Memo to the Nigerian church

I cannot tell for sure if there is anything called the Nigerian church in its strict sense. I know the Christian Association of Nigeria, and the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria are umbrella bodies for Christians of different persuasions in the country. However, the effectiveness of these institutions, given the cacophony of voices, unbridled competition, and overwhelming permissive environment where everyone does what they like without consequences, impugns on the relevance of these bodies. I am willing to be corrected.

Almost daily lately, some news about the Christian faith that causes some discomfort in adherents breaks. Some of these are plainly criminal, and when such happens, nothing should stop the security agencies from invoking the relevant laws against their perpetrators. That is whether they are pastors, bishops, archbishops or whoever. The truth is that clerics, regardless of what spiritual heights they may have attained or laid claim to, are essentially human and susceptible to temptations and pressures like all mortals. Societies establish laws for good governance, welfare and security of citizens, and anyone who defies those laws should face the music regardless of who they are. That the law has become a toy in the hands of the powers-that-be in Nigeria is another issue entirely.

That said, the concern here is about commissions and omissions that aren’t necessarily criminal but do not also reflect the person of Christ as is expected of anyone who calls oneself a faithful and, more so, servant of God.

One of the most common things I heard about faith when I was growing up was an expression, which suggested that only God knows those who serve Him indeed.

Growing up, I had a challenge with this line of thought. I imagined that if you serve God, you would have a witness in yourself and not need God to validate you. I also thought that people around you must see the evidence of your convictions and know that you are a faithful follower of the God that you claim to worship. Character is, after all, like smoke, which cannot be hidden. I guess this is what the Bible describes as fruits of the Spirit; these direct your manner of speech and conduct such that you are the fragrance of Christ unto the world! The character issue is as critical as for Apostle Peter to have admonished wives about how much of their behaviour without words can win over their unbelieving husbands to the faith. So, it shouldn’t be difficult to know for yourself that you are a committed follower of Christ.

I, however, soon realised that this expression was not in such a literal sense. I discovered that it was an appreciation of the almightiness of God. It is the humble reflection of man’s submission to the finality of God’s sagacity and a check on the tendency of man’s ego to overreach and boast about his assumed piousness. We do not hear much of those types of thinking in Christendom today, which is why so many church leaders appear to be building personal kingdoms where they see themselves as all in all!

But it is not just about building kingdoms. Worse is the entrapment, which now obviously leads people who should reflect Christ into unhelpful ego trips and exhibitionism. Jesus could own anything he wanted to own, but he chose to lead a humble and lowly life to accomplish His purpose. Each time I come across this ostentatious display of acquisitions by men of God, I remember Paul’s counsel to followers of Christ in Philippians 2: 5-9. It is recorded in the New Kings James Version (NKJV) as follows: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” These days, men of God, who should mirror Christ, do not just boast about their accomplishments. They flaunt it to the point of narcissism and sometimes disparage or condemn those who cannot achieve the feats that they expect.

Now, this is another problematic point. The very basis of Christianity is love. Jesus said to the law expert that the greatest commandment is to love God and love your neighbour. He concluded this intervention by saying: “All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.” Christ further emphasised this in Chapter 15 of the same Gospel Book of John, where he encouraged his followers to love one another and indicated that there could be no greater love than what he offered by laying down his life for his friends. The book of John also says that God’s love for humanity motivated Him into sending His Son into the world.

But what do we see from a lot of those who profess to be shepherds today? First, the manipulation of souls into the submission of their hard-earned resources and the wanton parade of wealth before the multitude of people struggling to make ends meet. The reckless display of wealth amid deprivation is an evil that the church should stand firm against, but it is, in fact, one of the worst perpetrators of the act. No decorum, no consideration for those whose fortune Nigeria has stagnated for no fault of theirs. So, what manner of the gospel is that?

Many clerics make it look like success defined by wealth is the ticket to heaven, which leads a lot of their followers without knowledge into all sorts of temptations.  Yet, these religious leaders know that the contemplation of God’s love is that which does not parade itself; is not puffed; does not keep scores of wrongs but hopes and endures all things. But they deny their congregations of such teachings, which unbelievers should see, and get attracted to the faith.  What has become the fad is the gospel of arrogance and self-adoration, which does not only fail to win new converts but sends believers out of the church!

However, the point that not every problem with the church starts and ends with leaders needs to be made here. First off, the conduct or misconduct of pastors leading anyone out of the faith indicates the lame and sometimes unproductive memberships in many worship places. Those who sit in the pews in churches have assumed that their leaders are gods because they are not adequately taught and have also refused to dig into the Bible and develop their capacities and knowledge of the God they serve. Anyone who takes time to meditate personally would not renounce their faith on the score of the misbehaviour or even wrong teaching they receive from any pastor. Every Christian must realise that faith is personal and that one person’s failure is not an excuse for another.

Therefore, everyone who professes the name of Christ must again reassess their lives and relationships.

For instance, if every Christian in Nigeria were to live the way God expects them to, we would have a much saner country. See this warning to Christians in 1Peter 3: 8-12: “…finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tender-hearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you might inherit a blessing….”

Sadly, few pastors are currently teaching these things, and even more sadly, fewer Christians take the very simple ordinance as seriously as familiarising themselves. Rather than walk the narrow path that guarantees better life and eternity for everyone, we are all caught in the rat race of life, running after riches and all the comforts that they bring. For that, we are willing to sacrifice anything and everything. The spirit of money now rules Nigeria, people want to make money without working, and the church has aided the madness through some of its doctrines and conduct. So, you wonder if it is possible to serve God and serve mammon at the same time. On the final analysis, let all those who boast about their earthly riches and tell bogus stories to entice men have a rethink and remember that life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. Let him who thinks he stands, take heed.

Twitter:@niranadedokun