By Tochukwu Ezukanma
A friend of mine employed a Hausa/Fulani security guard. With time, a
number of other Hausa/Fulani came to live with his security guard.
Ultimately, there were about five of them sharing his single room with
him. In the same way, the individual abodes of the other security men in
the area attracted a considerable number of Hausa/Fulani into the
neighborhood. One day, one of them was high on something (alcohol or
drug). He rode his Okada crazily through the neighborhood, and struck a
moving car; he died instantly. People, many of them Hausa/Fulani,
gathered. They spoke Hausa, as they discussed the accident,
gesticulating and pacing the street.
The motorist, who did not understand Hausa, was very frightened. With
the stereotype that makes many of us think that every Hausa/Fulani is a
Boko Haram, armed bandit or Fulani herdsman, that is, a murderous
fanatic, the man must have thought that his life expectancy will be
measured in minutes. Finally, this seemingly murderous posse of
Hausa/Fulani told him: Oga, we don look de matter finish. No be you de
at fault. Na our broda dey at fault. Make you carry your moto dey go. We
go contribute money go bury am.
Overwhelmed by that unparalleled, unbridled uprightness, the man fell on
the ground and started crying. That unthinkable, unselfish, untainted
honesty was uncannily Christian, for it was in total conformity with the
teachings of Christianity. Interestingly, it was the candor of Moslems
that accorded perfectly with the teachings of Jesus Christ. What is a
Moslem whose conduct is purely Christ-like? Of course, he is a
Christian. After all, the early Christians were called Christians, not
because of their religion, but because of their behavior.
It is important to note that Jesus Christ did not establish a religion.
He taught the Truth. His teachings transcend religion, race and
nationality. Not surprisingly, votaries of different religions revere
the teachings of Jesus Christ. The Jews do not consider Jesus the
Messiah or Son of God, but acknowledge and respect the sublimity of His
teachings, for example, the Sermon on the Mount. Mahatma Gandhi, a
Hindu, borrowed extensively from the teachings of Jesus Christ in
fashioning his philosophy of Satyagraha. The founder of Islam, Mohammed,
held Jesus Christ in very high esteem. Many theologians – Hindu,
Moslem and other religions of the world – have written glowingly about
the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was St Paul that starting turning the
Truth of Jesus Christ into a religion.
According to the Bible, “when Jesus was come into his own country”,
he wanted to give sight to the blind, get the lame to walk, raise the
dead, etc. But “He did not do many mighty works there because of their
unbelief.” So, it is possible for Jesus to want to heal, and for the
healing not to take place because the conditions for healing were not
met. At the other extreme, as the woman with the issue of blood came to
Jesus, He did not notice her for she came to touch His garment by
stealth. Although Jesus did not notice her, knew nothing about her needs
and did not permit her touching Him, the miracle still took place. The
miracle had taken place – “virtue had gone out of Him” – before
Jesus found out, and asked “Who touched my clothes?” Virtue went out
of Him without his permission. Jesus operated a principle that he had no
control of.
In the first instance, he wanted to, but could not because the
conditions for the principle were not met. The people lacked the
enabling mindset for a miracle: faith. In the second case, because of
the woman’s faith, the conditions were met and the principles of
healing took effect, even without His approval. The two illustrations
are very important in understanding the teachings of Jesus Christ.
God operates by His principle, which is indifferent to race, tribe,
status, religion etc. It was a point Jesus made clear to the Jews, who,
as descendants of Abraham, prided themselves for their special
relationship with God because of God’s covenant with Abraham. Jesus
told them that it is not about ancestry and patrimony, but doing the
will of God. And as such, “Many shall come from the east and west, and
shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
But the children of (Abraham) shall be cast out into outer
darkness…” Again, in Mark 4: 32, Jesus answered, “For whosoever
shall do the will of God, the same is my brother and my sister and
mother”.
It is not about heritage as the Jew thought, or social relationship and
religious labels (Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc), as many
Christians believe, but doing the will of God. Like the Jews, in the
days of Jesus, prided themselves on their heritage and patrimony but
ignored doing the will of God, Nigerian Christians trumpet their being
born again Christians filled with the Holy Spirit, but refrain from
doing the will of God. We dwell on the label “Christian” but refuse
to be Christ-like. Not surprisingly, the excessive Christianity of the
Nigerian society has benefited us very little. It is our thoughts, words
and conduct that make us Christians, not the religious label we wear.
Jesus succinctly summed up the will of God, which is essentially the
laws of Jesus Christ: “Love …God with all thy heart, and with all
thy soul, and with all thy mind. And … love thy neighbor as
thyself.” And, “There is none other commandment greater than
these.” If you love your neighbor as yourself, you will not wish him
evil, harm him, steal from him, bear false witness against him, murder
him, seduce his wife, etc. So, in obeying the laws of Jesus Christ, your
thoughts, utterances and conduct will be transcendental, placing you
above the laws of Moses, and all the laws of all the other religions of
the world.
And, irrespective of your religion, you will inescapably become, in your
own sphere, “the light of the world”. And your light will “so
shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father which is in heaven”. Which is what Jesus Christ demands of all
his followers (the true Christians), irrespective of the religious label
they wear.
Tochukwu Ezukanma writes from Lagos, Nigeria.