was hugging their neigbhours, patting backs and clinking glasses,just like long lost friends.
I waited to hear somebody say Moses' pass was unacceptable, because it was from a Christian, an "infidel", or Musa's goal was from a Muslim, "son of the bond woman, the Ismail generation."
I did not even see any person query Moses' State of origin, or whether Musa was the son of Fulani herdsman from Sokoto or Kano.
I did not hear from anyone asking whether Balogun worships the god of Shango, thunder, fire, water or 'ekpo ntokeyen'.
We celebrated and rejoiced. Nobody remembered those things we use to divide ourselves as Nigerians.
For a moment, I asked myself, is this not how we should always see ourselves?
Do we realise that God made us Jews and Gentiles, Christians and Muslims, with different faces, colours, height, shapes, sizes, creed and belief for a purpose?
I ask,when we discriminate and segregate on the basis of either religion or where God has taken us in life, are we living by the word of God to love ALL, and hate NONE. Let us be the change we want to see in others. The enemy we are looking for may be right inside us. Just thinking!
