In the noble words of the great writer Charles Dicken in Great Expectations ‘In a word, I was too cowardly to avoid doing what I knew to be wrong’ and this is the present situation of the Church of Christ in Nigeria. A cowardly church whose leaders are only brave to bind and cast out devils but physically full of fear to face the political peril that has devastated our great nation. A cowardly church that knows how to invite politicians to their Sunday services and spiritual Congress but will turn a blind eye when the same politicians are making bad laws that will erode the normalcy of lives of the citizens. A cowardly church that believes more in the power of God than political power while Walter Annenberg asserted that ‘the greatest power is not money power, but political power’. Political power is what the church of Christ needs to change the course of this great nation. Aghast, a thought foregone, forgotten, and forbidden for the church to continue to pray for politicians and the nation rather the church must deliberately involve in politics and get the vote of the people to change the nation. What use is of the prayer of a coward church? A church that will not act their prayers and leave everything for God thereby displaying the greatest height of social irresponsibility with the fray notions of treason. A coward church that believes that politics is a dirty game, a fight of blood and sweat yet the same church will pray for these dirty men in power to do clean things forgetting the theory of nature that likes beget like. Dirt will beget dirt. You can see that in the northern states that are mostly terrorized by terrorists and bandits.
Also, the cowardice of the church of Christ will prompt you to ask must the love of nation be stronger than the love of God? If it is the duty of every man to fight and defend their nation, why then is the church of Christ in Nigeria shying away from the reality of patriotism? There is a call for patriotism, patriots must arise from the church and fight to liberate this nation from the tight fist of crooked and cony men. The church must understand that by birth we are all patriots as citizens first before we became Christians – members of the church. If not cowardice that is ravaging the church, despite her strong followership and economic growths that have continue to spread in leaps and bounds has no direct
influence on our politics, lawmakers, and political leaders.
How in God’s name will the church established and fund big charity organizations to help the poor in Nigeria yet the church will do nothing politically to make sure these poor and defenseless citizens do not remain in their perpetual state of hopelessness. This is how our great nation failed. Nigeria is not a fail nation today only because of our bad and senseless political leaders but our church leaders contributed much to this failure. A church that has no firm, stable and united political front. The Pentecostals, Methodists, Catholics, and Baptists all have divergent political views and support bases. The most astonishing and surprising is for the church to continue to support sinners, men and women
whose intentions towards the political power they crave is for nothing but disaster and to fill their coffers.
On several occasions where pastors vie for political positions in Nigeria, the first enemy to kick against such a move is the church. Now you see why we are where we are as a nation. A cowardice church where the interest of Christ is allegedly poised by our church leaders to overshadow the interest of the nation. A coward church that sees politics as works of the flesh, the carnality of ambition, the psychology
of spirituality that only resides within the walls of the church, and that a Christian that wants to go into politics has to dine or about to dine with the devil. Ah! Is it not great and same time shameful that these men and women who have dinned with the devil in the name of politics just to secure political power make laws for the church which in turn directly or indirectly controls the church. Does this not go against the scripture that light is superior to darkness? How come the church which is the light is seated, controlled, maneuvered, manipulated against time and strategy, against the love of God and the love of nation by these supposedly evil men in politics. This is ignorance that is fed by cowardice that men in
dark places now make the laws through which the existence and establishments of the church rely on. Same men of the dark world now want to even collect tax from the church – the light of the world. What an iron!
Conclusively, the church of Christ in Nigeria must directly be involved in politics. Pastors, Apostles, prophets, and Bishops must be elected into political office. Just imagine if out of the 36 states in Nigeria 20 is governed by pastors or prophets as governors of these states. In retrospect, you will see the political dynamics if 70% of our Senators and Representatives are pastors and Christians filled with the Holy Spirit. The salvation of our great country does not reside on the intellectuals, men of discipline, and
career-oriented individuals or big corporate bodies but lies within the church. Until our pastors, Apostles, Bishops, and Prophets directly be involved in politics, elected to political positions, this nation will continue to remain a failed nation. Nigeria needs men and women of strong ethical principles to build the fallen walls of our great nation and you can only find these men in the church. Men are covered with the dust of fear and the pretense that every man must dine with the devil to attain any meaningful political position in this country. These and many more are the spurious lies
postulated by Christian bigots who are more of religiousness than practicing real Christianity. They are many ways the church can directly be involved in politics and elected into political office.
Where is the courage of the church like that of Elijah who not only confronted king Ahab but also acted politics and see the redemption of the land? Nigeria pastors must not only stop at criticizing governments and politicians on the altar but they must get involved in real politics and save the soul of our great
nation, Nigeria.