Dr Livingstone Cranmer's Curate is not. So he is thankful to be back at his own English fireside after his trip over the New Year to Jos, Nigeria. It was an amazing experience and cc thanks the Anglican Diocese of Jos and in particular St Luke's Cathedral Church for their generous Jospitality. It was so spiritually refreshing to meet brothers and sisters in Christ serving Him so faithfully and enthusiastically under difficult circumstances. The agreed agenda for biblical evangelism in the diocese was also most inspiring and humbling for an English Anglican. Below is cc's piece on Christian Today:
When Nigeria's Islamist terror was confined to its northern states, politically correct Western opinion was able to get away with spinning the violence as six of one and half a dozen of the other.
An outrage in Jos, for example, would be put down to 'religious tensions' between the Muslim and Christian communities. It was almost as if elements in the Western media were desperate for stories of Christians behaving badly.
But the politically correct spin is now becoming increasingly untenable following Islamist terror group Boko Haram's Christmas Day attack on St Theresa's Roman Catholic Church in central Nigeria, close to the federal capital, Abuja. It is now becoming clear that the group is moving its terror south.
And the closer the group takes its terror to Lagos, the more open US and UK opinion becomes to the view Nigeria's Christian president Dr Goodluck Jonathan is keen to promote that Boko Haram represents a threat to Western interests.
Dr Jonathan faces massive internal political hurdles in his stated aim to 'crush Boko Haram'. He needs Western help, particularly from US and UK intelligence agencies. The State of Emergency he announced on New Year's Eve, including the closure of Nigeria's borders with Niger, Cameroon and Chad, is welcomed by the Christian community but Christians know that the long-term security of the nation they love depends on co-ordinated and united action by the various arms of government.
Meanwhile, Nigeria's churches remain in the frontline of the battle between the Judaeo-Christian values underpinning Western civilisation and the forces of medieval barbarism wanting to impose Sharia Law.
In a move to foil further attacks on their worshippers over the New Year celebration, churches changed the times of their watchnight services on New Year's Eve and both federal and individual state security services stepped up their presence. On New Year's Day and Eve I attended services at Luke's Cathedral Church in Jos, where I am visiting the Anglican diocese.
The services were wonderfully joyful but the tension over the security situation was palpable following Boko Haram's attack on the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Church in the city on Christmas Day. One could not help watching the door. Leading the New Year's Day service, Jos Archbishop Dr Ben Kwashi was characteristically positive. Read here.
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I linked to that piece today as it happens, without even realising it was written by you!
ReplyDeleteA quality piece is a quality piece.
Ongoing Nigerian Church Attacks and Boko Haram Islamic Extremists
Thanks Julian. Prayers for our brethren in Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is terrible... Tho' when you consider just how much the 'Christian' West has shoved its nose into Muslim societies and has, century after century, held Muslim societies in thralldom, it is hardly surprising that there is such much Anti-Christian feeling around. That said, a good deal of Christian/Muslim tension is merely tribal and it is an over-simplification to see it as purely a Muslim/Christian conflict. (Tho' I am sure, given the inverted pride of victimhood, it has its rewards for you to push the 'anti-Christian' agenda!)
ReplyDeleteI am glad you have had a good experience in Nigeria. Alas, here in London, many Nigerian Christians aren't a particularly good advertisement for the Christian religion and there seems to be a disproportionate number whom it would be hard to trust as far as you could throw them. I was very pleased recently that Fr John Richardson, over at Ugley Vicar blog, noted that his experience of African Christianity in London echoed my own: a great deal of emphasis being given to outward 'righteousness' while the reality was rather less wholesome...
Whatever, I'd be very careful with your dealings with Nigerian Christians... Sooner or later you will get your fingers burnt, of that there is no doubt!
Regards: P.
Hypocritical Christians are not confined to Africa. England has them too.
ReplyDeleteThe politically correct spin against Nigerian Christianity won't wash - simply compare the number of attacks on churches with those on Mosques.
Peter said:-
ReplyDelete"when you consider just how much the 'Christian' West has shoved its nose into Muslim societies and has, century after century, held Muslim societies in thralldom"
It depends on who wrote the story! The history of Muslim conquest and oppression in the 10th - 14th centuries does not leave much to the imagination! Unfortunately Christian, western societies have not been good at 'turning the other cheek' and have lost the propaganda battle! Julian is correct in calling it 'political spin'.
Whatever line we take on the politics of the situation, it is still a fact that our sisters and brothers are suffering and need our love and prayers.
Blessings
Terry
"I was very pleased recently that Fr John Richardson, over at Ugley Vicar blog, noted that his experience of African Christianity in London echoed my own:..."
ReplyDeletePeter, would you mind providing a link to the relevant article at Ugley Vicar? I can't seem to locate it.