MUTUAL TRUST CAN BUILD THE NATION

 MUTUAL TRUST CAN BUILD THE NATION

Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua

 

On September 18, 2018, the Nigerian Interfaith Action (NIFAA) in collaboration with her local and international partners had a summit at Nicon Luxury, Abuja to sign a peace declaration to promote and sustain peaceful co-existence among Nigerians. Very important Religious leaders, Royal Fathers, the American Ambassador to Nigeria and other dignitaries were in attendance and some among them made very inspiring speeches. Prelate Sunday Mbang, a former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria and co-chairman of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in his goodwill message said that Saint Pope John Paul II advised the Christians and Muslims in Nigeria to put together a Forum for dialogue and promotion of peaceful co-existence when he first visited Nigeria. He traced the origin of NIREC as the outcome and response to this counsel. 

When I checked the internet to verify this claim of Prelate Mbang about the visit of this Great Saint to Nigeria, I discovered that the Pope even referred to what the Prelate reported in his second visit of 1998. In his address at his meeting with Muslim Leaders, the Pope said: “In the Message that I addressed to the Muslim Community in Kaduna during my first visit to your country in 1982, I said: "I am convinced that if we (Christians and Muslims) join hands in the name of God we can accomplish much good. We can collaborate in the promotion of justice, peace and development. It is my earnest hope that our solidarity of brotherhood, under God, will truly enhance the future of Nigeria and all Africa" (http://totus2us.com/universal/nigeria/jpii-pilgrim-visit-1998/).

The Holy Father had given reasons for the importance of this dialogue initiative. He said: “As Christians and Muslims, we share belief in "the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day" (Lumen Gentium, 16). Though we differ in the way we understand this One God, we are nevertheless akin in our efforts to know and follow his will. That religious aspiration itself constitutes a spiritual bond between Christians and Muslims, a bond which can provide a firm and broad-ranging basis for cooperation in many fields. This is important wherever Christians and Muslims live together. It is particularly important in Nigeria, where Christians and Muslims are present in such large numbers (http://totus2us.com/universal/nigeria/jpii-pilgrim-visit-1998/). This call of the Great Saint Pope John Paul II calls for a united family of trust. 

 

The Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) has a national character that makes it a home for every Christian and Muslimin Nigeria. For this same reason, many international bodies like UFUK Dialogue Foundation, HIZMET movement; King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID); Religions for Peace (RfP); Tony Blair Institute for Global Change and many others who desire the good of Nigeria love to collaborate with NIREC. Pope John Paul II believed that Nigeria has the capacity for dialogue and peaceful co-existence. He proved his point by saying that "Cardinal Arinze of Nigeria is a Roman Catholic Cardinal; he is a Nigerian Cardinal. And if he is promoting the dialogue with Muslims in the whole world, he is doing that having the experience of dialogue with the Muslims in Nigeria” (http://totus2us.com/universal/nigeria/jpii-pilgrim-visit-1998/). The capacity of Nigeria lies in her natural and human resources. We pray for a leadership with the political will to harness these resources to grow a better Nigeria. 

If the human capacity of Nigerians is fully explored and utilized,religious and ethnic bigotry will give way to patriotism. Then criminals will be called by their real names without religious and ethnic qualifications that has often resulted in hatred and mutual suspicions. NIREC taken to the grassroots can go a long way to build trust. The efforts so far by NIREC is credible but we cango beyond statutory meetings to daily activities to identify conflict areas, prevent conflicts, resolve conflicts and transform conflicts. The weekly column with Leadership Newspaper of Sunday, December 19, 2010 of Ustaz Abubakr Siddeeq showshow important this peace project is to NIREC especially whenthe Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad and President-General of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) and John Cardinal Onaiyekan, the then President of the Christian Association of Nigeria as  co-Chairmen of NIREC at a meeting in Maiduguri called on government at all levels to compensate all victims of previous religious crisis across the country to heal past wounds. His Eminence made this call during the opening of the NIREC meeting on Monday, 6th May, 2008 at Maiduguri the Borno State capital.

It is gratifying to know that Rev. Dr. Sampson Ayokunle, the present President of CAN and co-chairman of NIREC is ready and willing to continue with this effort. May he get the support of all Christians and may the Sultan also get the support of all Muslims to make NIREC a national family where mutual suspicions will forever give way to mutual trust. The comments of Ustaz Siddeeq concerning the call by the 2008 Co-Chairmen of NIREC is very instructive and should inspire the hope in us to collaboratively make Nigeria a great nation. This should encourage Christians and Muslims to courageously develop a certain amount of frank and sincere trust for one another irrespective of the diverse religious ideologies. The common tenet of the sanctity of life and the dignity of the human person is of great assistance for our mode of operation if we really mean to heal the mutual suspicions that have put us asunder for so long. 

I commend the efforts of the Religious Leaders for mutually putting NIREC in place to create a sacred space for mutual healing. That the government support NIREC shows that thenation needs this space for debriefing and healing the wounds of every Nigerian. Our collective response to this gesture in honesty can actually build a more sustainable peace project in Nigeria. NIREC embraces more than the delegates of 25 Christians and 25 Muslims representatives in the meetings. Every Christian and every Muslim is a stakeholder in NIREC. The delegates take the message of peaceful co-existence from the meetings to the grassroots through the various Churches and Mosques. Let us take NIREC as our own.  Here again is what Pope John Paul II  told Muslims during his second visit to Nigeria to beatify Blessed Cyprian Iwene Tansi: “As Christians and Muslims, we share belief in "the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day" (Lumen Gentium, 16). Though we differ in the way we understand this One God, we are nevertheless akin in our efforts to know and follow his will. That religious aspiration itself constitutes a spiritual bond between Christians and Muslims, a bond which can provide a firm and broad-ranging basis for cooperation in many fields. This is important wherever Christians and Muslims live together. It is particularly important in Nigeria” (http://totus2us.com/universal/nigeria/jpii-pilgrim-visit-1998/). I pray that very soon we shall see one another as Nigerians irrespective of our religious and ethnic differences. 

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

 

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WHEN SALVATION IS PERSONAL

WHEN SALVATION IS PERSONAL

Fr. Cornelius Afebu Omonokhua

Each time I listen to Von Madonna’s music, DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA, there are lines that take me into the depth of my being. When I am misunderstood, I see meaning in this line: “It won't be easy, you think it's strange, when I try to explain how I feel”. When I am punished out of jealousy by those I have labored to give all my love and service, I could imagine the pain in the heart of Madonna in these lines: “And as for fortune and as for fame, I never invited them in though it seemed to the world they were all I desire. They are illusions,they're not the solutions they promise to be” (https://www.songtexte.com/songtext/madonna/dont-cry-for-me-argentina-7bd69ae4.html)! Only you can create happiness for yourself even when you sometimes look up to role models. You must never allow the behavior of a person no matter the rank and position determine who you are. The Psalmist is right that we must put no trust in princes, nor in a person, in whom there is no help. Happy is the person who trust only in God (Psalm 146:3-5). 

So many people in our world today are broken in body and mind! Their lives have been shattered into shreds because as young people, they looked up to their parents and relations. As adults, they looked up to their Superiors and Leaders. When thepeople you rely on for support as role models who could guide and guard you scandalize or fail you, remember these words of Jesus: “The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So practiceand observe everything they tell you. But do not do what theydo, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, burdensome loads and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them” (Matthew 23:2-4). Ideally, the people we look up to are supposed to be doers of the word, and not hearers only (James 1:22). They ought to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:14) but when their actions blaspheme the name of God (Romans 2:20-24), we should remember that each one of us will give an account of himself to God (Romans 14:12). 

The essence of life is salvation. According to the Catholic Catechism, God made us to know him, love him, serve him in this world and to be happy with him in the next. For Christians, salvation is found in no one else but Jesus Christ. There is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). No matter the scandal in the world and no matter where it is coming from, we must “believe in the Lord Jesus” (Acts 16:31) who has no record of scandal. Jesus has saved us and called us to a holy life not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time (2 Timothy 1:19). We can trust God only who appreciates our human dignity. In him alone we can find rest since our salvationcomes from him (Psalm 62: 1). Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus will be saved (Acts 2:21). When we are disappointed in those we put our trust, we must remember that evil people will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Make a difference by being a model whose action can bring people to God. Never allow anyone to encounter you and regret it. With your heart, you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved(Romans 10:10).

The problem with human beings is that many do not learn from experience. Otherwise, every human being would strive to be a saint given the awareness that no condition is permanent. A President today is not a president forever. A Superior today may be a servant tomorrow. There will come a time when no one will call you again especially when you are out of office. Worldly fame and riches pass away like shadows. This is why you must never fall and refuse to rise because of a person who thinks that he or she has all the powers in the world to break you. We are who we are and what we are by the grace of God. We must not oppress people and make their lives miserable when we are privileged to be in positions of authority. The grace of God that offers salvation to all people teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age” (Titus 2: 11-12). We need faith and patience in challenging moments knowing that “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

It is when we miss the authentic reason for our mission that we end up in a life of agony like a conquered slave who has no hope of freedom. In our various missions, the cross is not optional. If we unite all our sufferings, challenges and deprivations to the Crucified Jesus, we understand clearly the meaning of the narrow gate that leads to salvation and the gate that is wide and broad that leads to destruction. Small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it (Matthew 7:13-14).Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him in patience and perseverance (Hebrews 9:28). Our salvation thus has a dimension of personal relationship with Jesus just as Paul was not ashamed of the gospel which is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16) in all his sufferings in the hands of evil authorities. God demonstrated his own love for us while we were still sinners with the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who died for us (Romans 5:7-8).

In all the deprivations I have endured in life, I find the prophesy of Isaiah (chapter 53) about the suffering servant and Messiah very consoling and healing. The shortness of life and the absolute truth that this world is not a permanent home have beenmy inspiration to carry on in life. We must endure when we aredespised and rejected like the man of sorrows who was familiar with suffering (Isaiah 53:3). Just imagine the faith and hope expressed by a secular musician, Robert S. Kelly who believed that he could fly no matter the situation. He says in the music: “I used to think that I could not go on. And life was nothing but an awful song. But now I know the meaning of true love. I am leaning on the everlasting arms. If I can see it, then I can do it. If I just believe it, there is nothing to it.” “I believe I can fly; I believe I can touch the sky…”

Roy Kelly could have referred to secular love in his music but in our context, love is divine and immortal (1 Corinthians 13:13). We exist to love because "God is love" (1 John 4:8). When we are denied true love on earth, we must show the world that love exists and that we walk alone with God like a gallant hero. Akin to the footprints, the Lord keep saying to each one of us: “My precious child, I love you and would never leave you.  The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you." Do not give up because of the scandal from those who you look up to. Ignore the wrongs in the world and march gloriously into heaven where God is waiting for you. Make salvation your personal decision. 

Fr. Cornelius Omonokhua (omonokhuac@gmail.com; www.omonokhua.blogspot.com) 

 

 

 

 

 

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THE HOLY TRINITY AUDIO