By Moses Audi, Ph. D.
Introduction
The doctrines of incompatibility are not new to this generation. In the world of science at the turn of the millennium, it was a common parlance to hear the expression “the 2yk non-compliant” computers. That is not the beginning of the discussion of the non-compliance in the history of humanity. The topic above addresses two fundamental issue of non-compliance. Since the divine introduction of diversity of human cultures as a result of the consequence of human depravity at Babel (Gen 11), the tension has existed in the discussion of ethnicity.
Can humanity become compatible along ethnic lines? The answer to this question is no. Could global unity be achieved? The answer to this question too is no. Is there a need to pursue a response to the challenge of plurality in our world? The answer to this question is yes. The Bible tells us that unity in Christ is achievable and God desires that for the Church. For as many as will yield themselves to the Lordship of Christ, they can be united and should work to present the gospel to all in the world. In presenting the gospel is found the key for unity in diversity and transformation of our society.
This essay therefore sets out to present a biblical proposal for the response to the ethno-religious conflict in our time, especially as expressed in Nigeria. There is much to desire of the Church in its ways of handling the challenge of plurality. The Church cannot wait for compliance before it will take its responsibility to the world.
The Nature of Ethno Religious Challenge Facing the Nigerian Church
In another article, I have noted the pluralistic nature of the Nigerian society. “Ethnic plurality exists everywhere in the world. In Nigeria, ethnic plurality cuts across local, regional and national levels. At the local level, it is exceptional villages that are homogeneous. The towns and cities are all heterogeneous…. Even in the Southwest (which is most homogeneous part of the country), no town or city can be strictly described as homogeneous.… (In Nigeria life is) intertwined socially, residentially, institutionally, organizationally, economically, politically, colonially and spiritually” across cultural boundaries (Audi, 2004, 31-41). In all the pluralities expressed above, two most important aspects of the plurality concerns ethnicity and religion. These two areas permeate all other aspects of the Nigerian society and chart the course or at least the tendencies in the other aspects of the plurality.
The ethnic and religious challenge facing Nigeria is common knowledge to those living in the country or having the privilege of reading the news at home and abroad both in hard print and internet information forums. Since 1982, Nigeria has experienced religious unrests, especially in the Northern parts. Most of the conflicts start with the religious undertone and receives the regional and then ethnic coloration. These unrests have re-awoken the rather dormant ethnic difference that had lead to inter-tribal wars before and during the colonial era as well as the subsequent civil war in the late sixties and early seventies. The tension of the merger of the North and South and the general domination of the North in the political leadership of the country encouraged by the soft spot from the transition from the colonial leadership to national leadership by the time of the independence in 1960.
These conflicts have produced even political conflicts in direct ways. The call for the government to take over Christian schools; the clamour for sharia law in a religiously pluralistic state; the call for the establishment of Islamic banks; etc, are very obvious effects besides many others that undergird election motives, quota systems in appointment of officers over against competence among others. Developments like these need not surprise Christians. Rather, the Christians should go back to the basics of their responsibility to the lost world in need of the salvation that only Jesus can offer. They are bound to come. The Church only need to return to the Bible and see the direction it should take in its response to the inevitable challenge of plurality of cultures and religions.
In reflecting on the appropriate response to the challenge stated above, it is essential to say something about the response of the government of Nigeria and the Church that is observable or popular. This reflection is done from the point of view of assessing its appropriateness in providing a solution or compatibility to the missionary mandate of the Church. It will be unrealistic however to set out in this paper to provide a comprehensive representation of the response from these two perspectives –i.e., the State and the Church. What is considered in this presentation is that which is obvious to anyone reflecting of the response to the challenge of plurality in Nigeria. It is assumed that there will be, in isolated and unpopular forms, responses especially by Christian groups that would be biblically acceptable.
The Inadequacy of the Response Provided
To the challenge of ethno-religious conflict in Nigeria, there is the response by the government and the response by the Church. On the part of the government of Nigeria, the response given include: instituting investigation bodies; humanitarian support; drafting of security agencies; and, giving promises that the perpetrators will be sought and prosecuted. This often never materialized. There are efforts at constituting bodies to investigate the expressions of violence. Such efforts often end up in not finding the perpetrators or in the releasing those caught by the security agencies for one reason or another. In many instances, the public in left in the dark as to what was found and what were done by both the investigating body and the government.
Nigerian Compass 21th June, 2011 for instance followed up on the issue of the State Government legislating on taking Christian schools over again with reactions from Christian leaders against it. There are many instances like this where no one will now what is finally done. In the resent the news media reports the Nigerian government going into partnership with the US government to seek solution to terrorist experience especially following the Boko Haram bombing of the UN building in Abuja. The country is yet to see the result of this effort put in place. These reveal that the government is not silent to the challenge of the ethno-religious violence in the nation. The effort has however not yielded the desired result of peaceful co-existence. The government has given some humanitarian support to the regions with the violence; though there is evidence at least in the media reports that the distribution has been inappropriate as it favours one party over the other. Various state governments have also evacuated their citizens from the volatile areas. A case in point is the evacuation of the citizens of other states from Adamawa; this leaves the people of that state to their fate even if they are not part of the violent insurgents.
The crisis like this to this writer start as religious conflict and the rest of the country begins to add the ethnic sentiments as if to say that the ethnic lines define the religious lines. So, the tendency of concluding that the crisis is ethnic or regional have made the response of the government as well as that of the Church grossly inappropriate. A significant section of the affected areas become victims on three fronts. Take for example, A Christian in the North where Islamic violence erupts is opposed by the Muslims in his region or tribe, opposed by the ethnic groups from other regions and also opposed by the Christians of other regions. A close illustration I witnessed was when the crisis in the Northern part in the 1990s erupted, some Northerners in the south among whom there was Christian ministry were threatened with retaliation for the southerners killed in the North. Though Christian, many of them were forced to return to the North where they knew they are a target of the Islamic insurgence as Christians.
We cannot expect the government to give the response that is churchly especially as a free state. Their task should be about providing the most conducive environment for the citizen as best as they can. The need on the other hand is for the Church to pray for the leaders as it is God who put them there to administer justice and provide security as best they can.
On the other hand, the Church is also giving some form of response. The Churches have also given some level of humanitarian support of various forms. There is the supply of food, clothing or even evacuation. There is little or no difference between the response of the Church and the response of the state. Through both fora, there are agitations for violent response to the ethno-religious conflicts that face the country. As a result, there are instances of appraisals. These have not brought solution to the problem.
In the search for a solution, there are some calls to actions such as the following: First there are many in the country who calls for division of the country on the news media as individuals. Those in this category feel that when the country divides, there will be peace in the country. Such may make reference to countries where division seem to have brought some kind of peace like the Soviet Union, The Koreas and Germany. The second call is the destruction of the initiators of the conflicts and their sponsors. The third which is from the Church is the homogeneous church life.
The Bible way of Responding to the Ethno-Religious Challenge
In this section I intent to propose something not totally new. I intent to call the attention of the Church to the response in the Bible as expressed in the life of the Early Church. The response as proposed below may even be observable in small measure within the Nigerian Society. The desire here is to clarify what the response is and call for the need to widely embrace it; thereby giving courage to those attempting such response amidst pressures not to. Before looking at the response, there is the need to affirm that ethno-religious plurality and conflict cannot be eradicated in the world. Ethnic conflict will even remain within the Church as was the case of the Early Church. To this the Early Church instituted the office of the deacons (see Acts 6:1ff). To this challenge, the Church today is going homogeneous with the claim that it had a biblical precedence. It is not far fetched to counter this claim from the Bible. Paul encouraged the Romans and Corinthians not to allow eating meat and observing the law to divide them along ethnic differences (Rom 14; 1 Cor 8). Paul also encouraged the Ephesians to focus on the oneness of faith, baptism, calling, hope, spirit and the Lordship of Christ and fatherhood of God rather than on the things that divide them (Eph 4:1ff). Bellow are some specific aspects of the response expected of the Church.
The first response of the Church is love. The expression of love comes in two phases here -the love expression within the body and the love expression towards those outside the body. In both Jesus and Paul we find the example and premonition for both as part of godly attribute in the people of God. Jesus prays for the disciples and for those who will believe in their message to be one as a sign that God sent him as the saviour of the world. This oneness is founded in the love they have for one another (John 17). Paul also prays for the believer and here is one example:
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph 3:14-19 NIV)
In both examples, the faith in Christ is tied to love and unity within the body of Christ- the Church. It is the first step in providing a lasting solution to the question of plurality.
The second dimension of love in both Jesus and Paul concerns loving the ‘enemies’ and the unsaved. Jesus taught us to love those who hate us and oppose us. He demonstrated the same love by asking for the forgiveness of those who maltreated him (Mat 5:43-48; Luke 23:34). Paul also states: “bless those who persecute you; bless and do not course” (Rom 12:14). He further encourages not to revenge but to take care of our enemies and to overcome evil with good (Rom 12:17-21).
Second aspect of the response of the Church is praying for them that persecute us. In addition to what is already stated above about loving which includes praying for those who persecute the Church, the experience of Steven comes to mind (Acts 7:60).
In the third place the Church is called to do ‘good.’ It was the intention of Jesus when he admonished: “Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deeds, and praise your father in heaven” (Mat 5:16). Paul and states: “16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17 NIV). By this, the Church has all it takes and is expected to do good to all. Another expression in the book of Peter crowns this very well: “12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us” (1 Peter 2:12 NIV).
Fourth the Church need to affirm that their ignorance is responsible for their action; hence, the need to forgive them. The prayer of the disciples in Act 4 reiterates this. They are doing what they are doing out of ignorance, so they asked for the boldness to keep preaching because that is the only way their ignorance can be cured. Jesus stated that knowing the truth sets free (John 8:32). In another context Jesus describe the crowd as sheep without shepherd. This underscores unintentional remaining in the wrong, needing guidance (Mat 9:36).
In the Sixth place, the responsibility of the Church is to evangelize the unsaved across pluralistic boundaries. Paul says that he became all thing to all people that he may win them to Christ (1 Cor 9:19-22). There is the need to do away with any strategy or tendency that undermines the urgency and need to reach out to any segment of society with the gospel message. The more pluralistic the Church mission is, the better the respondents become sensitive to the needs of those who are different and the more they become sensitive to the unsaved outside their ethnic contexts (See Audi, 2011).
Seventh, to pray for strength to stand in the face of the challenges to our faith and the grace to accept what it takes to be true to Christ and the boldness to keep preaching the good news. The Early Church did this when they were persecuted.
24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:
"'Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.'
27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." (Acts 4:24-30 NIV)
Eighth dimension of the response is to take the teaching, discipline and leadership development in the Church as an inevitable task. Jesus committed the whole of the time to train the twelve for the work after him. Paul admonished Timothy to train people who will carry on the work of the ministry in different places (2 Tim 2:2).
Ninth, to re-establish oneness of those who are in Christ no matter where they are coming from and whichever culture they belong to. The Bible has this to say:
12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink (1 Cor 12:12-13 NIV).
26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise (Gal 3:26-29 NIV).
This is an issue that the leadership of the Church need to work hard on in our generation. Even though a reconsideration of the ‘slave-master’ relationship is said to have faded away, the discomfort and the suspicion with which people consider each other across racial and tribal lines, leaves much to be desired. It makes for shift of blame resulting going separate ways by feeling the ‘others’ are not accommodating without realizing that two wrongs cannot make a right.
In the tenth place, the Church should be the source of encouragement to those who are facing persecution and to pray for them. Below, Paul asked for prayer in the face of persecution.
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. 3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. 5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone (Col 4:2-6 NIV).
This kind of prayer is for open door for the gospel, encouragement, sustenance of the believers and courage to keep on preaching the gospel.
Eleventh, the Church needs to accept opposition to our faith as inevitable if we truly live the Christ-like life. Jesus affirmed unequivocally that those who follow him will be persecuted and will need to carry their cross daily and not be ashamed of him (Mark 8:34-38). Jesus further states:
20 Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates me hates my Father as well (John 15:20-23 NIV).
Our response taking note of all enumerated above is crucial. It might be noted here that a possible reaction to this suggestion is to say that this is ‘easier said than done!’ It is true; we need to ask for the grace of God to be able to do it. The Early Church was able to live it; and it is instrumental to the astronomical growth of the faith in their time.
Conclusion
There is the need to accept the ethno-religious conflicts of our day as an expression of persecution. The Church cannot do away with persecution as long as all did not accept the message of salvation in the world. Dividing the country does not bring a solution either. The religious landscape in Nigeria is not organized along ethnic lines. As such, re-division into ethnic regions will not solve the problem of persecution. Not one of the resultant divisions will be free from either the religious or the ethnic plurality in a nation of over four hundred cultures. Additionally, the homogeneous expression of Churching will not solve our problem but compound it. As I discussed in another publication (Audi 2003), homogeneity reduces the sensitivity and concern of the unsaved as long as they are not ‘part of us’ culturally. It hinders cross-cultural mission as well and makes the Christians in the non- Christian dominated areas isolated to face their own challenge alone. It also survives on false premise that the region with Christian dominance today will remain so even if the Church is not evangelizing, planting Churches and discipline believers. The history of global Christianity should disabuse our minds from such costly assumption.
There is the need to note that the Early Church thrived through ethno-religious conflicts similar to ours. They did not take our kind of steps enumerated above, rather sought and received guidance of God which remain our true solution even today. The Early Church did not embrace homogeneity; rather God revealed and taught them to go heterogeneous. The Greek, god-fearers and Jewish conflicts reflects ethnic conflicts while the Early Church and everyone else reflects religious conflicts. We all are aware of the outlaw that Christianity was the first three hundred years of its existence. In the pluralistic state that we are, in spite of the challenges, give the Church a presence which when utilized becomes basis for missionizing Nigeria and Africa at large. This will position the Nigerian Church to be part of the Southern hemisphere that remains the hope of Christianity in the twenty first century (see Walls and Ross 2008, Sanneh 2003). On the contrary, if the division is pursued, some of its resultant parts are likely to become closed to the gospel message adding to the current 10-40 windows with its religious intolerance.
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Additional reading
Audi, Moses. An Evaluation of the Homogeneous Presupposition in African Mission. Ibadan: O’dua Printing Press, 2003.
_________. ‘The Challenge of Cross-Cultural Mission in the Twenty-First Century.’ In Theology in Practice: Essays in Honour of Rev. Dr. David Adegboyega Adeniran. Edited by Stephen O. Ayankeye and Emiola Nihinlola. Ibadan: Sceptre Prints Limited, 2010.
_________. “Doing Cross-cultural Missions in Nigeria.” In Ecclesiastes:The Preacher, the Church and the Contemporary Society. Edited by Ademola Ishola and Deji Ayegboyin. Ibadan: Baptist Press (Nig.) Limited, 2006.
_________. “Ethnic Plurality and Church Planting in Nigeria.” BETFA Issue no. 3, 2004 (pp. 31-41).
_________. “Heterogeneity and the Nature of the Church: A Biblical and Theological Reflection” In Contemporary Issus in Systematic Theology: An African Christian Perspective. Edited by Moses Audi, Olusayo Oladejo, Emiola Nihinlola and John Enyinnaya. Ibadan: Septre, 2011.
Bowersock, G. W. Martyrdom and Rome. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Ide, Arthur Frederick. Martyrdom of Women: A Study of Death Psychology in the Early Christian Church to 301CE. Garland: Tangelwuld, 1985.
Pit, Jan. Persecution: It Will Never Happen Here? Orange: Open Door With Brother Andrew International, 1981.
Sanneh, Lamin. Whose Religion is Christianity? The Gospel Beyond the West. Grand Rapids: Wm B. Eerdmans, 2003.
Schlossberg, Herbert. A Fragrance of Oppression: The Church and Its Persecutors. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1991.
Shea, Nina. In the Lion’s Den: A Shocking Account of Persecution and Martyrdom of Christians Today and How We Should Respond. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1997.
Walls, Andrew and Cathy Ross, eds. Mission in the 21st Century: Exploring the Five Marks of Global Mission. Maryknoll: Orbis, 2008.
Workman, Herbert B. The Martyr of the Early Church. London: Charles and Kelly, 1913.
Wurmbrand, Richard. If That Were Christ Would You Give Him Your Blanket? Waco:Word Books, 1970.
_________. Tortured For Christ. 6th Edition. Middlebury: Living Sacrifice Books, 1990.
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