“We want Barabbas” — Dying to the opinions of friends and enemies alike — @segalink

A close examination of Nigeria’s sociopolitical space reveals the inundation of our society by people suffering partly from theological malnutrition, having had their spiritual appetite ruined by the negligence of Gospelprenuers/Islamic fanatics and on other other hand by opportunistic populist politicians/purveyors of identity politics of hate.

These groups point to Heaven (or the utopian as the case may be) and lead us all to Hell (chaos and anarchy) with their unconscionable action and evil policies without our realizing that we owe it to ourselves to nourish ourselves biblically and grow spiritually with our direct/untrammeled access to the Almighty cum the ability to organize with the advantage of our critical mass to demand for better for our children’s sake.

In the wisdom of A.W. Tozer,

“The man after God’s own heart must be dead to the opinion of his friends as well as his enemies. But the weakness of modern day believers is that they feel too comfortable in the world.”

Our children are watching with curiosity our hypocrisy, while we pay lip service to godliness when our life work shows nothing but wickedness.

Those who should know better are wallowing in low self esteem and fighting within themselves for clout, instead of uniting their forces to agglomerate a critical mass of transformational leaders and enlightened followers who are easy to govern, difficult to rule and impossible to enslave enough to deliver the future of the most desired nation in the world.

When exactly would we humble ourselves and show collective responsibility? When will we see collaboration as a path to uniting all our forces towards nation building? When will we begin to think strategically when it is obvious that our country as systemically constituted will only continue to take from the citizenry without giving anything back accountably?

How long will we position ourselves as tools in the hand of politicos, while dreaming to make our country great as indoctrinated to believe power only comes from political offices? Do we not know that — “A lawyer’s relationship to justice and wisdom is on a par with a piano tuner’s relationship to a concert. (He neither composes the music, nor interprets it — but merely keeps the machinery running).”?

When will we find our unique voice in purpose enough to see where we fit in the big picture, without fighting one another over self centered inanities? We already know that trust is currency of the global connection economy and we can only be rewarded for making art (disrupt or ruckus).

When will our ideas and emotions get fused into the paint in the heat of inspiration? Have we discovered the power of the union of our feelings and knowledge (logic and emotion) in relation to the outcome, which brings to life what was once considered a mere thought?

People will continually choose wrongly where education or orientation is insufficient. No sudden wisdom befalls a group of individual fools in the collective, especially when they are so divided by their adherence to sentimental issues bordering on ethnicity and religion.

We have heard and read of the story of Jesus and his journey to the cross but how many of us have considered the pivotal part of that story as it involves the man called Barabbas. The much we know about him is that he is a rebel, murderer and leader of an insurrection. A critical time came when Pilate felt he held the destinies of Jesus and Barabbas in his hand. It was a tradition of the Jews where Pilate releases prisoners on death row based on popular demand.

Pilate on that audacious stage pitched Jesus (the son of the living God) against Barabbas the thug, rebel and murderer and demanded of the people…”Who do you want?” However blasphemous or extreme this might sound despite the fact that there was no comparison. Barabbas was rightfully condemned and should be on death row for his killings and rebellious act against the civilization but Jesus? …a man that heals, restores, teaches and delivers.

Pilate then gave the crowd a choice, save the life of JESUS or the Robber Barabbas…swiftly as if the kindness and miracles of Jesus were wiped away from their memory they chose Barabas!

“We want Barabbas!” chanted the mob comprising of Jews, Pharisees and Sadducees, disgruntled priests et al.

Barabbas was unlocked from his chains and his allies (thugs, politicians and Jews) welcome him and the people hailed the decision gladly. The Bible states that many are the plans (devices) in the heart of man but the will of God will stand.

As it were in the days of Jesus so it is today.

I look into the affairs of the state in my country, and examine how sub-literates and the ignorant mob alike applaud inanities and impunity of bad rulership and the most diabolical balkanization of critical institutions in our country just to perpetuate certain characters in power.

The entire country has been engulfed by crime both by the state and by rebels and terrorists who have been re-christened as bandits to downplay accountability and any sense of urgency in bringing their reign to an end. Openly, bandits and terrorists are negotiated with bountiful rewards and institutional weaponry are ceded to them without any form of challenge as orchestrated.

While the Barabbas of our country get away with murder, citizens who report these anomalies or demand accountability from the rulership are hunted down, abducted and incarcerated unlawfully without a charge by the demagogues running the balkanized security institutions that no longer serve in the interest of the country but propagate the agenda of a handful, running the intended conquest of Nigeria.

Even as I speak, majority still applaud the abysmal incompetence of our populist government that has shown far more ineffectual buffoonery than the past administration they so criticized when campaigning for power with their phantasmagorical Change campaign and subsequent Next level of doom.

The issues are numerous and we can go on for years talking about them but the most important thing is for us to know how to engage and organize the critical mass, who will take a stand and hold our leadership to account towards course correction. Our election cycle have been nothing but the demand for chains (or freedom for Barabbas) as against the appeal for genuine Salvation. Our freedom will only be as thorough as the depth of our enlightenment and exposure.

“The conscious intelligent manipulation of the organized opinions and habits of the masses is an important element in a democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power in most society”- E.Bernard

We must Rise As One for the sake of the unborn generation and the legacy we hope to bequeath to our children.