I grew up a Christian with a father who came from a Muslim background. My father converted to Christianity whilst I was very young. My mum was raised by missionaries who came to Northern Nigeria. My mother is a devout Christian and in my early life I was enrolled into the Girls Brigade which had a motto I hold unto till this day.
The motto says “The aim of the Girls Brigade is to help girls become followers of our Lord Jesus Christ, through reverence, self-control and a sense of responsibility so that we could find true enrichment of life.
I attended a private British high school and was taught by British missionaries. It was great learning religion and spirituality as I knew the difference whilst growing up. I am not religious but I am spiritual and believe there is a supreme being that I can pray and sing to. The bible has been a complete book of all sorts from rules, to love, to faith, to adultery and the list goes on. In everything I do, I love to live a modest life and a life of gratitude to God for the many blessings of my life.
I believe faith is the substance of what we hope for and the evidence of things not yet seen. So I do not dwell so much on unnecessary proof to things in life that I can’t explain. I love my faith as it teaches me love and compassion and it keeps me grounded.
One of the greatest teaching I hold onto in my faith is accepting everyone for who they are as we are all fearfully and wonderfully made. I have lived in different continents and my faith has taught me a lot of humility and how to stand strong in the face of adversity. Each day I live, I pray for peace and tolerance in our world.
Written by Abigail Marshall Katung