Being Christian during the #EndSarsProtests in Nigeria

by Toyosi Adegunle

I'm still angry, pained, and numb, but I’m glad that, for once:

• I see the reality of hope for Nigeria
• I see that change is possible and realistic in Nigeria 
• I see that we don’t actually hate ourselves like we’ve been told, we really love one another and will fight for one another with all we’ve got.
• I see the unity of faith that the Bible speaks about. Many believers came together for prayers, prayer walks, protests and it was beautiful to watch. 
• I see the love and joy of the Holy ghost in many people who have been hurt by SARS officials but did not hesitate to still invest their energy and voice in speaking and fighting against it.
• I see that Nigerian youths aren't lazy after all.

What do you see? 

To be very honest, the last two weeks have been pretty rough for me and most times, I often try to picture it all in my head again for better comprehension, but it's a lot to take in. 

Hey! Enough of me, I hope you're really fine and hope you know that the end of protest is not the end of the fight? Like many other believers, did you at any point hesitate to speak about it and join protests too? Did you think it was wrong to protest and speak about the evil doings of politicians in Nigeria? Remember, Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and called out their bluff; remember he was angry when he got to the church and met them carrying out commercial transactions instead of worshipping. When I think of the things that Jesus did, I’m encouraged and my strength is renewed.

On a lighter note, let me share one of my struggles during the protest with you. I struggled with being polite and mindful of the words I use online. Lol. It was a real struggle and I honestly had to ask God for help. I'm like ”God, I'm really angry and only this word can fully express how I feel ” but then, I'm asked, ”do you really have to use it? You know you don't have to right? ” I learned how to be polite regardless of how I felt. I learned how to be an heir of God and a warrior at the same time. I learned that I can fight and not have to use curse words on anyone or any platform. 

What did you learn? 

At the early stage of the protests, someone on Twitter asked if believers are supposed to join the protest. It got several reactions and responses - some of which were absolutely true and some of course did not cut it. It dawned on me that the ignorance of your position in unpleasant life situations as a son of God could wreak more havoc than you can ever imagine. Imagine if you never prayed, imagine if you never stepped out to protest, Imagine if you never tweeted #EndSars, imagine if you never contributed to the entire movement, it's weird right? That's it. You are a kingdom influencer in Nigeria, a warrior for Nigeria and an advocate for Nigeria. In any capacity and space, you find yourself, speak the truth, lend your voice to evoke change and never be afraid.

I’m personally heartbroken about the lives and properties lost, and that’s the exact reason you shouldn’t stop fighting. Do not underestimate your power and influence as a son of God on earth and any other place you find yourself. You’ve got the power, use it. Speak life and transformational change into Nigeria. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” ‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭1:7‬ (‭NKJV‬‬)

Dear beloved, you are powerful, strong, mighty and worthy to be at war against principalities, powers, systems and situations that don't align with the promise of God for us as citizens of a country. We fight on our knees and we fight with our voices. 

Are you still fighting? How?

I have asked three questions now (lol, scroll up to find the other two), share your responses in the comment section. Thank you for reading today. We don't want to be hidden, talk to someone about us. Till our words meet your heart again, stay blessed. 

Note from the editor

Hello dear friends, how are you doing? A couple of you reached out to see how we were doing since we were off for two weeks. It was a lot with the #endsars protests as it was for you. We are back better, stronger and ready to share edifying content! In the meantime, head over to my youtube to check out my story on how I got my burns. 

It's good to be back!