“TREAT HIM LIKE A TAX COLLECTOR” MATT. 18:17: A CHRISTIAN’S RESPONSE TO SOCIO-RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS IN NIGERIA

The history of the world has remained a history of peace, escape, and uneasy calm. No one is sure of tomorrow. Nigeria is not an exception. Nigerians are anxious about the future of their nation due to the menace and threats from radical Islam under the common term, “Fulanization”. It is the belief of an average Nigerian that there are perilous plans to Islamize Nigeria by force, a concern heightened by the recent invasion of the Christian-dominated eastern part by Fulani herdsmen. In our local church, the story is not different. These days, priests are attacked. Rectories and churches are burgled. Many parishes are in tumult. There are doctrinal and pastoral problems ad intra and ad extra. Over and above the menace of incessant division in Christendom, leading to Catholicism, Protestantism and Pentecostalism, the perilous advances and growth of the so-called traditional religion adherents, especially among the youths, remain a matter of grave concern. Prayer mongers claiming special divine call and gift seem to eat up the veracity of the gospel of Christ. The uneasy calm created by these is too obvious to be neglected. This paper believes that Matt 18:17 offers us a solution in order to have peace of conquest without conflict. It focuses on the worrisome conflict caused by religious extremists in Nigeria and then posits tolerance and forgiveness as a solutions to the avoidable conflicts in Nigeria engineered by these extremists and exaggerated stories. It employs an exegetical lens to interpret Matt 18:17 from the backdrop of historical facts to project it as a solution to the resolution of conflicts, especially in the face of dangers posed by the great divide of creedal walls. The result of the research, if adopted by all, is the restoration of peace and stability in our local Church, in Nigeria as a nation and in the world at large. Describing Fr. B.A.C Obiefuna as a harbinger of peace, the paper concludes by positing him as an angel of peace of conquest even in the face of grave danger.

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