By Sen. Ita Enang
Let me appreciate the leadership of the church and in particular those of the synod of the North for inviting me to deliver this keynote address, indeed an opportunity for role reversal. I am to speak on Living by the Word of God in the 21st Century: Matters Arising, and in accord with the 2018 theme of our church.
I am conscious that this strictu sensu is not a Sermon, but an expose of the theme. Living by the word of God in the 21st century means living the Christian life in contemporary times prepared by the environment, adapting to evolution of society, technology, modernity and generational shift.
That being so, your personal orientation, doctrinal training and delivery to your congregation and the ministered must be compliant with the environment and circumstances of your flock. Your parishioners should as they leave the Church or you conclude your ministration feel words that sooths their soul and encourages them to hold on or change course.
When you examine the Holy Bible, you observe that the narration of the prophets were in the circumstances of their environment and civilisation at that time, namely:
1)Transportation was by animal on land or Water ways by sea: no cars, bicycle or aircraft.
2) Predominant occupation was rearing of animals, cropping the land and conquering territories for land to feed their flock and raise the population and not modern engineering or ICT. They had no yam or cassava at the time but what their land could, etc.
When you examine the hymns, it is evident that most were composed in Europe under the different Kings and the wordings of each hymn reflected the circumstantial travails of the author or composer. Examine the hymn: Will your anchor hold in the storms of life:
“Will the anchor hold in the storms of life,
When the clouds unfold their wings of strife?
When the strong tides lift and the cables strain,
Will their anchor drift, or firm remain?
REFRAIN
We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move
Grounded firm and deep in the saviour’s love.
It will surely hold in the straits of fear
When the breakers have told that the reef is near;
Though the tempest rave and the wild winds blow
Not an angry wave shall our bark o’erflow.
From the above, you will agree that the author was a sea farer and his hymn and prayers were circumscribed and shaped by his daily travails and what he prayed God to guide him through. Thus is it today that the liturgy, mode of prayers, hymns or choruses, mode of worship and even raising fund in The Presbyterian, Catholic, Mountain of Fire, The Apostolic, Mount Zion, Redeemed and indeed ECWA churches are different.
The travails of the Christian in the south is different from that in the Middle belt, and still different from him in the core North. I have given this rather lengthy background to drive home the point that living by the word of God in the 21st century is by far radically different from how Abraham, Moses, Samuel, Joshua, David, Daniel and other great men in the Old Testament did, and again, different from that of John the Baptist, Our Lord Jesus Christ and indeed the Apostles. For if it were not so, the Lord Jesus would have ordered The Pentagon to manufacture a brand new air craft, to be marked AIR FORCE ONE A, to fly him on triumphant entry into Jerusalem instead of a colt.
I have taken this course emphasizing as I always do the dynamism of practicing the Word of God and ministering to the parishioners responding to evolving societal realities as I pray not to cross the red line into blasphemy as I watch all my Pastors here. In the 21st century, the challenges are radically different: We now face the challenges of the Constitution, the laws enacted by the legislature, human rights questions, treaty obligations and constraints under International law, and not the Ten Commandments.
Living by the word of God, our 2018 Theme taken from Psalm 119:105 reads: ‘THY WORD IS A LAMP UNTO MY FEET, AND A LIGHT UNTO MY PATH.’ The above provides great insight into the efficacy of the Word which in law and for contemporariness we would say, with respect that you read and apply with such understanding as would minister appropriately to your congregants or audience. You must situate same in the circumstances of your country, state, peculiar environment and challenges to cause him whom you preach to or pray for to live spirit filled, comforted and or convicted by the Word to hold on. This implies that you must be current, well read, versatile, contemporaneous and up to date with local and foreign news and indeed reading online sermons delivered by great preachers and generally up your game and prepare such sermons as you will be proud to post on line. This being a keynote address and not a sermon strictu sensu, I take a brief expose of the Biblical on Living by the Word of God and begin to conclude with the security challenges, the law, constitution, and emerging issues in the country that should guide you – the HERDSMEN, to pasture your flocks through the stormy weather of contemporary Nigeria and world security challenges.
The Word of God is delivered in many ways and through several channels. Could be through the prophets as was in the Old Testament or days of old, or through channels like the spiritual churches would more claim, or through your pastors as sermon, or dreams, or through even adversity and indeed the still small voice speaking within you and to you. In Luke 5:4 Jesus spoke the Word to Peter saying: ‘Launch out into the deep, and let down your net for a draught.’
Peter ‘lived’ by the Word and obeyed despite frustrations of previous efforts and was surprised that fishes were now looking for his net and his net began to break. His ship and the ship of other fisher men were filled from the catch by Peters’ net that they began to sink. Peter had said earlier to Jesus they had toiled all night without a catch. ‘…nevertheless at thy Word I will let down the net. This was a loud, audible, personally delivered word of God through His son Jesus and Peter obeyed and indeed lived by the word of God and got instant reward for so living in obedience to the Word of God. Apostle Paul in Acts 27:10 had admonished in their sail to Italy that the voyage will be with much hurt and damage not only to the lading and ship, but also to lives. But the centurion did not heed. And God and Holy Spirit speaking through Paul in verses 22-26 reversed the Word and gave them victory of safety at shore but with the ship wrecked. God spoke here through Paul and the angel of the Lord.
HERDSMEN AND NATIONAL SECURITY
There has been so much misinterpretation in different Christian denominations about herdsmen and the National Security question. Some have said that the Federal Government is allowing the Northerners to take their cattle to the South as a subtle means of keeping out Christians, Islamizing the Christian South and to slaughter Christians. They associate herdsmanship with Islamic religion and not as farming or a means of earning a living. This is not correct.
In the Bible , our father Abraham, David, Solomon and virtually all the leading figures were into animal rearing and they moved from place to place feeding their flock. They reared animal. David was in bush tending the flock when he was drafted for anointing. Jesus in the example he used, figuratively told Peter in John 21:17, “if you love me, feed my sheep” which referred to the unfinished works, the disciples and spreading the Word upon his resurrection and commissioning of the Apostles “ feed my lamb, tend my sheep and feed my sheep” are the words in Christ. (John 21: 15-18). Therefore, herdsmanship is not synonymous with religion. In the South, Igboland, Cross River and indeed South-South, the wealth is measured by the livestock and fatness of your barn. Therefore, herdsmanship is a Profession, not a religion.
THE LAND USE ACT, STATE GOVERNMENT AND GRAZING RESERVES
The constitution vests control over land in the states to the state Government and Local Government. The Federal Government has no control over land. The President only has control and powers over land in the Federal Capital Territory.
In a recent presentation I made at a public forum when this question raged, I said of the law:
“There has been and are several Bills before the National Assembly but none has become law authorizing the President to grant land for grazing purposes or authorize or prevent movement of cattle or animals. This power is vested in the states, and for grazing purposes, it is specifically vested in the Local Government, by the Land Use Act.
Section 1 says:
As from the commencement of this Act –
(a) all land in urban areas shall be under the control and management of the Governor of each state; and
(b) all other land shall, subject to this Act, be under the control and management of the Local Government within the area of jurisdiction of which the land is situated.
Section 6 (1) (a) and (b) says:
It shall be lawful for a local government in respect of land not in an urban area to –
Grant customary rights of occupancy to any person or organisation for the use of land in the local government for agricultural, residential and other purposes
Grant customary right of occupancy to any person or organisation for the use of land for grazing purposes and such other purposes ancillary to agricultural purposes as may be customary in the local government area concerned.
Interpretation of grazing purposes:
‘Grazing purposes include only agricultural operations as are required for growing fodder for livestock on the grazing area. (Section 51, Land Use Act).
Therefore, the Federal Government cannot legitimately interfere in the grazing question except in the security angle because of the Constitution and the law.”
From the provision of the Constitution, regulating the use of land and curbing the recalcitrant movement of animals is the job of the Governments of the respective states. And Benue State has taken the lead in doing the right thing.
NEW AND DANGEROUS INTERNATIONAL DIMENSIONS OF TERRORISM AND LIVING BY THE WORD
On the herdsmen question, what kills a patient is wrong diagnosis of the ailment, and consequent prescription of wrong drugs. It will not cure.
I want to say right away that what we now have is not herdsmen crisis but terrorism and outright criminality. If it were herdsmen and purely religious, what we have in Zamfara would not be. Research and National Security appraisal had indicated the collapse or failure of neighbouring countries such as Libya, climate change necessity Southward migration, among others. Other causes of insecurity are the fall of Libya, and the unending crisis in Syria owing to the activities of ISIS and the spread of weapons in the Sahel region, including Nigeria.
Incessant conflicts arising from communal clashes, religious disturbances, farmers/herdsmen clashes, militancy, political violence.
Activities of blacksmiths and illegal fabricators of local arms and dangerous weapons criminal activities including armed robbery, kidnapping, cattle rustling, child and human trafficking, drug peddling and other violent and organized crimes. Activities of ISWA members and their rampage in central Nigeria with an aim to ignite ethno-religious crisis in the region. Activities of herdsmen and their infiltration by Boko Haram and ISWA elements who have taken to violent robbery and kidnapping as means of raising funds for their nefarious activities. Unemployment and joblessness status of youths who serve as feeders to recruiters in violent activities and political intolerance and instability. Spread of terrorist attacks on soft and vulnerable targets, especially schools, worship centres and markets.
Easy access to technology and its use as platforms for terrorist recruitment and source of training for arms and explosive making (today many youths have turned to the internet, using same to source for knowledge in terrorist activities and making explosives and other weapons)
The unwholesome spread of ISWA operations in the Lake Chad Basin, Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Zamfara, Niger and Kogi states. ISWA activities has increased the weapons in circulation in the aforementioned states. Multiplicity of security agencies in Nigeria and the growing demands to arm them.
These are real and present dangers which the righteous has to be circumspect to be guided in the way he lives by the Word of God in a dynamic terrorized environment, and how he should minister to the flock in such circumstances.
Enang, Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate) delivered this lecture at the synod of the North, Presbyterian Church of Nigeria Conference held in Kaduna, recently.
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