The clergy and politics (1)

In these days of social media democratisation when, as Thomas Friedman once alluded, “everybody is connected and no one is in control,” it is not uncommon to read opinion posts that cast aspersions on the participation of the Nigerian Christian clergy in politics. The majority consensus of opinion seems to suggest that the clergy should focus exclusively on their priestly calling of preaching the word of God and shy away from talking about politics. Some opinion makers even go as far as asserting that the clergy know nothing about politics and should just stay with reading their Bibles. It is interesting to also see how some Christians begin to feel uneasy during religious services when their priest or pastor delves into social and political matters while delivering the sermon. They are quick to remind the preacher that his domain is the Bible and not politics. When confronted with this situation, I often ask my questioners: Does the Word of God have something to say about politics? Is God indifferent about how we live in the society? Does the Bible teach lessons about how human beings should organise themselves and utilise public resources?

To be sure, Christians who think that simply saying, “Jesus is Lord” is the only duty of the Christian clergy display a fundamental ignorance about the Bible and about salvation history. God’s concern throughout human history has not restricted itself to man’s eternal salvation only, but also encapsulates man’s social and political redemption, that is, his life in society. Early in the Bible, God intervened in a powerful way in the liberation struggle of the people of Israel in Egypt. God called Moses and sent him to Pharaoh, King of Egypt, to let His people go free. That was the first glimmer of God’s involvement in the politics of nations. In choosing Moses for this tough political and spiritual assignment, God said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying for help on account of their taskmasters. Yes, I am well aware of their sufferings. And I have come down to rescue them from the clutches of the Egyptians and bring them up out of that country… Yes indeed, the Israelites’ cry for help has reached me, and I have also seen the cruel way in which the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now I am sending you to Pharaoh, for you to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:7-10).

Take note of the verbs that describe God’s concern: God sees. God knows. God comes down. God acts. This typical pattern of divine solicitude in the affairs of men runs through the Bible. It is also a major plank of the Old Testament prophetic literature. The prophets took their spiritual mission of speaking truth to power seriously and helped to order their societies in accordance with divine ordinances. Prophets such as Amos, Hosea, Jeremiah and Isaiah did not shy away from confronting the political and social evils of their day, even when their prophetic roles brought them on a collision course with kings who posed as gods and demi-gods. When he confronted the false prophets of Baal, Elijah did not only fight against pagan worship, which tainted the worship of the One True God. He also stood against the injustices and evils perpetrated by King Ahab and his diabolic wife Jezebel. John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets and the first of the New Testament’s was beheaded in prison on account of his courageous decision to speak truth to power, when he confronted the greatly feared King Herod for marrying his brother’s wife Herodias, after killing his brother Philip.

A careful reading of the Books of the Prophets will show how much God’s oracles intervened in the affairs of men and nations and how they followed divine guidance in proposing the right path for society to follow. In such morally depraved societies as those of the prophets, speaking truth to power was both a courageous act and a challenging demand. Many Biblical prophets suffered untold persecution in the hands of fierce and bloodthirsty kings on account of their audacity. When Christians of today read such audacious exploits of the Biblical prophets, they cannot stop short of asking: Where are the clergymenof today who are like the prophets of old? Where are the Elijahs, the Amoses, the Hoseas and the John the Baptists of today, who embody the courage to speak out in favour of the oppressed poor and unjustly maltreated?

The word of God is not an isolated message that speaks only to the spiritual dimension of human existence. The Bible is a book of existentialism and it is concerned with the full gamut of human experience. In studying the Bible, the clergy have a salient task of reading, discerning, interpreting and clarifying the signs of the times and the vagaries and vicissitudes of social exigencies in the light of God’s word. They ought to find an application for the perennial and unchanging message of the Bible in the happenings of their own times and within the experiences of their own people. That is how the word of God comes alive.The Christian gospel touches every aspect of human life, and because the human person is a composite being – made up of matter and spirit – whatever affects the human person in his material and spiritual dimensions is of utmost concern to God. There are basically two intrinsic functions of politics: the promotion of peace and justice in the society. Whenever and wherever these two goals of politics are endangered, religion steps in to clarify the issues in the light of God’s word. Politics is too serious a business to leave in the hands of politicians only. The way society is governed should be the concern of every citizen. That is Civic Education 101.

Christians who think that their clergy should stay with simply reading their Bibles and avoid disturbing the political waters; who cast venomous aspersions on their religious leaders for publicly voicing their opinions on political matters, seem to forget that being a clergyman does not deprive anyone of the right and freedom to express himself about how his society and nation are governed. The Nigerian national anthem opens with a rousing invitation: “Arise, O Compatriots, Nigeria’s call obey. To serve our fatherland, with love and strength and faith.” The anthem calls every citizen, irrespective of his or her station in life, to make his or her own distinctive contribution to the service of fatherland. The anthem is not an exclusive invitation to politicians, doctors, lawyers, engineers, policemen and teachers. It is for all Nigerian citizens, priests as well as politicians. This is because all citizens are important in the process of nation building.

“To build a nation where peace and justice shall reign,” as the concluding part of the second stanza of our national anthem proclaims, the country expects all citizens to play their roles with patriotism, dedication and commitment. Clergymen also make their own unique contributions to nation building from the standpoint of their prophetic calling. They will be failing in their spiritual mission were they to abdicate their socio-prophetic responsibility “to serve with height and might, one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity,” as contained in the concluding part of the first stanza of our national anthem.

For those who may not know, a substantial part of the educational curriculum for Catholic priests involves training in social and political philosophy. Theological courses in Old Testament studies also devote ample attention to exploring the links between prophetic thought and social action. This deliberate intellectual formation of Catholic priests for a period of nine years is meant to deepen understanding of the priest’s role as a public ambassador of the church. Consequently, the priest cannot divorce himself from the vicissitudes of his social environment. He has a duty to make the benefits of his priestly calling felt in the society in which he lives and works.

Father Ojeifo is a priest of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja.