Pastor Dolapo Lawal’s Arsenal fans comment has created a serious online conversation after a viral statement about the football club. According to reports and circulating clips, the pastor reportedly said Arsenal cannot win the league, described the club as cursed, and also said that “ladies should not date Arsenal fans”.
Some people may call it football banter. Others may say it was only a joke. Yet words from a preacher carry more weight, especially when people listen with spiritual trust.
This is not an attack on Pastor Dolapo Lawal. I listen to him. I respect his gift. Still, respect should not silence correction. Spiritual influence should never become casual.
“A joke may sound light on earth, but every word still carries weight before heaven.”
The Pulpit Is Not a Place for Careless Talk
Humor has its place. A pastor can be lively and funny. However, when a man of God begins to label people or suggest that a group should be avoided because of a football club, we must pause.
Arsenal is not just a name on a jersey. It is a business. It belongs to people, employs workers, supports families, and carries a global community. Among Arsenal fans are believers, responsible young men, women, parents, workers, and spiritual leaders.
Saying ladies should not date Arsenal fans may sound funny, but words shape perception. Many followers may not know where the joke ends and where spiritual instruction begins.
Every Word Will Be Accounted For
Jesus gave a serious warning in Matthew 12:36. He said people will give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they speak. That scripture should make every preacher, teacher, leader, and believer slow down before speaking loosely.
Football clubs win and lose. Seasons change. That is football. But calling a club cursed and using that statement to advise women about relationships crosses a line.
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If it was a joke, the lesson remains. Jokes are also made of words. Proverbs 18:21 reminds us that death and life are in the power of the tongue. A preacher should know that words can bless, wound, heal, mislead, or destroy.
Why This Conversation Matters
The conversation about Pastor Dolapo Lawal Arsenal fans matters because it is bigger than football. It points to the way spiritual leaders use words. God hears what we say, even when people are laughing.
Football banter is common. But spiritual labeling is different. No preacher should call a club cursed from a pulpit. Relationship decisions should rest on character, faith, values, maturity, kindness, discipline, and the fear of God, not on football.
This Is Not the First Conversation Around His Words
Recently, I wrote about Pastor Dolapo Lawal’s comment on passwords in marriage. He reportedly advised singles to test transparency before marriage, saying, “If you want to marry someone, ask them, can I know your password to everything that you have? If they say no, leave them.” The statement raised a serious conversation about love, trust, privacy, and emotional maturity.
In that article, I made the point that marriage has deeper issues than phone codes. A code can open a phone, but it cannot open a closed heart. You can read it here: Pastor Dolapo Lawal, Passwords in Marriage, and the Bigger Issues.
That previous comment touched trust, privacy, transparency, and maturity. Now, this Arsenal fans comment raises another concern. It looks like a pattern where serious issues become sharp statements that people can misunderstand or repeat without wisdom.
Pastor Dolapo Lawal is a man I listen to and respect. When a respected preacher speaks strongly about marriage in one moment, then speaks carelessly about Arsenal fans in another, someone should remind him that influence requires fear, wisdom, and restraint. Marriage is too sacred to be reduced to phone codes alone.
Marriage is too sacred to be reduced to phone codes alone. No one should judge people by the football club they support. A woman should not leave a man because of a phone password without understanding his character. A lady should not reject a responsible man because he supports Arsenal.
“When people trust your voice spiritually, even your jokes can become instructions in their hearts.”
Spiritual Influence Comes With Responsibility
When an ordinary football fan comments online, people may laugh and move on. But when a pastor says it, some followers may attach spiritual meaning to it. They may repeat it as prophecy or treat it as counsel.
Jesus warned strongly about misleading God’s children. He said whoever causes one of His little ones to stumble would be better off with a millstone tied around his neck and drowned in the sea. Heaven treats influence seriously.
“Influence is not proven by how many people laugh, but by how carefully they protect the hearts that hear them.”
A Loving Call to Pastor Dolapo Lawal
This article does not seek to dishonor Pastor Dolapo Lawal. It reminds us that even respected voices need correction when words become careless. Someone close to him should lovingly say that careless talk has no place in the court of heaven.
Let football remain football. Let pastors enjoy the game without using words that may wound, mislead, or wrongly influence God’s people.
If the comment was only a joke, let it become a lesson. If excitement shaped it, let wisdom correct it. If it was said to make people laugh, let the fear of God bring balance.
God will not only judge the sermons we preached. He will also judge the careless words we speak
Pastor Dolapo Lawal, we respect the gift of God upon your life. Please remember that words are seeds. They can grow in hearts long after the moment has passed.
What do you think? Should pastors use football banter from the pulpit, or should spiritual leaders be more careful with public jokes? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow @iamsojiolateru for more conversations on faith, family, love, marriage, and healing.
