PARTY In the real sense, belonging to a party means committing oneself with a group of like-minded people to the same goal of ensuring progress for the community or making meaning in the lives of a people. Am not too sure Party still has the same connotation for an average Nigerian. Why? Because party loyalists now see themselves as merely there to pitch against eachother, look out for the downfall of the other, a do or die affair and its me or no one else syndrome. Recently, Pope Francis urged all Nigerians irrespective of their faith to shun anything that could lead to disintegration, adding that all Nigerians should embrace unity and strengthen the cord of divine love that binds them together (yesterday in Ibadan at the formal installation of a new Catholic Archbishop). Unity is a value that all peoples and communities price so highly. That is why people in developing countries must strive to be united with each other at local or national levels. Lack of unity destroys the (future) wellbeing of any group of people. St. Paul urged the Christian community in Corinth by the name of our lord Jesus Christ to agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgement(1 Cor 1: 10ff). Paul was upset that the Corinthians were now clinging to their various parties, forgetting their common bond and identity. We too can slip into that mold of self-deceit as we cling to our differing ideologies. We too can hide under the guise of patriotism, or religious defence to achieve our selfish ends and thus destroy the very fabrics we are purpoting to build. If that should happen to us whether at national, state, community or parochial level, we are literally still living in darkness.The Galilean communities of Zebulum and Naphtali (read Mtt 4: 12- 16 and also Is. 9:1-4) were formerly living in such darkness but with the sudden realization of the advent of Jesus the son of God in their midst, they were able to transform their darkness into light and that Light helped to build the nation of Israel. May our parties and ideologies not mar us but make us a truly great people now and in the future, Amen.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Jan 2014 23:21:44 +0000
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