This Christmas, and Nation Building -By Festus Ogun

Celebrating Xmas is not all about putting on our best attire and enjoying all its merriments. Christmas is not just about cracking the bones of turkey and chicken. It is more than dancing the Shokis and Azontos of our time. Xmas is more than emptying as many bottles of beer as possible or ‘handling’ a good number of girls.

Put simply, celebrating Xmas is not just about making fun out of the birth of the Messiah. It is more than that. That, which is more than, is the purpose of this piece.

To the best of my knowledge, a festivity is supposed to serve as a tool for national development and integration. Let me even say that religion, whose festivities is one of its important features, is meant to be a tool for social-cum-political development.

Unfortunately, in our country, neither religion nor its festivities have added any to national development. In the past years, religion festivities have been a moment of monumental disasters for many, instead of moments of joy. Bombing, armed robbery, fatal road accidents and so on occur intermittently. This is as a result of the harmful state of the economy which is caused, basically, by bad governance.

Christianity as a religion is supposed to serve as a nation-building tool. But in Nigeria, it is usually the other way round. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) under the leadership of Rev. Ayo Oritsajefor, is a testimony to this fact. Sadly, many of those who claim to be Men of God in the country are purely apolitical. Many hold the view that politics is not for the ‘Holy-Ones’ rather it is for the ‘People of the World’.

From the many conversations I’ve had with pastors, they claimed that building the nation was no business of theirs but the business of the politicians. One even said that he has never made mention of the name of the ‘country’ since the establishment of his church or business concern? Whichever one he calls it…

It even got to the extent that some of them don’t participate in electioneering processes. They believe governance is not for ‘them’ but the ‘People of the World’ and since they are not of or for the world, they abstain from the affairs of the state. They argue that with the way and manner politics is played in the country, it will be a disgrace them to ‘involve’ themselves in it.

It is an indisputable fact that politics in Nigeria is a dirty game. And these men of God, who claim to be with clean hands, would rather not deep their hands into dirty politics. And it won’t be deemed fit for them to mingle with the dirty ones so as not to blemish their holy state as potential inheritors of the Kingdom of God.

Incidentally, they have forgotten the fact that if the ‘People of the World’ are left to steer the affairs of the state, they may make obnoxious policies that won’t be of advantage to them (the Christians) and they will be left with no choice but disobeying these policies.

However, when the ‘Men of God’ involve themselves in nation building, they’ll, hopefully, make decisions that will suit the interest of the entire citizenry, thereby making for a better Nigeria. But, if the view is still held that governance is not for ‘them’, they shouldn’t complain if the economy sucks, for some of us are the real cause. How? Because we give chance to the ‘wrong’ ones to be in the corridors of power by not participating.

It will be very crucial to note that if we abstain from ‘governance’ and the economy is bad, it will in a way or the other affect the celebration of our festivals. In fact, it will hinder us from licking the expected milk of the season. For, if the environment is not an enabling one, how do we tend to celebrate our festivals?

The Christmas Season As A Case Study

The question to the celebrating Christians is: do we ever remember our country during the course of our celebration? Though, we claim to be happy, while the nation we live in is not happy at all? Many are jubilating the birth of Christ but forget to remember the country they live in. Is it even that they forget or they pretend to forget? Whatever the case maybe, it is at the detriment of the religion and by extension the festival celebrated.

The question that arises in the mind of some reader of this piece is that, how does one expect religion, which is the opium of the society, to serve as a weapon in nation building?

The tool used by Christians to fight any challenge is prayer. Nigeria is not left out. Nigeria needs prayer. Prayer for peace, against bribery, corruption, bad governance and so on. The general believe is that ‘prayer changes things’, so also, prayer can change Nigeria, if we do during this season and beyond.

Unfortunately, many of our Christians are too concerned about their personal issues. They only pray for themselves without remembering their country in prayer. The fact is that praying for Nigeria is one of the best way, I think, that Christians can use in contributing their quota to national development.

It is imperative to state that we can’t be praying for national development and we ourselves are not agent of change in our daily lives. As Christian who are praying for our own Jerusalem, we should also be good, patriotic and caring citizens of Nigeria.

Churches should also try as much as possible, in this season, to enlighten their members on the need to be good citizens of Nigeria. This can be done by organising seminars, workshops or even emphasising it during sermons or homilies, as the case maybe.

In respect of promoting national unity and integration, Christians should ensure that the fun and merriment should be spread out to others. Eating all the meals alone can’t do it all, give to your friends, family, the hungry, those from other religions, the Muslim brothers and finally to your enemy. Sharing the joy of the season to the above mentioned will also serve its purpose in nation building.

As we celebrate Christmas, let us forget not our country by doing a lot of praying, and sharing which are believed to be tools for nation building.

Festus Ogun is a Nigerian writer, blogger and socio-political commentator. He tweets @feogun.