Sometime last week, one of the trending topics was of the woman who reported the Redeemed Christian Church of God located in her community to LASEPA. This happened after she got frustrated by the constant noise posed by the church whenever they were having their service. Now, LASEPA stands for Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency. They are in charge of controlling noise pollution, and hazardous waste in the state. They also issue environmental permits and act as accredited environmental consultants. If a resident were to find something in the environment that was not right, they had a duty and a right to report it to LASEPA. And this is what this woman did. And they had the church tone down their noises. If you ask me, this is a really good development. I have never been a fan of churches using speakers that don’t warrant their number at all. I’ve never seen the point of having big speakers or praying so loud as if the being you are praying to is hard of hearing. These days, you can hear a church during service. You would think a thousand people are in there because of their speakers. But once you get in, you’ll see only five people. All of them would have a microphone into which they are singing or praying with all their might, and then the speakers themselves are turned on to the highest volume. Many times I wonder, is all this for God, or is all this just to attract the next worshipper? This is one thing other churches should emulate from Jehovah’s Witness. They can be having a crusade in their Kingdom Hall, and you would have no idea. Everyone has a right to worship, we all know that. But where the line is drawn is when your worship begins to affect my peace of mind. Some people are suffering because of this. How can you struggle through the traffic in the morning just to get to work, there you have to deal with your boss and colleagues and the general stress that comes with all that, then another struggle with traffic going home and one thing that is on your mind is to relax and sleep. But one church beside you won’t allow you to have that. They are either having a revival or they are having a vigil. If you are someone that has lived close to a church before, you will understand what I am saying very well. The noise is always so loud, it will give you a splitting headache. You won’t even be able to think clearly, you won’t be able to sleep. You’ll simply be restless. But then, when you complain, they will brand you as the devil. People have to know that the potency of prayers has nothing to do with the volume in which it is made. After all, if God can hear your thoughts why then do you need to shout at him, is he your mate? No man is an island, we are not alone in this world. We have neighbors, brothers, and sisters. We have to remember that each action we take affects them also. When we are worshipping, let us do it within our borders. Everyone is free to worship who they want, and they are free to worship as they deem fit. But do not use it to disturb the life of others, that is just what we are saying. Life is already hard, no need to make it harder than it already is. Once again, I commend LASEPA for this feat. Maybe churches will take notes from this and try to be more considerate of the well-being of their neighbors, and worship at a sane volume that will be appreciated by all. And probably, in the future, LASEPA will also go after hotels and clubs that are built in residential neighborhoods, because these ones are even worse. They are quiet during the day, deceiving whoever may be coming over to buy or rent a property. But once night falls, once the clock strikes seven, they begin to play loud music. Their music would be so loud you would hear it across the length of the entire street. And it would play throughout the night! How can someone sleep in that kind of area? I know of a family friend that had to move out of their own home and rent an apartment because the constant music from the hotel was giving her husband high blood pressure. And then, just maybe, LASEPA will go after everyone that owns generators as well. Because having to listen to the drone of generators is torture, especially because it is not yours. Although I do know that if they begin this crackdown, no one will be spared. Not me, and probably not you reading this post (if you are a Nigerian). We all have so much to gain from owning generators, especially considering how epileptic our power system is. It is good to see that some of our agencies are working, it makes us believe that indeed there are still good eggs and there is still something to save. I look forward to the future of Nigeria, and I would see how this pivotal change will affect other parts of this country. It will be epic!
Sora Shimazaki
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