Without mincing words, Daily Devotional has created a niche in preaching the gospel using the localised English (Pidgin) on the social media app Twitter every day with the trend termed Afrogospel evolving to become a daily part of the youths as the message keep spreading with testimonies of closeness to the Christian Bible as evidence of their proficiency.
Without the use of ambiguous words or comic relief which might distract attention from the intended message, Afrogospel has spoken to the hearts of the society’s high and low. It has reached a distance which human legs may not get to. It has become a promising tool in fulfilling the prophecies in Matthew 24: 14. With the slight comic which is produced through the influence of the Pidgin, youths most especially have developed the love for the daily message from the non-disappointing Daily Devotional.
Previous generations who are believed to be strict with the principles of Christianity find no reason to regard the niche as heretical with the interpreted verses retaining their essence through the original version displayed along with it.
One such touching message shared on the page was the biblical verse Psalms 13:1-2 with the catchy slang: “Oluwa, wetin dey happen?” urging followers to wait on God’s promises, which doesn’t fail.
Followers shared how much the message spoke to their soul as the interpreted version portrayed a typical Nigerian frustrated by happenings beyond his calculation. “Oluwa, wetin dey happen” is a street slang which can be uttered by even a kidnapper whose plan failed while in the course of action as well as an organization executive who had a hitch while defending his business plan.
Using a language from the street to preach for the masses suddenly became a trend more purposeful than comedy skits. The Twitter handle @streetchurchh (emphasis on double H) has become a post to share by more than 14,000 persons without counting other social media accounts. Youths are professing their love and faith in Christ through the daily messages while others are declaring their testimony of renewed love for the Bible.
It is a popular opinion that Afrogospel will soar to unexpected heights if the intent is not tampered with. The prominence attached to the trend is only rising now and antagonists can only experience what the devotional deduced from 1 Samuel 17: 45-46; EFREBOR!
Author
Phillip Anjorin is a Student Journalist in Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko in Ondo state who writes for different media outfits. He’s a volunteer, phonetographer and lover of nature.