TB Joshua Speaks to His Country in Its Time of Crisis

Throughout recent years, accelerating at a rapid rate particularly in the last few months, we have watched on our television screens, heard on the radio and seen on the internet the tales of violence, carnage and turmoil within the nation of Nigeria.

Both those observing from afar and those dwelling in the troubled zones have looked on in shock and horror at the cold-blooded fights and unprecedented violence as neighbours who previously lived together in peace have started fighting each other.

The old adage that we should be our brother's keeper, not our brother's destroyer has slowly ebbed away and now only remains a memory from the good times of the past.

What causes most heartache is the fact that the outbursts of violence, bombings, suicide attacks and sadism is all done in the name of religion. Both Christians and Muslims have turned on their fellow human beings to kill, to destroy and to steal. More than 450 deaths in 2011 alone in Nigeria were sparked by religious tensions, fighting and turmoil.

In a time like this, we Nigerians have been hungering for a word of settlement, reconciliation and peace from our government, ministers, senators, from our kings, rulers, from our pastors, bishops and prophets. But instead we have received instructions from our church leaders to defend ourselves and that there is a declaration of religious war in our country. Our president, Goodluck Jonathan has declared a state of emergency in the most hard-hit areas and everyone is armed and ready, bracing themselves for the inevitable impact.

It is on the day after Jonathan Goodluck declared a state of emergency, during the night as we entered the new year 2012, our hopes and fears mixed with bitterness remembering what occurred on Christmas day, that the word for our nation came.

In Ikotun-Egbe, a sprawling suburb of the nation's largest city, T.B. Joshua spoke a word from his sanctuary, the Synagogue Church Of All Nations.

He addressed his nation directly, saying: 'Nigerians, there is no war between Christians and Muslims. There is no war. I mean there is no war between you and your neighbours. There is no war among neighbours. This is a parable to you. The idea of burning churches is to cause disagreement and conflict between you and your neighbours, to break the commandment and rule, which is love your neighbour as yourself.  And once the commandment is broken, you are against God. If we are not armed for battle, we will fight the wrong battle. Love your neighbour."

He later emphasised that this year, 2012 is a year of comeback and serves as a sombre reminder to all those looking for another joy-ride this year that they need to come back to worship God in Spirit and in truth. He said that this year, due to the trials and hardship that the whole world is encountering, we will be forced to come back to our knees and depend upon God wholly for strength and assistance.

I pray that we Nigerians, Muslims and Christians alike will embrace this message in this crucial time and recognize that it is indeed God speaking to us knowing that God sends His prophets to address the nations for such a time as this.

It would be a bitter and sad tale to tell indeed if years later we would look back on this day and regret that we did not heed this timely advice.

T.B. Joshua ended his message by saying: "We pray for those who are affected so that God would strengthen them to bear the loss. But my message to all, God at all times is assembling for Himself a generation of spiritual worshippers."