For quite some time, Nigeria has been afflicted by what medics would have, perhaps, diagnosed as ‘buhariac jonathanisis’. It is mental cirrhosis induced by Muhammadu Buhari-Goodkuck Jonathan political barracuda that refuses to go away. The more Nigerians try to get away from it, the deeper they sink and stink. Nobody has been able to escape the scourge, the ding dong ruckus in the past three years, not even Christians, the salt of the earth.
In ordinary parlance, ‘buhariac jonathanisis’ is politics, which is all-consuming passion for Nigerians. This topic is to examine what the role of a Christian should be in politics.
Of course, Christians should be involved in politics. In fact, it is an obligation to do so.
Romans 13:17 and 1 Peter 2:17 mandate the Christian to respect and honour the state, which is represented by those in authority whom the scriptures also enjoin Christians to pray for. The Christian is also to obey laws of the land according to Titus 3:1, 1 peter 2:13-17 and Romans 13:1-7.
Do all these translate to involvement in politics? To a great extent it does because the Christian in exercising his obligations to the state must consider the personality of those in authority to ensure that they do not vote in monsters that may turn around to haunt the church. We have to understand that whatever happens in the society, good or bad equally affects the Christian and the church, hence the need for the Christian to pay attention to who governs the state. The oft quoted biblical saying that when the righteous is on the throne, the people rejoice justifies this.
To get involved in politics, the Christian should register and obtain his voter’s card and vote on Election Day. If he is up to it, he is free to vie for elective office. However, electoral contest is no-go area for the ministers of gospel, otherwise known as pastors.
The reason is simple; the office of a pastor is divine and higher than political office. He should be shepherding God’s flock, including the political office holders. Seeking political office and even getting elected into one is demotion and insult to divine office and to God who elevated him into His calling.
Moreover, politics being what it is, a lot of muck raked up would surely splash on the servant-of-God-turned servant of man and that would impugn the reputation of the church.
We currently have a case where a highly revered and thoroughbred professional and pastor was lured into high political office. He has been busy of late defending the indefensible, churning out falsehoods effortlessly. This is not good for image of the church, even though the church did not send him nor is he its representative in government.
A pastor is like a father of all and should offer prayers for those who come for it. He is not to endorse any candidate or party because his church obviously is made up of people with varied political persuasions. He should be apolitical and discreet in his admonishment.
When a man of God becomes diarrheic with his mouth, he begins to assume authorship of his message instead of the messenger that he is; that becomes a problem.
That was how one of them was rubbished when he opposed Goodluck Jonathan and now singing a different song about the Muhammadu Buhari he ‘prophesied’ into office; and now people doubt the god he speaks for. He has been accused of blackmail and ill motives.
I am not really sure how right it is to use God’s pulpit to pray against any politician like is sometimes being done in Buhari’s case. The lanky General would definitely not be president without God’s approval. God has His reasons for allowing Buhari to be there for now, either for punishment of a recalcitrant nation or for whatever. God may raise a torn to torment a sinful nation even though he may eventually uproot that torn, as in the case of Ahab and Jezebel. 1Kings 16: 30-33.
Those praying Buhari’s ouster may be praying amiss if God is not yet done with him. God abhors malicious prayers and won’t answer such. David had many opportunities to kill King Saul, who was intent on terminating his life but he would not. At the fullness of time, God snuffed life out of Saul for David to ascend the throne.
What’s the big deal about Buhari anyway that they want him out by fire by force? How about the many ‘Christians’ around him, including his deputy who is even a pastor? They are sitting pretty and refuse to see or hear any evil because of the king’s porridge they are eating. It would be unfair and unjust to nail only Buhari; that is hypocritical and the reason God will not answer those prayers.
Furthermore, it is not acceptable for Christians to canvass bloc vote for a ‘Christian’ candidate either. By the way, is he is a Christian just by name? Sorry, Christianity involves much more than mere name and occupying high office or front pew in church.
Rising active attachment to politics and government is not healthy for the Christian, especially pastors, period. We must strike a balance, focused on sanitising governance and enthroning rectitude. It does not follow that a Christian in power will make better president. Olusegun Obasanjo was there before Goodluck Jonathan, yet people agonised and are still picking holes in the governments they led, same way they are doing with Buhari’s.
The concern of the Christian should not really be to occupy the plum office. Rather to prayerfully consider the emergence of a leader, who will please God irrespective of the faith he professes.
The Christian should seek God’s forgiveness for abandoning our first love. Then he should use his voter’s card to reject that candidate that opposes the supremacy of freedom of worship. Then he should resist any candidate that scoffs at the protection of life and its sacredness. Then he can now vote out any candidate for whom justice for all means nothing. Then he should oppose any candidate that does not value the traditional family but is sold on twisted sexual preferences of homosexuality and lesbianism. Then he can scuttle the ambition of any candidate who would not promote the virtues of honesty, integrity, love and unity. That candidate does not have to be Buhari. Our fixation on Buhari may even make a worse candidate to sneak in on us unawares.
The early church was not this distracted by politics. Jesus never had a political party. His focus with his apostles was to enthrone righteousness upon the earth and He succeeded in bringing about real CHANGE to the world that altered all lives forever.
We have lost our compass as Christians and have become more political than politicians in virtually all that we do, even inside the Church, while souls perish. That is our albatross, not Buhari. If he is, God knows what to do with him. First things first… Let’s return to God and He will return to us as He promised and our joy shall be full; His name glorified. Zechariah 1:3