By the time this article is read, 2024 Christmas would have come and gone with many not knowing it was Christmas. The country is going through its toughest economic hardship and the highest inflation rate since the civil war. The IMF induced reforms undertaken by the government are killing what remains of the battered country. People are becoming increasingly desperate, hungry and angry.
This Christmas was the toughest witnessed by Nigerians due to shortage of food, and the available foodstuff priced outside the reach of the masses. A bag of rice sold far above N100,000 which is 30 per cent above the advertised minimum wage. Some good spirited people tried to offer relief only to face logistic nightmares. The organisers found themselves overwhelmed by the turnout of desperate people who needed handouts. Across the country where such free food distribution events were held, there was stampede that resulted in deaths.
It was painful seeing people die in search of food. Sad that the giant of Africa cannot feed her population, sadder that this is the extreme the people had been pushed due to corruption and failed policies of the government.
The average Nigerian is not lazy. He does not want handouts or to depend on palliatives from corrupt politicians to feed. A typical Nigerian wants to work and take care of his family, but due to insecurity they cannot go to the farms anymore. Nigeria currently boasts of more feet to the graveyards than there are feet to the farmlands, and the government appears helpless on the issue of insecurity. What then is the purpose of the government if it cannot provide security of lives?
The above is a question for another discussion as it is not the focus of this opinion which is to highlight the hope, peace, love and joy of Christmas. What fascinates me about Christmas is the simple way Jesus came to the world, the message of love and compassion he spread, the hope he brought to a hopeless world and the joy of knowing and accepting him as Lord and saviour.
The Book of Luke 2 1-5 chronicled the birth of Christ and how God introduced to the world the most influential politician at the same time the opposite was birthed. Here I refer to Gaius Octavius later to be known as Augustus Caesar, the first emperor of Rome. Many scholars seem to agree that this timing was intentional. Augustus was the nephew to the famous Julius Caesar who was assassinated by some of his members on the ground that he was amassing powers that will change the face of Roman republican politics to an empire where he Caesar will become the Emperor.
Upon the death of Julius Caesar, Augustus, who was barely 18 years old, teamed up with his uncle’s allies to defeat the conspirators and transitioned Rome into an Empire. The period of his reign was widely acknowledged as ‘Pax Romana’. The empire he established was rich and prosperous and lasted for over 300 years
The book of Luke recorded that Augustus, for ease of effective taxation, decreed that every individual in the Roman empire shall be counted. The harshness of this decree compelled Joseph the carpenter with his exposed wife, Mary to travel from Nazareth to Galilee and to Bethlehem the City of David to be counted, for Joseph was of the descendants in the line of David. It was in Bethlehem that Mary gave birth to Jesus in a camel’s house, a manger where animals are sheltered. The first people to behold him were shepherds who by the Jewish culture are unclean and the lowliest of people.
Despite being born without fanfare, his birth caused thousands of deaths due to the prediction. The three wise men visited from the East and an enraged King Harold ordered the mass slaughter of all male children born during the period. Joseph and Mary took flight with the frail infant Jesus.
There is no indication that Emperor Augustus Caesar knew about Jesus or heard the name as nothing much was recorded about the first thirty years of Jesus life, except maybe that he helped Joseph in his blue-collar carpentry work. He started his ministry at a wedding party where he turned water into wine. He communed with prostitutes, preached hope, love and compassion to the poor and disfranchised. He healed the sick, made the blind to see, the dumb to speak, the deaf to hear and rose the dead. He walked on the sea and fed the poor. He led a humble life and unlike Augustus Caesar had no treasures, conquered no one, had no soldiers and owned no palace. His teachings and popularity angered the elite class who conspired against him and he was killed like a common thief by nailing him to the cross. He died penniless and homeless and with no earthly belongings.
Upon his death, it was the same poor and wretched people he ministered to that carried on his teachings. Every successive emperor of Rome persecuted his followers, but the more they were persecuted, the more they scattered and flourished. It was many years later that Emperor Constantine decreed tolerance for Christianity and eventually made the sect the official religion of Rome.
Today, while Augustus Caesar is studied in the libraries of universities as a brilliant and most influential politician the world produced, Jesus is glorified, venerated and worshipped as God by Presidents, Prime Ministers and billions of people around the world. The bible said upon the mention of his name every knee shall bow.
The simple life of Jesus Christ, his message and works are lessons for political leaders who desire to conquer, enrich themselves and oppress the people. When such leaders depart, they are only mentioned if at all remembered as a footnote in history. While every other religion teaches morality and spirituality as the way to salvation, Christianity proudly proclaims that as not sufficient, except one accepts Jesus as Lord and saviour. God so much loved the world that he sent his only begotten son to come on earth, to go through every suffering experienced by men, including death, for mankind to be saved.
The times are tough and we are all passing through lots of pain and hardship. Whatever we are going through we should be strengthened and comforted knowing that Jesus also experienced similar difficulties. Is it poverty? Christ was poor. His earthly father was a carpenter. He died penniless with no bank accounts. Is it humiliation? Jesus was humiliated, he was beaten and had his garment shredded. He was betrayed by one of his disciples and denied by another. Is it about painful and shameful death? He wasn’t just crucified but nailed to a wooden cross among two thieves.
There is no doubt that our current political leaders are nothing different from the political actors that murdered Jesus. The Bible nevertheless enjoins us to always pray for our leaders so that their hearts may be touched and softened for them to do that which is right and for the happiness of the people. While we in no way expect our presidents and governors to be Jesus Christ, they can at least strive to imitate his leadership qualities. Our leaders should know and fear God by treating the people with love and compassion.
The suffering Nigerians are going through today is avoidable if only those in authority will learn to prioritise the people by putting the people first at the centre of every reform and policy. The restoration of hope, peace and joy is the reason for the birth of Jesus Christ which we now celebrate.