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REFLECTION

‘Peace’ when there is none is the theme for our reflection. The Prophet Jeremiah warned the people of the Southern Kingdom of Israel about God’s impending judgement because of the widespread corruption, injustice and bad leadership condoned by the false prophets and priests which led to the absence of peace in the nation. Jeremiah warned that God will punish the nation by allowing the Babylonian empire to take them captive and take over their properties. The warning was to enable those who can flee before the day of the Babylonian siege to do so. “Their houses shall be turned over to others, their fields and wives together, for I will stretch out my hand against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the LORD. “For from the least to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for unjust gain;
and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have healed the wound of my people lightly, saying, Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.” (Jeremiah 6:12-14)

Beloved in the Lord, corruption among the affluent, opinion leaders, political and traditional leaders in society with the connivance of false religious leaders, robbed the nation of its peace and tranquillity. Prophets and priests represent the voice of God and the conscience of a nation, therefore, if the men and women of God for the purpose of their personal and unjust gain are in bed with corrupt leaders at the detriment of the poor and vulnerable in society there will be no peace in the nation. If we live in a society where pastors and prophets of God engage in falsehood and keep telling the masses that “it is well with the nation” meanwhile there are widespread cases of corruption among leaders, opinion leaders and affluent members of society, and injustice is perpetuated against the vulnerable in society. God is disgusted and brings judgement on anyone who takes the peace of the nation for granted by unrepentantly dealing unjustly with others, especially the poor and vulnerable. Africa’s political leaders must understand that they owe the masses a duty to ensure that justice, respect for human dignity and peace is preserved at all times. Again, Christian religious leaders must desist from preaching ‘peace’ when there is none and stop giving people false hope through fake prophesies and unrealistic homilies but speak truth to power to expose and correct the corrupt practices in society.

Peace will only exist in our dreams and not in reality if we do not allow the law to deal equally and impartially with the citizens of the country. In our current dispensation peace is a mirage because the law is applied selectively. Commoners steal and are jailed but some people in political office or state enterprises embezzled state money and are only sacked or transferred without the stolen money retrieved and the sanction of a custodian sentence applied as in the case of the one who stole a goat or plantain. Truly, we shall be deceiving ourselves that there is ‘peace’ when there is none if we do not eschew corruption and evil practices among us. Shalom

PRAYER

Almighty God, we beseech you to provide us with godly and just leaders with integrity to serve selflessly in the pursuit of development and peace of the nation. Amen