WHY I'VE BEEN SAD

Lately I’ve been saddened by something going on around me. It’s not new, in fact it’s been going on for decades. But the sadness came because I’ve concerned myself with things I stopped concerning myself with a long time ago i.e the matters of the modern Churches in Nigeria. I stopped worrying about these things a long time ago because it brings so much sadness, but once in a while I can’t escape it.

What really worries me is the amount of opulence, sophistication and excellence they display in the face of the extreme poverty and squalor we see every day. It worries me that while they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars buying planes, booking five-star hotels and acquiring the latest LED lights and stages, there are millions of people in their churches and in the country jobless and almost hopeless. Most of these people only need a little skills acquisition training and start up money; All for less than a Hundred dollars. We have people dying of malaria and other easily curable diseases that could be helped with less than 10 dollars. Even if these Pastors and the congregants who support them financially do not want to abandon the structures they put up. If they feel like they want to hold worship services with all the trappings of a Daft Punk Coachella concert (after all, it’s their money and they can do whatever they want with it), why can’t they think of helping these people alongside their plans to build monuments and empires? Its very worrisome.  How can they be so comfortable living large and driving past these same poor people in their Rolls Royce, Lamborghinis and Benzes? What’s more? These Churches actually believe they’re doing the right thing. They actually believe that they are propagating the Gospel and “making the Kingdom attractive” by taking care of themselves and their business empires.

But God has a way of balancing things out, he began to show me two things that led to a radical conclusion. The first thing he showed me was that not all “Mega-Churches” are like this. There are many Churches around the world doing great things for the poor and downtrodden; Clothing them, providing food, shelter, medical services and education. Some of them publicise it, others don’t, but they do exist. In Nigeria, there are a few "big" Churches that do this work very commendably, and many “smaller” assemblies that do it as well.

The second thing that I found out is that there are so many organizations and individuals who have taken it upon themselves to render help. Of course it’s not enough; these are issues that can only be eradicated by governmental structures and real economic stability and growth (not those numbers the Central Bank of Nigeria and their cronies put out that mean nothing to regular people). But these organisations exist and they are doing the best they can.  They are people from all works of life and faiths; Christians, Muslims, African religion adherents, atheists and agnostics etc. all doing their bit to help their fellow man and love their neighbors.

This brought me to this sobering conclusion, the Lord is not sitting around waiting for the Church to establish his Kingdom. He is moving right along, working with as many as are willing to work with him to make this world a better place. There’s something Dr C. Baxter Kruger says that has stuck with me; when we see people moved with compassion towards the poor, the ecosystem, or the sick; when we are moved with love for our spouses and our children; when we find ourselves enjoying play or music or art. All those feelings emanate from Christ. He is the one who fills the ecologist with a passion for preserving the earth. He is the one who inspires the philanthropist and the doctors to have a deep sadness when they see pain and suffering, he is the source of my desire to see minds transformed and souls find healing from their brokenness. None of these things originate from us. Jesus is filling us with his compassion. Whether they be Muslims, atheists, agnostics and so on, any good we display is of God and is for the propagation of his Kingdom.

So, while I still feel sad about these Churches with clearly misplaced priorities(in my opinion), I am quite confident that the Father, Son and Spirit are constantly working in all humanity to bring Peace and Justice to the World and I look forward to the full and final renewal of all things.