IDENTITY CRISIS: our youthful blunders by Adebayo Stephen

"Where purpose is unknown, abuse", they say, " is inevitable". Invariably where identity is unknown, abuse is also inevitable". Going by definitions, IDENTITY is the knowledge of who one is, the sameness some individuals share to make up the same kind or universal. Another source defines it as the mask or appearance one presents to the world by which one is known. In all these definitions, it is clear that the first precisely gave a simple but wholistic account of the subject. CRISIS on its own simply means an unstable situation or trouble. Looking critically at what we have in our youth forum today as CACYOFITES, I can hereby marry these words together to produce 'identity crisis' as the period of confusion in the aspect of knowing one's true personality or identity, as a result of some factors, such as 'external influences' or 'Change'. The 'influence' quoted might be ideologies, teachings, resolutions and so on.


Scientifically, this phenomenon was coined by a foremost German psychologist Erik Erickson, which he defined as the failure to reach true recognition of oneself during adolescent stage. To  further expatiate on this, I want to share my little experience to buttress my point. One Saturday morning around the hour of 5am, I woke up in preparation to lead a group of students for a spelling competiton, which was billed to hold at a state-owned television station that day. We left as early as possible on a public transport system and on getting to the venue, we met a mammoth crowd of students from different schools which comprises 'big men' children. Thier chubby looks, large school buses and dress sense almost swept us off our feet if not intimidated us. My students were lost already! The confidence and boldness we enjoyed initially were almost growing wings to fly away and just like a snail that hit its antenna on a hard surface, we were gradually crawling back into our shell out of intimidation. We were carried away by what was around us and the environment we found ourselves at that time and everything we prepared for was drifting away. In the midst of all this self-initiated confusion, one of my students tapped me from behind and whistled in my ear "Uncle all these are packaging jare, we can win this competition even though we came on public transport and don't have nice uniforms as theirs". As he launched those rockets of words on me, I received a boost and I charged them to see everything around them as distractions and focus on the prize. Glory to God! We came second in the competition.


I made all this long emphasis in order to challenge the Youth body of our dear and great mission (Christ Apostolic Church). As the glory and future of this church, I want to ask us: Do we really know who we truly are? Or we are still basking on the platter of "They said". At this stage of our lives in our various youth fellowships and campus fellowships, do we see ourselves as sons and daughters of a great Apostolic movement that is capable of upturning any National or environmental situation? Do we know the power embedded in us? The greatest calamity in life is failure to recognise our value and importance. "If we don't discover our true self, we may fall at the mercy of others". It's a pity that most of our CACYOFITES are comparing themselves with youths of other denominations when those ones are even envying us and what we carry. We want to do things like others. I am not saying we shouldn't learn from other denominations what is right or good but the truth is we belong to to the APOSTOLIC FAMILY. Fire runs in our marrows! We are different from others! We can also check the track record of our patriarchs. Our style of praying is not psychedelic as found in other churches, our doctrines are biblical principles and our songs and singing styles are second to none which others are trying to copy. So where are we seeing these strange groovy styles of service we are adopting these days in our fellowship meetings?  'Ina Ajoji.' A popular gospel musician (Nathaniel Bassey) once said, we don't know the power and the value of what we have as CAC members. Our lyrics are everywhere and that's why the likes of Bola Are, Baba Ayewa, Pastor King of 'Olorun Mimo' maestro and other CAC music giants cannot be forgotten.We are also upcoming and the world is coming to terms with us as a focal point in the revolution of Christianity through pentecostalism.  This is evident in the just concluded WAFBEC International Conference where Apostle Ayo Babalola was posthumously celebrated, cited and awarded. This is an indication that we are unique and special. We should stop comparing ourselves with others nor be intimidated by their flamboyant settings. They want to be like us too!



Conclusively, if a popular Fuji musician (name withheld) in this country could register his presence at Efon Alaaye Prayer Mountain and we the custodians of that prophetic portal are now running to other portals for cover, then there is a problem somewhere.


We are the light! We have a rich heritage and we must protect it well. Photocopy can't be original. We are giants of our generation, we are carriers of fire! We are not backward! We are pacesetters and frontiers! Pentecostalism is our brand!


Fire with anointing is our logo!
That's who we are! That's our identity! Let's value it!