PROPHETS OF JUSTICE AND PEACE

PROPHETS OF JUSTICE AND PEACE

Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua

 

The reactions to my publication, “PROPHETIC VOICES IN A CONFUSED NATION” call for this reflection. Among these reactions are:  (1) that talking about dialogue in the present state of the nation is self-deception. (2) “Prophets do not condone injustices, but expose and condemn them.” (3) In the face of glaring abuses of fundamental rights, Prophets do not call for dialogue but for ‘dia-praxis’. The proponents of these views referenced Rev Professor E.M Uka’s paper:“Christian–Moslem Relations in the Arab and Middle–Eastern Countries: A Lesson for Nigerian Christians on Meaningful Interfaith relations”, Professor Uka argues that a “way to restore peaceful co-existence among the religions in any multi-religious state is to guarantee every religious group, equality before the law of the land not through Inter-religious dialogue, but through the constitutional provision of a secular state.

 

Uka traced the history of many Islamic States today that were originally 98% Christians and opined that “the path of dialogue between Christianity and Islam has not worked out in practical terms mainly because of the fundamental belief of the Moslems in holy Jihad in which they are encouraged to continue until the entire world is beaten into submission to Allah and his law-sharia, is imposed on the whole world under Muslim dominion. They consider all those who are outside the house of submission (Dar-al-Islam) as part of the house of war (Dar-al-harb). He added that it seems impossible to have dialogue with ‘Islamists’ because Islam is not just a religion but a complete political, economic, social, educational and religious network with its own forms of governance. He recommends that what is needed to promote human fellowship and relationship in a multi-religious state is not dialogue but dia-praxis which he describes as human fellowships and relationships in which human beings share common praxis as in sports, commerce, in travelling and in their common response to natural disasters like flood and epidemics that are no respecter of religions or persons.

 

My response to Professor Uka is that what he referred to as “Dia-Praxis” is an aspect of dialogue. Technically, this is “Dialogue of life, social engagement, encounter and action. It should be noted that almost every religion is mandated to convert the whole world to love God and neighbour. Here is the mandate of Jesus Christ: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). So while Muslims are trying to make Nigeria an Islamic State, Christians too should work hard to make Nigeria a Christian State. If every Nigerian Christian and Muslim is truly converted from bad attitudes to the values of God, then Nigeria would have become a paradise on earth. Conversion today should go beyond change of religion to a conversion of the heart from evil to doing good. 

Today, some Christians perceive the Boko Haram and Herdsmen terrorism as Islamic agenda. Some people have defined “Islamization agenda” as a technical term for any use of State apparatus to make Islam appear as the State Religion. The points of reference for those who hold tenaciously to this view are: the OIC debate under General Ibrahim Babangida; the Arabic inscriptions on Nigeria currency; membership of Nigeria in the State of Islamic Coalition Against Terrorism under President Muhammadu Buhari and provision for the Sharia Code in the Nigeria constitution. Where were the Christian Ministers, Politicians, Law makers, Military officersand Security Agents when the Muslims of the same rank were pushing their concerns? Where was the Christian President of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) when the Arabic inscription was put on the Nigerian currency? Actually, is Arabiclanguage Islam? Is it not possible to write the Lord’s Prayer and Hail Mary in Arabic?  

 

Is it not better to focus on issues of injustice and resist the attempts of polarizing the nation along ethnic and religious sentiments? We can learn from late Alhaji Maitama Sule who had a prophetic voice for justice. Alhaji Maitama Sule thought that with the emergence of President Muhamadu Buhari, the issues of injustice that had placed religion and ethnicity on the sacrificial altar of politics would be laid to a final rest with the presidential declaration of May 29, 2015: “I belong to no body and I belong to everybody”. He pleaded with PresidentBuhari in these passionate words: “With justice, you can rule Nigeria well. Justice is the key. You should do justice to all and sundry, and I say all and sundry, because Allah says if you are going to judge between people, do justice, irrespective of their tribe, religion or even political inclination; justice must be done to whosoever deserves it….The world itself can never be governed by force, never by fear, even never by power. In the end, what governs is the mind. What conquers is the spirit. And the weapons of governing the mind and conquering the spirit are justice and fair play” (http://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/07/) .

 

The dividends of injustice are violence and all forms ofagitation. If the leaders of our nation enable justice, then religion and ethnicity would be discharged and acquitted as willing tools in the hands of selfish office holders. Amos warned those who pervert justice (Amos 5:6-7) to establish justice (Amos 5:14-15). This is a divine command: “You shall not pervert the justice due to the poor in his suit.  Keep far from a false charge and do not slay the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked.  And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the officials and subverts the cause of those who are in the right” (Exodus 23:6-8). Justice is life, so “let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an overflowing stream” (Amos 5:21-24).  

 

May those who want to cover their evil and dirty deals by causing religious revolution, ethnic violence and internal insurrection never succeed! We need prophets of justice and peace who can speak to power like Amos and other Prophets that confronted the kings to give account of their stewardship in the Old Testament. Self-defence and self-preservation are natural instinct in every human being but we must not forget the mandate of Jesus to love, show mercy and offer no violence to the enemies (Matthew 5: 43-48). With prophetic voices, we have the right to demand for justice when we are oppressed and intimidated. When one of the officers slapped Jesus, he demanded for justice saying, “If I said something wrong, prove it, otherwise, why did you strike me (John 18:22-23)? 

 

Religious leaders and preachers should play the role ofprophets of justice and peace. True Prophets must never contribute to the hate speeches that can put the nation asunder. They must dissociate themselves from all forms of violence be it verbal or physical. Non-violence is the power of love in action for humanity. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI said: “Nonviolence, for Christians, is not mere tactical behaviour but a person’s way of being, the attitude of one who is convinced of God’s love and power, who is not afraid to confront evil with the weapons of love and truth alone. Loving the enemy is the nucleus of the ‘Christian revolution.’ ” Pope Francis in 2013 declares: “Faith and violence are incompatible.” In his message for the 50th World Day of Peace on January 1, 2017, he calls for “recognition of the primacy of diplomacy over the noise of arms”. The statement from the Vatican Press Office on August 26 when the 2017 theme was announced states, inter alia, that “Violence and Peace are the origin of two opposite ways to building society. May God give Nigeria selfless leaders who value justice and peace. We pray for wisdom for the citizens to vote in leaders who care about the common good irrespective of religious and ethnic affiliation,  

 

Rev. Fr. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua is the Director of Mission and Dialogue of the Catholic Secretatiat of Nigeria, Abuja (omonokhuac@gmail.com)

 

 

PROPHETIC VOICES IN A CONFUSED NATION

Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua

 

Israel was a nation guided by God as his own possessionthrough the prophets. Israel was “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5-6; Deuteronomy 4:6-8). Jerusalem, the capital of this holy nation means, the “City of Peace”. This is derived from the Hebrew root, “Shalom”. Because this city belongs to God, divination akin to other nations was condemned (Deuteronomy 18:9-14). God promised to speak to the people through the prophets: “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him” (Deuteronomy 18:15-22). The prophet in this “City of Peace” would condemn all weapons of human destruction because those who carry the sword shall die by the sword (Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:12; Matthew 26:52).

 

According to Isaiah, the government will be on the shouldersof this Prophet. He will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). These qualities are fully manifested in Jesus Christ. Hehad every reason and capacity to kill those who would crucify him in self-defence but preferred to die because he came so that human beings may have life in abundance (John 14:14). If Jesus had killed a single person for self-defence,Christianity would have been perceived as a religion that promotes violence. If Jesus had contributed to the ethnic hate speeches of his time, there would be no parable of the GoodSamaritan (Luke 10:25-37) that teaches the value of ethnic solidarity, co-existence and love of neighbours not excluding enemies.  

 

Presently, the world is inundated with hate speeches, violence and ethnic conflicts. There appears to be confusion at all levels in the world. Speeches of segregation, alienation and disintegration have become the order of the day as if darkness has engulfed the world. In Nigeria for instance, the enemies of progress and unity are distracting the citizens with ethnic and religious issues so that they would not demand a sincere account of governance and dividends of democracy from the political leaders. Some conversations today groom nothing but religious and ethnic suspicions. Education is being politicised with the debate on the secondary school curriculum with regard to Religious Studies and History with the aim of turning Christians against Muslims and verse versa. Instead of allowing this to happen, Christian and Muslim leaders could dialogue and insist that Islamic and Christian Religious Studies should stand separately and not be confused with civic education. Religion and History contributes immensely to the moral character of any nation that desires peace. 

 

In this era of confusion, there is urgent need of a propheticvoice to give hope to the people who have suffered enough. Many people are still living in fear. In some part of our world some people only sleep with faith and hope of waking up the next day because the people of the dark world could strike at any time. Under this dread, many people are hungry and thirsty for the Word of God akin to the time of Prophet Amos:"Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord God, "When I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord."People will stagger from sea to sea and from the north even to the east; they will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord (Amos 8:11-12). This is why true prophets in these trying times must never join the enemies of progress in tearing this nation asunder with hate speeches. The prophet must take his role of proclaiming the words of peace and love. The prophets of our times must constantly persevere as comfort of the afflicted to the people in distress.  

 

Instead of Religious leaders contributing to the phobia that the country is being made a Christian or Islamic State, they should rather intensify the proclamation of the Good-news and evangelize the people on the value of life, human dignity; the pains of hell fire and the gains of heaven. Ministers of God should remind the people of the ancient past and trace the history of our heroes and the errors of mischief leaders that have brought us this confusion and anarchy. People should be evangelized in a way and manner that they would see the danger of repeating the mistakes of yesteryears. The Church ministers should emphasize the Gospel values and what Christianity has contributed to the national unity and human dignity. Let the Imams and all Muslims highlights and proclaim the verses of the Holy Qur’an that teaches peace and love to de-radicalize those who reference the same Holy Book for terrorist and criminal activities. The Muslim Clerics need to proclaim the Islamic values and what Islam can contributeto national unity. If the religious preachers and leaders do their work well to produce good Christians and good Muslims, the nation would be a “City of Peace”. There would be no fear of “Christianization” or “Islamization” because the nation would enjoy peaceful co-existence to the glory of God and joy for everybody. 

If this is achieved, both the Christian and Muslim Religious leaders could come to a convergence of values that could promote national unity and human dignity. Faithfulness to the areas of scriptures that promote life and condemn the destruction of human life could bring out the tricks of mischievous political office holders who have hijacked religion and ethnicity to swell their financial pockets. Office holders who promote crime to this end should be made to submit to God through prayers and words that could ignite their consciences to repentance. The life of a human person has value in any revealed religion. According to the Holy Qur’an, if you kill a person unjustly, it is as if you have killed all mankind; and if you save a life, it is as if you have saved all mankind (Qur’an 5:32). Even if God is angry with a nationbecause of the sins of the citizens, it is the duty of the prophet to intercede for the people like Moses (Deuteronomy 9:13-14). He begged God not to destroy the people (Exodus 32:12-14)

When the priests and prophets go astray while the nation is on fire, the true prophet weeps like Jeremiah to direct the people and the straying prophets back to the right course. “Let my eyes flow down with tears night and day, and let them not cease; for the virgin daughter of my people has been crushed with a mighty blow, with a sorely infected wound. If I go out to the country, behold, those slain with the sword! Or if I enterthe city, behold, diseases of famine! For both prophet and priest have gone astray in the land and have no knowledge.Have you completely rejected Judah? Or have you forgottenZion? Why have you stricken us so that we are beyond healing? We waited for peace, but nothing good came; and for a time of healing, but behold, terror (Jeremiah 14: 17-19). 

 

The Priests, Pastors and Imams should cry out to God for a complete healing of the land. Let the true Priests and Pastorspray for the conversion of some priests and pastors who are using hate speeches in their Churches. Let the true Muslim Clerics and leaders pray for the conversion of the Muslim leaders who teach their children and followers to hate people of other religions as infidels. Let the message of peace and love resound again in the Churches and Mosques. Like the Prophet Nehemiah during the reign of King Artaxerxes(Nehemiah 2), let the religious leaders reach the hearts of the political leaders for the reconstruction of the nation and not her dissolution. Like Nehemiah traversed the land of the enemies (Nehemiah 2:6-9) to plead for peace, let all religious leaders play the role of a true prophet who is not a stranger to any land but a missionary to all the nations (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15). Oh Lord, have mercy on us and grant us your salvation!

 

Fr. Cornelius Omonokhua is the Director of Mission and Dialogue of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja (omonokhuac@gmail.com)