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Baby Jesus, ageing Christ and Christmas in Nigeria

By George Adimike
30 December 2022   |   3:03 am
With Emperor Constantine’s intervention and the Christian religion’s legitimisation, which gave rise to the free practice of the faith in the then Roman Empire that comprised parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, Christmas has been celebrated across cultures and constituencies. This celebration marks the special inbreaking of God in human history. It celebrates the historical…

German astronomer, Johannes Kepler, wrote in 1614 that he believed the ‘star of Bethlehem’ in the biblical story of the three wise men could have been a rare triple conduction of Jupiter, Saturn and Venus CREDIT: Wisconsin Rapids Tribune

With Emperor Constantine’s intervention and the Christian religion’s legitimisation, which gave rise to the free practice of the faith in the then Roman Empire that comprised parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, Christmas has been celebrated across cultures and constituencies. This celebration marks the special inbreaking of God in human history. It celebrates the historical birth of Jesus of Nazareth and the advent of Christ, the ultimate self-disclosure of God, who gives history its finality. This mystery in history defines time and sanctifies space, transforming history and creation in a way never imagined.

Therefore, the birth of Christ Jesus heralded God’s definitive intervention in the history of humanity for the world’s salvation. Across fountains and mountains, faith in Jesus Christ brought a re-evaluation, reconciliation, renewal and transformation of peoples and cultures. Christianity typifies the mystery of the sacred exchange of gifts and destinies. By the mystery of Christ’s becoming flesh, humans were divinised. But the ramifications of this divinisation of human beings are realised progressively as history inches towards its finality and as Christians insert themselves into the mystery of Christ.
 
Given that no culture or people are starved of the divine seed (logos spermatikos, semina verbi, seed of the word), there is a divine presence in every culture. This presence renders the cultures capable of receiving the Gospel. In effect, the message of Christ is neither strange nor totally new to cultures. The Good News, the eternal Word spoken once, resonates with every culture and people. Humans of all climes and times have a God-given openness to receive the Good News. As such, the Good News is not just immanent but an in-breaking of God, yet it is indigenous to all peoples and cultures. Christ is both a son of the soil and a guest to every land.
 
The birth of Jesus of Nazareth and Christ of God about two thousand years ago, which the churches of the West and East commemorate on December 25 and January 6, respectively, is a history-transforming and life-changing mysterious event for all peoples. This celebration is, among other things, a thanks offering to God and an acknowledgement of such a great divine gift that inaugurates the definitive salvation of humankind. And it was lived as such by the various cultures and peoples of Nigeria. They welcomed the baby Jesus year after year with joy and pomp. They strived with determination to let him be born into their lives, families and society. They celebrated Christ as the redeemer of men and worked for the blossoming and flourishing of the reign of God, albeit with some inadequacies and exaggerations. That was the story of Christianity in Igboland, Yorubaland, Tiv nation, Efik nation, and among the Hausa, Nupe, Birom and other various peoples of Nigeria.

Unfortunately, in this second century of Christianity, in Nigeria, the baby Jesus is becoming an ageing Christ. In some inexact sense, Christianity seems to be experiencing an autumn among the youth. Our forebears left the traditional religious shrines for the Church. However, the journey seemed to be in disarray because while some have entered the church of God, a critical mass has been returning to the shrines of the gods. In the past decades, Christianity was focused on tackling some existential questions and dialoguing with cultures to resolve some knotty issues. But presently, she is battling for survival. The youth are growing cold, indifferent and rebellious against organised Christianity of all denominations. One wonders if Christ is ageing so fast without reaching maturity in our land. In the theological and intellectual background to the present challenge is the misunderstanding of Christianity. They see the Church as a scam and attack Christianity as a religion that intrudes to colonise or re-colonise our people. But in actuality, Christianity belongs to no particular people and to all peoples. It is indigenous and a guest to Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. No one culture can claim to have supplied the totality of the cultural elements that constitute its historical component. On the contrary, the Church of Christ is universal and takes and promotes good elements in each culture because all truth, goodness and beauty belong to Christ and his Christianity.
 
In their disorientation, the youth are creating a counterfeit religion that is only a caricature of the traditional religions. They celebrate the basest in us as the tradition of our people. Nothing matters to some of these youth except money and material gain. The overvaluation and idolisation of material wealth has led many astray and engendered the culture of get-rich-quick (ibute ike) with fetishistic and evil practices, including ritual killings. The self-giving sacrifice of the Christmas mystery has degenerated into self-satisfaction and self-aggrandisement of the moment. And it engenders a culture that attenuates and deemphasises hard work and ushers in an eclipse of sacrifice.
 
Christmas invites us to be missionaries and apostles of the reign of God and His Christ through our good works and good words. It starts with each of us in Nigeria—the de-egotisation of selves helps establish a new ethos of gift and culture of graciousness fed by justice, honesty, hard work and peace. There should be a new culture of Christmas in Nigeria for a rebirth of our nation. This Christmas is supposed to usher in a new Nigeria through our determination to get it right during the election season, prioritising fairness, faithfulness to God and the poor, justice, competence, character and compassion.
 
Furthermore, this new culture of Christmas is supposed to inspire and motivate us to live the Good News that is Christ, the newborn king, and share it with everyone within and under our influence and association. It calls for a state of emergency in the youth apostolate to bring them back to Christ. Ultimately, Christmas is celebrated adequately when the baby Jesus is born in us so that Christ reigns over our lives and affairs. Therefore, Christmas in Nigeria invites us to participate in the mystery of the sacred exchange of gifts and open up ourselves to receive his saving gifts generously. 
• Fr. Adimike can be reached via findfadachigozie@gmail.com

 

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