By
Obododimma Oha
Many
narratives about the relationship between Christianity and Igbo culture give
the wrong impression that Christianity was all disruptive in Igbo life and had
no good reception from Igbo people. Indeed, there were many areas of conflict,
with Christian converts thinking that every aspect of Igbo cultural life had to
be touched by Christianity and get transformed ("Christianized"). Some saw, and still do see, Igbo
cultural practices as “old” bottles that must not contain the new wine of
Christian life. Of course, there are areas of convergence and today, one can
see Jesus Christ, as Chuks Ofojebe thought of in his musical album, Jesus in
Africa, Jesus being indigenized in many ways, Jesus eating Eba and not dry
Asian bread, and enjoying it! Those who see Igbo cultural life as “old bottles”
got it wrong. In their over-zealousness, they cannot recognize a friendly global
Jesus, only thinking of a Semite in a long gown! They, in their over-zealousness,
could de-robe the masked spirit like Enoch in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart,
incurring the wrath of the masked spirits. But we are also confronted with a
narrative of a friendly Christianity, as seen in the regular visit of the
Christian missionary to Ezeulu in Achebe’s Arrow of God. We are told that,
though each of the men showed commitment to his religion, none was aggressive
but respected the other’s opinion a lot. At the end, each was the better for
the meeting. But can we say so for many overzealous African converts? This is
where this article comes with a punch! Given this early friendliness and mutual
respect that flourished, the planting of Christianity in the Igbo society was easy; it
was not something accomplished with the flaming sword! What more, this welcome
reception of Christianity, which is evident today, had reflections on
discourse. The Igbo inevitably appreciated that there was something good in
Christianity and lived with the religion. One evidence of this respect for
genuine Christianity is the expression, “obi ndiụka,” which is often invoked as
an appeal to disarm the irate and injured. The offended is asked by the
mediator, “Mee obi ndiụka” (Display the heart of the Christian, literally).
So, what is
meant in this invocation; what is appealed to and why? The appeal is primarily
to the spirit of compassion of forgiveness. Didn’t Jesus Christ preach it, a
difficult sermon, when he said: “Lord, forgive them for they know not what they
do” and “How many times will your brother offend you before you forgive?” I
would have have answered in agreement with tit-for-tat, saying “No forgiveness
at all!” But Jesus would like us to look at the offender with compassion, which
has to be based on a better understanding of the conflict.
Obi ndiụka
overlooks hurt and thinks of the good of the offender! That is difficult. It is
difficult if the cattle militia enter our village, burst into my hut, rape and
slaughter my pregnant wife and decapitate all my children in my presence. I
would say “To hell with obi ndiụka.” That thing that would happen tomorrow, let
it happen today. Is it not death? What am I remaining alive for? Kill me, too!
But be sure that you are headed for hell with me today!
You see how
obi ndiụka is getting into big trouble and becoming impracticable in contemporary
times. Yes, forgive us this day our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass
against us. But it is also subject to this re-structuring: “Forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who CONTINUE to trespass against us! And they do so
arrogantly!
But let me
not forget that in the ideal interpersonal conflict, the appeal to obi ndiụka
is also an appeal to authority in a way. The addressee is being asked to consider
the way an ideal Christian would have behaved or would have viewed the
situation. Christianity is the authority. So, because of ndiụka (Christians), just forgive, not because you
have not been mistreated. In that, Christianity becomes the winner, the hero!
I have already
drawn attention to how difficult it is to obey that appeal these days when the offender
CONTINUEs to offend. It is also a risky situation, for the offender that knows
about how the appeal would disarm the other could take the other’s weakness and respect for Christianity the authority for
granted. In that case, the Christian whose behaviour is predictable could wait
like a mumu he or she is constructed as for God’s deus ex machina or army of angels and not take measures
for personal safety. The offender capitalises on the weakness of the Christian
who obeys obi ndiụka and finish all mumu off.
Obi ndiụka is
a very bad Achilles heel; no wonder the contemporary Igbo have mainly discarded
it, countervailing to put the fear of God into all offenders.
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