A COUNTRY IN CRISIS: TO WHOM SHALL WE GO? A TALK DELIVERED BY REV. FR. DANIEL EVBOTOKHAI
AT ST. ANNE CATHOLIC CHURCH, OSOSO. DURING THE NOVENA TO OUR LADY THE UNDOER OF KNOTS
SEPTEMBER 24TH 2022.
Bible Reading: John 6:60-69
Crisis is a time of intense and extreme difficulty or danger. It is also an unstable and dangerous condition that affects an individual, group, or a whole civilization. We have had a crisis in our lives at some point in time. In fact, is either you are experiencing one now; you just came out of one or one is unswervingly ahead of you. The only constant in life is that we all experience crises. These crises can be related to marriage, children; health, disease, job, finances or even the death of a loved one.
As a nation we are going through the same crisis. If you examine the state of affairs in this country you will realize that we are living in extreme hardship. Miserably, many Nigerians don’t know that ours is a failed nation. They are still docile to the tensions and pressures; young boys and girls are spending recklessly even with the pricey nature of goods and services; violence and insecurity; religious bigotry and political abnormalities.
Generally, we have existential crises and situational crises. Existential crises include all conflicts relating to life purpose, direction, spirituality, family and all emotional anxieties. Situational crises include sudden and unexpected accidents, death and natural disasters. What do we do in crisis? Our topic asked the question “To whom shall we go?”
The question “To whom shall we go?” is a question of “Defection”. That is, the desertion of one’s realm or cause in favour of another. It also involves abandoning one’s belief or doctrine for another with the sole purpose of solution or favour. We have all witnessed politicians defecting from one party to another especially when their political ambitions are tried or challenged or when there are baffling party crises. We have equally witnessed many Christians who defect from Christ to idols; church members who defect from one church to another searching for solution to their crises.
John 6:60-69 presents us with those who spiritually defected from Christ and those who submitted to Christ. In the gospel, we had those who were initially interested in Jesus and followed him until he started teaching some things that they didn’t like. Then they defected. Some are defecting from the Church today because they don’t like our teaching on Marriage, the Holy Eucharist and Mary. In Joshua 24:15 at the great assembly of Shechem there was an open question for defection; Joshua said to the people “if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the Lord, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!” The people of Israel chose God and rejected idols.
Spiritual defection takes place when the faith of a believer is built on the wrong foundation. When an individual thinks of Christ only as bread-giver; wonder worker and not as Saviour and the Giver of eternal life. Oftentimes we are good Christians until there are basic challenges and crises in our lives. When confronted with such challenges we find Christ’s teaching difficult to keep and grapple with defection. It was at such moment that Jesus asked his disciples “Will you also go away?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life…”
There are countless stories of crisis throughout the bible, particularly family crisis. It is not new in family history. The first family found faults with each other; Cain killed his brother Abel; Noah and his daughter committed abomination, Abraham and Sarah battled with infertility; Abraham could not make peace between Sarah and Hagar; Abraham and Lot separated; Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers; Miriam and Aaron were against their brother Moses; Hannah wept for her infertility; David was guilty of adultery and homicide; Tobit and Job faced misfortunes.
More so, at betrothal, Joseph was traumatized because Mary was already pregnant. After birth, Herod came after the infant Jesus, an event that led to the mass killing of innocent children; at another instance the parents of Jesus were looking for Jesus after their religious observance in the temple. Almost all the patriarchs of the Old testaments had vocational crisis. Moses ran into the wilderness until God appeared to him at the burning bush and called him to do exactly what he had run away from. Many of the prophets had crisis in their vocation and service. The saints and martyrs were not spared of crisis. Ours is not completely different from what they went through. Many nations in the bible had moments of crisis, drought and pains. The Israelite suffered famine, captivity and religious unrest, the Egyptians had to suffer the wrath of God; plagues and death.
Obviously, crisis has been part of human history; there are numerous accounts of political and religious crisis. Various communities have had cause to contend with one crisis or another. The church has had phases of crises. Today we have our own crisis as a nation and individuals. What do we do in moment of crisis? Do we run away or confront them? Do we seek other powers or other gods?
Beloved, in order for us not to defect in moments of crisis we must take note of the following steps; drawn from scriptures and our daily life.
- Pray and study God’s word deeply: The most powerful tool a Christian has is prayer. As Christians, we look upward. “ I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Ps121”1-2). We turn to God in prayer and put our faith in His omnipotence. To pray deeply we must pray with humility, certainty, authority and clarity.(The prayer of our Lady, the Undoer of Knots) is a verified and testified example. We need to equally learn to study the Bible, oftentimes we don’t study the Bible and so in moments of crisis we are confused and often caught unawares. To pray in moment of Christ is to protest to God; while to study is to be informed of suitable actions to take.
- Go to the Street: After we have prayed; it is very good we act. Ps. 4:4 says “…make your sacrifices just and right” We are very good with offering prayers and novena in moment of crisis but we are often reluctant to do the right thing. We must learn to make our sacrifices just and right. We must take to the street and protest against evil government and leaders. We must go out and vote as well. If you are praying for a better nation; yet refused to vote then you are one of the obstacles against the success and progress of the nation. Our nation is in crisis; let us go the street. Students have been at home since February 14 this year (2022) our politicians are enjoying peaceful rides to airports. There should sound an alarm for revolutions and restoration.
- Abide by the truth: After Jesus spoke to the people saying to them “I am the Bread of Life; he who comes to me shall not hunger” the Bible says many of the disciples said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” Jesus asked them “Do you take offence at this?” Beloved, there are some hard sayings in the Bible and in the Church that we must abide with; no abortion; no contraception; the cross and the likes. These are hard but do we take offense at them? Job had to carry his cross; he had health crisis and he was tempted severally to do others things; even his wife tempted him to derail yet he stood his grounds. He accepted his cross until he came to victory. You may be going through tough seasons and episodes in your live; don’t give up. Winners don’t quit; Luke 21:19 “By your endurance gain your lives…”
- Be spiritually minded: Jesus said to the disciples “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (John6:63). A carnal man cannot understand the things of the Spirit. One who is carnally minded cannot understand why the Church says honour Mary; pray the Rosary; reception of communion; etc. Thus, Jesus confronted the root problem of the grumblers. They were not born again. If we are not born again we shall argue everything and dislike the Church. Most of the things we practice as individuals and as a society are clear indication that we are not born again. We are just gathered in the Church, deep within us there is no conversion. Rom.8:6 “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Most of us we are still carnally minded. True Christians will never defect. If not for spiritual mindset, Paul would have defected in the midst of his crisis. For that mindset, he calls it momentary affliction that produces eternal rewards (2 Cor.4:17).
- Confront your preconceived ideas: These disciples were grumbling like many of us today because they could not imagine a messiah who will give his flesh for the life of the world. They couldn’t imagine a Messiah that would be defeated on the cross. In the same vein, many of us come to the Church with preconceived solutions and answers. When we don’t get those answers we feel offended. We go to Jesus with conceived ideas. People come to the Church seeking for solutions, prosperity, riches and fame rather than seeking for salvation. When they don’t get the desired, they defect to other centers. Always ask yourself “why am I in the Church?”
- Be an Authentic Christian: The Israelites were asked to choose between serving the true God and the gods of the land they entered. It is better to choose who to serve than to divide ourselves into different worships. If you are for Jesus, be for Jesus; if you want to worship idol you are free. Syncretism is a sign of faith crisis; you cannot worship God and mammon. Joshua said to the people choose today who you will serve. We need to make a choice on whom to serve. For Joshua, “As for me and my household we will serve the Lord” (Josh.24:15). For Peter, “Lord, to whom shall we go?” What about you? Are you being authentic or fake?
- Make sacrifices: We may not always have it the way we desire. The life of love is neither easy nor comfortable. In the same vein, as Christians we should not expect comfort at all times. We must express self-denial and control our appetite. If we master our appetites, we have no need to defect to other gods in the days of crisis.
- Guard your heart: Do disturbing visuals like graphic videos of horrible occurrences ever vanish from our minds? Viewing images and video on social media and television may have caused you to experience secondary trauma. Given that they have the potential to harm your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Know yourself and give yourself peace. With the level of insecurity and hardship; some persons just have to switch off their data to free themselves from trauma experiences. For such persons; the question “To whom shall we go” is a call to examine their strength. Go into yourself and guard your heart.
- Care for others: “To whom shall we go” we need to equally go to ourselves; seek counseling and direction if you are hurting. Let us learn help not hinder. It’s important to guard your heart, but you can also support others experiencing secondary trauma—some who may be going through a personal crisis as well.
Conclusively, let us remain steadfast at all times. Be humble, true and real. Remember the words of Martha Beck “Any deep crisis is an opportunity to make your life extraordinary in some way.” See the opportunity in that crisis you are going through. And in the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in the moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Stand for the truth.
