By Odili Ogochukwu –
The rate at which divorce narrations trend at the present society calls for concern. It portrays that the relevance of the union between man (husband) and woman (wife) is gradually fading out in the presence of our deep exposure to religion – Christianity in particular.
News on divorce, presently, flies like a wide fire scourging dry grasses during the harmattan season. Hence, it is sadly seen as normal as some wedding attires last longer than the marriage that gulps millions of naira.
Critical review on the subject portends that neither our high level of spirituality nor wealth can guarantee a successful marriage as popular spiritual leaders; including marriage counselors have tested the firmness of divorce. It hits both the rich and the poor, the beauty and the ugly, the strong and the weak.
In reality, some marriages suffered uncertainties that divorce remains the last resort. The recurring question, however, is, how did our fore-fathers who have no Christian background enjoy longer marriage than the generation that commits everything into the Mighty Hands of the Almighty?
It is shocking to note that upon the magnitude of prayers and fasting, anointing services and translations, majority of marriages could not survive the heat of morning sun.
In those days, a married woman that ‘steps into the bush’ instantly gets befitting consequences of her action by ancient authorities. While in this generation, a married woman ‘steps into the pot of soup’ with all impunity without deprecations.
Consequently, the emergence of tales and directions urging husband to carry out DNA on the children from his wife to ascertain if he was their biological father. An act the former forbids, the later celebrates with all respects. Even without the knowledge of Christ, a reasonable number of people of old know their marital boundaries.
Yet, a fall out on the generation equipped with marriage seminars, counselors, courses, Body of Christ and a whole lot.
Another troubling question is, have civilization and Christianity done more harm than good? The answer is not far-fetched. Civilization is not evil as well as Christianity. But abolishing some of African cultures and traditions that help to uphold moral standard is.
One who tears his garment of grace wears the cloth of humiliation. The later destroyed the precepts of former without total compliance to the commandments of the Creator. Recall that it was forbidding for a married woman to have a common hand-shake with a man who is not her husband in those days. This restriction, quashed by the new generation, was established to prevent certain abnormalities.
Today, some husbands have ignorantly sponsored another man’s children academically while others run from pillars to posts for a parental confirmation of their supposed children by a specialist.
Secondly, in some parts of Nigeria, it is required that some rites be performed for the woman immediately after marriage before full settlement with her husband. The new generation condemns such act, describing it demonic. Thus, the wife of the later behaves like a ‘sweet sixteen’ as if there is no ancestor in her husband’s community.
You cannot enjoy your fruit until you know your root. Things may not fall in its right places until the best of African culture is revitalized, followed by total obeisance to the word of God.
