Tolulope Lawal

October 17, 2015

Period 6
Social Observation Essay

Background: For this assignment, I chose to do my observations at

my church. From the time it was established in 2002 till this day, my
family and I have been members of the congregation. For as long as
I can remember, the church has always had the name Jesus House
of All Nations. My observations are of the tendencies of the church
in congruence to its name.
Im sitting in the back of the church: an area that is usually reserved
for the youth. On the door to my right is a large sign that reads Jesus House
of all Nations, a sign that is meant to convey diversity and universal
acceptance. To my left are pictures of little boys and girls, all apparently of
different races and ethnicities: an Asian girl in what appears to be a kimono,
a Native American boy with a feathered headdress, Spanish children adorned
with colorful traditional clothing, and other children who are drawn in ways
that represent various cultures. But in front of me is an image that is
congruent to this notion of national variance. In front of me I see an image,
not heterogeneous like the sign says, but quite homogenous. I see members
of one nation: Nigeria. It had never occurred to me how different the church
looked in comparison to the message that it had tried to convey since its
establishment. In fact, it was rare to see anyone not Nigerian, or associated
to Nigeria through marriage or friendship.

I sit in fairly the same area every Sunday; this spot allows me to see
every single person in the congregation. One Sunday, through the door on
my right, a Hispanic couple walks in followed by a White woman. Given the
churchs fairly homogenous outlook, but for a few mixed race couples, it is
apparent that this spectacle amazes those in the congregation. I hear
whispers of confusion and reservation amongst a few older people, some
whispers even amongst my peers. A man in front of me whispers to whom I
assume is his wife, in his language, They are obviously lost. Then to my
left, a few of the boys, giggling hysterically, say, I call dibs, referring to the
white woman. To my right, a white man, who I see all the time because his
wife is Nigerian, looks at the group as well in a what are they doing here?
type of way. Given the name of the church, this amuses me. While I cannot
speak for all, it was apparent that some people, not out of hatred, were
reluctant to welcome the group with open arms.
As service progresses, the reservation from members of the church has
dawned on the visitors. It is quite apparent that they experience a lack of
comfortability. They sit stiff in their seats, seemingly afraid of making any
prominent gesture that will draw further attention to themselves. But of
course, this is a vain attempt for they cannot change the way that they look.
Even while service continues, I hear several people whisper something along
the lines of Who did they come with? It is as if the only reason they should
be permitted entrance into the church, is if they have some sort of affiliation
with one of the churchs Nigerian members.

They say that birds of a feather flock together. According to

the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, chances are that you may
find yourself subconsciously sitting next to someone who physically
resembles you in some manner. People are inclined to gravitate towards
those that they are most familiar with. Solely by its name, it is apparent that
the church began with hopes of becoming an establishment that represents
a diverse group of people, but its intentions have obviously been forgotten. It
failed, not because of prejudice, but because people have a tendency to be
partial towards their own kind. They are most comfortable with those with
similar backgrounds because they know that, together, they share a common
understanding. These tendencies are only natural, but for an establishment
that attempts to strive in versatility, it does not exactly make an effort to
advocate versatility. The name says Jesus House of all Nations but the
actions of those in the church show that the church is not befitting of the
name, and does not intend to at least try to uphold the intended outlook.
This is only one account, but this is done almost every single time a
person of another race or ethnicity [that is not accompanied by someone
Nigerian] walks into the church. People stare with amazement as if they have
never seen someone different than they are. I have no qualms about who
people let into their lives; its just none of my business. What I dont
understand is saying that an organization is made for a diverse audience,
then turning around and being surprised when people of various races,
nationalities, and ethnicities attempt to join the organization. What is the

point of having a name if you are not willing to at least attempt to stand true
to that name?