No Babylon #UnityOfPurpose #iDoGOD

by Kazeem Olalekan

Are we going to create a new church? – Wale Olorunshola

The question above was not what I expected. It threw me off balance. All I could say in response was: ‘Is there not enough churches out there?‘ The above is the excerpt of my conversation with Wale, who I mentioned in the ‘doctrine of universal truths’ soon after my seminal moment. Whilst I couldn’t express what was happening to me to many of my other friends for fear of being labelled mad and condemned to the asylum; I felt Wale would understand. This assumption was based on the nature of our previous relationship in Nigeria. Here was someone I was asking to join me in the UK and all he could ask was ‘Are we going to create a new church?‘ He was probably joking but the question struck a chord. In any case, he didn’t join me and we are still great friends. Read the book to find out more.

Why do we have so many churches?

I think the reason we have so many churches is because there is a church in all of us. There is as many churches as there are people because the barrier to the relationship with God has been removed by Jesus’s supreme sacrifice at Calvary.

50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised;…

– Matthew 27:51

It is therefore relevant that in this Holy Week, we remember the significance of what has been done for us. So what is our purpose? If we seek God and the glory that flows from that, why do we create structures that is exclusive not inclusive? Why do we preach, when it is more effective to listen? Why do we speak in different tongues when we should be focusing solely on Christ’s message?

No babylon

As you might have guessed, I am no Biblical scholar but instincts tells me the messages imbued in this collection of these books is true. It is true to my own lived experience. As an example, the Twitter handle for this universal-truths webpage is nobabylon. It was not by my design but on reflection, it makes perfect sense. When I had my seminal moment, I was sure I was going to be messier of my profession: Pharmacy. Then I had this premonition that ‘nothing was going to be impossible if I was willing’. So I started the bookapharmacist project with a motto of ‘nil volentibus arduum’. Kat, who was helping me out with my blogs and other projects, came to me one day with a blog idea relating to the Tower of Bable. It was enlightening to me and made perfect sense in relation to what we were trying to achieve for the profession. We posted ‘Complacency did not build the Tower of Babylon‘ in February 2010. Then I had this flash idea that I will create a Twitter account where all pharmacists will come together and speak with one voice. It will be ‘nobabylon’. Well, it never happened. I guess I am not an effective communicator after all! The book: ‘doctrine of universal truths’ came later and ‘nobabylon’ was the perfect Twitter handle for it. So, as you can see, the Twitter handle is not wasted. I am happy to announce that #iDoGOD contrary to more recent representation.

It refreshing therefore for Cardinal Vincent Nicholls and Archbishop Justin Welby to come together for the first time with an exclusive interview on the BBC Sunday program to launch a joint initiative called ‘Listen to God, hear the poor’.

If we are going to do two things as we remember what Jesus did, then it should be this: We need to stay true to His teaching and include everyone that is willing.

Oh….and Wale: We are NOT  going to create a new church. There is plenty of that around already!

I hope you have a great Easter.

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