‘Do not be afraid-I am with you! I am your God-let nothing terrify you! I will make you strong and help you; I will protect and save you’ (Isaiah 41: 10)
As Nigeria marches forward into a new democratic political dispensation (a decisive turning point in the political life of the nation), our citizens want sincere and responsible leadership that will transparently and openly, address the real concerns, interest, needs and aspirations of Nigerians, with a view of shaping and setting a firm foundation for an enduring and fruitful political future. Although, in the last couple of years we experienced so many grave problems but with great prospects too, when we saw many starving eyes and malnourished bodies, staggering steps, broken hearts and lonely faces, and many of our people with unfulfilled dreams and dashed hopes; we must trust God and learn from the past and present experiences while daring to explore new ways of national and global collaboration in areas of common concern for the common good such as development, human dignity, dialogue, justice and peace, security, education for democracy and environmental issues.
There is still great hope even though lots of negative emotions accompanied the 2011 post election crisis period that witnessed an unprecedented scale of destruction of life and property in some parts of the country- bitterness, hardship, frustration, disappointment, despair, fear, doubt and the desire for revenge. These negative experiences affect our peoples thinking and create a hurtful pattern that can play in a persons’ brain like a tape which triggers anxiety in the heart of the listener. People ruled by these feelings often make poor choices. We must identify the root causes of our national fears and anxieties, reject all our unhealthy thought pattern and replace them with God’s assurances and promises of hope and blessing.
The Lord promises strength, help and protection to His people ‘Do not be afraid-I am with you! I am your God-let nothing terrify you! I will make you strong and help you; I will protect and save you’ (Isaiah 41: 10). Therefore, seeking an anchor in turbulent times and even in the most darkest hour is very important to stay on track. The evil one knows that fear can choke our faith in God. Satan works hard to make unsettling circumstances our sole focus. So let us not allow our diseases to ravage our national psyche to the point of permanent deformity. Admittedly, we have brought a mixture of shame and hope to our nation, but we are not beyond redemption.
Yes we must respond to troubled times with praise instead of lamentation. Worshipping and praising the Lord enlarges our visions, dispels our doubts, eases our frustration and spur us to commit our future plans in God hands. It is hard to despair while honoring and praising the Lord for His love and strength. Our lives in this new dispensation of change and transformation must be radically different. We should be grateful to God for our corporate existence as a nation and thank Him for his overflowing abundant blessings. Now, I think is the time for wise and accountable stewardship. Our new government must operate on the basis of transparency, integrity, humility, innovation, excellence and accountability. The present leadership should do all in her power to strive for the highest standard of stewardship of God’s resources, ensure security and honor God in all things. Accountability and responsibility is an imperative and we should continue to do our utmost as a people to serve God faithfully.
In his speech after he took the oath of office for a four year tenure on May 29, 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan said: ‘Today our unity is firm, and our purpose is strong. Our determination unshakable. Together, we will unite our nation and improve the living standards of all our peoples whether in the North or in the South; in the East or in the West. Our decade of development has begun. The march is on. The day of transformation begins today. We will not allow anyone exploit differences in creed or tongue, to set us one against another. … The time for lamentation is over. This is the era of transformation. This is the time for action. But Nigeria can only be transformed if we all play our parts with commitment and sincerity. Cynicism and skepticism will not help our journey to greatness. Let us all believe in a new Nigeria. Let us work together to build a great country that we will be proud of. This is our hour’.
The march is on. The battle is ongoing and it rages not just in the realms of education, science, politics and finances but also within every human heart. Now is the time to rescue our people from hunger, deprivation, endemic diseases and illiteracy. Now is the time to fight against the selfish struggle for wealth domination. So let us not allow our diseases to ravage our national psyche to the point of permanent deformity. Let us feel challenged in the new democratic dispensation to greater commitment towards the social welfare of our people, equity, adequate distribution of goods and services and improving the quality of life and living standard of our citizens. Now is the moment of decision and not lamentation! As we march forward with faith and praise, we should take to heart the words of assurance from God in (Isaiah 41:10) ‘Do not be afraid-I am with you! I am your God-let nothing terrify you! I will make you strong and help you; I will protect and save you’.
Rev. Fr. Michael Adefemi Adegbola, Director Media Service Centre, writes from Kaduna Nigeria
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