Oladipupo Oni (left) and Simon AtebaDipo put on his best ancestral cap and coolest Yoruba outfit and I wore my lovely sweater. It was a bright but chilly Sunday here in the United States, and we were dressing up for God.
It was going to be our first time in the community church in our neighborhood here. We were mentally, spiritually and physically set for Jesus Christ and prayers, hoping to return with some blessings.
Dipo took us through one shortcut, under trees and streams, and we emerged in front of a beautiful church.
The man at the entrance apologised before searching our bag for bombs or guns. Inside the church auditorium, we were the youngest.
It was just a small church, the size of a living room for a middle class family, but it was half empty. We were shocked, young people were nowhere near our church and it was still empty.
The service was great and yesterday, we received a card they sent to us via postal service, thanking us for attending. And that kindness and lovely preaching and angelic choir are what will take us back there next Sunday, not the missing crowd.
You know, I have lived long enough, and got white hair by the way, to know that whether here in Washington Dc where I am writing this, or over, wherever you’re reading it, the truth remains that in life, it’s not where you are that is more important, but how the people where you are make you feel and accept you.
SIMON ATEBA is the publisher of SIMONATEBA.COM AND THENIGERIANNEWS.COM. He operates from Washington DC