Socialization is a process that begins from childhood in which individuals acquire the values, habits, and attitudes of a society. It is important to know that the society is first birthed in the home. The values, habits and attitudes of an individual stem from the home before they are seen in the Society.

Who a person becomes or a behaviour a person portrays is largely influenced by an individual home. Character formation is largely infused by how a person is nurtured. I grew up to be a Christian faithful that was very playful and truthful. There was a time I was home alone and prayed that the electricity distribution company should restore the electricity and they did. So, to an extent, I had faith.

Sometimes I was aggressive. I could easily pick stones and throw to anyone that gets on my nerves. I could remember how I threw a steel cup at my brother which caused an injury on his head because he was troubling me. Although I was nurtured in a Christian home with values that I believe still help me to this day.

I cannot forget the days of leaving the school to play video games and even keeping vigil playing them while at home. Soccer game was my favourite. If I did not have to play with someone, it’s pleasurable and sometimes more pleasurable to play alone. There was a time I was left with a decision to either buy a phone or a video game with the monies people gave me while I was ill. I opted for the video game, unfortunately it did not work.

In my secondary school, we would make ball with papers and tapes. I would go to church and join my friends at the gaming center to play video games. I played Sega, Nintendo, PlayStation 1, 2, 3, 4 and few others. I played games on phones and computers. Some of these games one could play alone. If I was not playing, I would be watching. The games we played influenced us and characterized our socialization. Amid this, I exhibited the virtue of truth. For instance, we would be left at home, someone might rebel and then my parents would ask who the person(s) was and I would say the truth.

I grew up attending church programmes, watching Christian movies (Mount Zion) and listening to Christian music. I was not accustomed only to Christian practices, I also listened to some Hip Hop Musicians such as Nigga Raw, MI, Psquare, Jesse Jagz, Wizkid and Davido. I watched a couple of movies’ stars: Jackie Chan, Will smith. I would say I was quite exposed as a kid or maybe I was not, comparing it to this present age.

Some of the values that kept us and still upholding us were gotten via exposure in God’s way.

“Dedicate your children to God and point them in the way that they should go, and the values they’ve learned from you will be with them for life.”

Racism has influenced the world negatively. Racial injustice or segregation is prevalent in different parts of the world; it is quite easy to connect with people who are identified with our ethnics, religion, tribe, nation and culture. My country, Nigeria was shaped and is still being shaped into becoming a great nation. Nigeria is a nation in West Africa known for her agriculture and oil. Like other nations, we have fought against ourselves, we still do. We have fought against Colonial masters; we prevailed and had our independence in 1960. Even when it seems the nation was at the verge of collapsing, hope arose and we kept moving.

After the Nigeria Civil War, a war between Nigeria and Biafra. The aftermath left the nation in disarray, in the sense of disparity between ethnic groups. A medium in which the problem was mitigated was to initiate a scheme tagged “NYSC”. A scheme orchestrated by General Yakubu Gowon. The aim of the scheme was to bring graduates from different ethnic groups together to serve their fatherland (Nigeria) for twelve months.

In October, 2020, some persons gathered (largely youths) to stand for what they believed. It is a season that won’t be easily forgotten in the history of Nigeria. Vice President Kamela Harris of the United States of America hosted the Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbanjo. The meeting was to strengthen the relationship that exists between the Americans and Nigerians.

Prior to the expulsion of the Colonial masters from Nigeria, the Britain had placed the Northerners as the key leaders of the Nation because they easily agreed to the sovereignty of the colonial masters unlike other ethnic groups. This trend is still observable in the current political sphere of Nigeria. However, this is not just found in the top sectors, it is common in most societies. Limits have been placed in the society on how we socialize with people different from our ethnic group.

We find it hard to socialize with people from other religions, race, nation or culture as we should because we have been indoctrinated in a way that we have misconceptions about certain kind of people. In essence, it seems it is to our detriment to want to socialize with other ethnicities, hence, making the people seem to be antisocial in the society.

If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with “all” men.

The Greek word for all means all, the whole, every kind of. Why is it difficult for us to be at peace with people different from us?. Note, unlike the sinful nature which was born in us, this is not born with us, however, at a stage, it was inculcated and nurtured in us by the way we see people who we believe in, follow their leadership behave towards others. In a way, it was different from how they would treat others or their behaviour towards them.

As a kid, I do not think we have registered that sort of thing in our mind but as we grow in a particular kind of society, with a particular kind of people, that was how it was inculcated into us consciously or subconsciously. I am not disputing the fact that, to an extent the preconceived notion about a particular kind of ethnic group may be what they say it is, however, that should not put a limit in the way we socialize among others in the society and not every one of that ethnic group is the same. It was a preconceived notion that nothing good would come out from Nazareth hence this caused disbelief in Jesus Christ. The Bible told us the result of that - “And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.”

How many of us have been complacent, mediocre or average in the society because of a preconceived notion? We have watched nollywood movies and seen situations where parents would not allow their children to marry someone from a different ethnic group and the marriage ends up being a disaster. Some might even end up as a divorce, causing the children if there are any, to be antisocial soft of rather than being social if the parents were together. This is how these problems steam into the society.

People would not keep the most qualified for the job because they are of a different ethnic group and we would only wonder what difference it would make if they had gotten the right person. It is not quite different from us Christians or religious people. Christianity expanded through different means, one of which was people who was willing to speak with others from different ethnic groups.

“The news traveled fast and in no time the leaders and friends in Jerusalem heard that the non-Jew “outsiders” were now “in.” When Peter got back to Jerusalem, some of his old associates, concerned about circumcision, called him on the carpet: “What do you think you’re doing; rubbing shoulders with that crowd, eating what is prohibited and ruining our good name?”

The end story was the change God intended to bring came as of a result of someone (Apostle Peter) who yielded and agreed to let ethnic barrier be broken. We stop the possibility of bringing the change we profess because of a notion we have preconceived, not even an allowance to socialize or communicate.

In conclusion, it would interest you to be informed that the Bible is an amazing book, to attain success in life. We had people in the bible who did not mind bending to relate with others from different ethnic group, to bring about the change they desired. It’s the same with us, with caution and discretion. We should not be reluctant in bending to becoming people that would bring change in the society.

God is open for all who is ready for him. He is a God who does not show favoritism.

“He said to them, ‘You all know that we Jews do not become friends with Gentiles. Our Jewish laws do not let us visit the homes of Gentiles. But God has now shown me something different. I ….should not say about anyone that God will not accept them.”