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〃The head of my church in that sense is in England。〃
〃That is exactly what I am saying。 The head of your church is in your country。 He has sent you here as his messenger。 And you have also appointed your own messengers and servants。 Or let me take another example； the District missioner。 He is sent by your king。〃
〃They have a queen；〃 said the interpreter on his own account。
〃Your queen sends her messenger； the District missioner。 He finds that he cannot do the work alone and so he appoints kotma to help him。 It is the same with God； or Chukwu。 He appoints the smaller gods to help Him because His work is too great for one person。〃
〃You should not think of Him as a person；〃 said Mr。 Brown。 〃It is because you do so that you imagine He must need helpers。 And the worst thing about it is that you give all the worship to the false gods you have created。〃
〃That is not so。 We make sacrifices to the little gods； but when they fail and there is no one else to turn to we go to Chukwu。 It is right to do so。 We approach a great man through his servants。 But when his servants fail to help us； then we go to the last source of hope。 We appear to pay greater attention to the little gods but that is not so。 We worry them more because we are afraid to worry their Master。 Our fathers knew that Chukwu was the Overlord and that is why many of them gave their children the name Chukwuka—〃Chukwu is Supreme。〃
〃You said one interesting thing；〃 said Mr。 Brown。 〃You are afraid of Chukwu。 In my religion Chukwu is a loving Father and need not be feared by those who do His will。〃
〃But we must fear Him when we are not doing His will；〃 said Akunna。 〃And who is to tell His will？ It is too great to be known。〃
In this way Mr。 Brown learned a good deal about the religion of the clan and he came to the conclusion that a frontal attack on it would not succeed。 And so he built a school and a little hospital in Umuofia。 He went from family to family begging people to send their children to his school。 But at first they only sent their slaves or sometimes their lazy children。 Mr。 Brown begged and argued and prophesied。 He said that the leaders of the land in the future would be men and women who had learned to read and write。 If Umuofia failed to send her children to the school； strangers would e from other places to rule them。 They could already see that happening in the Native Court； where the D。C。 was surrounded by strangers who spoke his tongue。 Most of these strangers came from the distant town of Umuru on the bank of the Great River where the white man first went。
In the end Mr。 Brown's arguments began to have an effect。 More people came to learn in his school； and he encouraged them with gifts of singlets and towels。 They were not all young； these people who came to learn。 Some of them were thirty years old or more。 They worked on their farms in the morning and went to school in the afternoon。 And it was not long before the people began to say that the white man's medicine was quick in working。 Mr。 Brown's school produced quick results。 A few months in it were enough to make one a court messenger or even a court clerk。 Those who stayed longer became teachers；… and from Umuofia laborers went forth into the Lord's vineyard。 New churches were established in the surrounding villages and a few schools with them。 From the very beginning religion and education went hand in hand。 Mr。 Brown's mission grew from strength to strength； and because of its link with the new administration it earned a new social prestige。 But Mr。 Brown himself was breaking down in health。 At first he ignored the warning signs。 But in the end he had to leave his flock； sad and broken。
It was in the first rainy season after Okonkwo's return to Umuofia that Mr。 Brown left for home。 As soon as he had learned of Okonkwo's return five months earlier； the missionary had immediately paid him a visit。 He had just sent Okonkwo's son； Nwoye； who was now called Isaac； to the new training college for teachers in Umuru。 And he had hoped that Okonkwo would be happy to hear of it。 But Okonkwo had driven him away with the threat that if he came into his pound again； he would be carried out of it。
Okonkwo's return to his native land was not as memorable as he had wished。 It was true his two beautiful daughters aroused great interest among suitors and marriage negotiations were soon in progress； but； beyond that； Umuofia did not appear to have taken any special notice of the warrior's return。 The clan had undergone such profound change during his exile that it was barely recognizable。 The new religion and government and the trading stores were very much in the people's eyes and minds。 There were still many who saw these new institutions as evil； but even they talked and thought about little else； and certainly not about Okonkwo's return。
And it was the wrong year too。 If Okonkwo had immediately initiated his two sons into the ozo society as he had planned he would have caused a stir。 But the initiation rite was performed once in three years in Umuofia； and he had to wait for nearly two years for the next round of ceremonies。
Okonkwo was deeply grieved。 And it was not just a personal grief。 He mourned for the clan； which he saw breaking up and falling apart； and he mourned for the warlike men of Umuofia； who had so unaccountably bee soft like women。
CHAPTER TWENTY…TWO
Mr。 Brown's successor was the Reverend James Smith； and he was a different kind of man。 He condemned openly Mr。 Brown's policy of promise and acmodation。 He saw things as black and white。 And black was evil。 He saw the world as a battlefield in which the children of light were locked in mortal conflict with the sons of darkness。 He spoke in his sermons about sheep and goats and about wheat and tares。 He believed in slaying the prophets of Baal。
Mr。 Smith was greatly distressed by the ignorance which many of his flock showed even in such things as the Trinity and the Sacraments。 It only showed that they were seeds sown on a rocky soil。 Mr。 Brown had thought of nothing but numbers。 He should have known that the kingdom of God did not depend on large crowds。 Our Lord Himself stressed the importance of fewness。 Narrow is the way and few the number。 To fill the Lord's holy temple with an idolatrous crowd clamoring for signs was a folly of everlasting consequence。 Our Lord used the whip only once in His life—to drive the crowd away from His church。
Within a few weeks of his arrival in Umuofia Mr。 Smith suspended a young woman from the church for pouring new wine into old bottles。 This woman had allowed her heathen husband to mutilate her dead child。 The child had been declared an ogbanje； plaguing its mother by dying and entering her womb to be born again。 Four times this child had run its evil round。 And so it was mutilated to discourage it from returning。
Mr。 Smith was filled with wrath when he heard of this。 He disbelieved the story which even some of the most faithful confirmed； the story of really evil children who were not deterred by mutilation； but came back with all the scars。 He replied that such stories were spread in the world by the Devil to lead men ast