From: "Most Rev. Dr. Benjamin A Kwashi" <mostrevbenjaminkwashii@o2.pl>
Reply-To: mostrevbenjaminkwashi@o2.pl
Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:21:18 +0600
Subject: Urgent letter from the church in Jos Nigeria

A letter from the church in Jos Nigeria

18th March 2010

Dear Friends,

Peace and greetings.

Everyone is asking: Why? Why are Muslims and Christians unable to live together in peace
on the Jos Plateau? Why is there a continuing recurrence of violence? These are
questions people in Nigeria and journalists from all over the world have asked me. I
wish I had the answers.

The one thing I do know is that this time, as at other times, Christians once again have
become the scapegoat of some evil intention to cause disharmony, separation, pain,
destruction of lives and property and disruption of normal civil life. This to me is
evidence of what Jesus meant when he said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and
to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it
more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

Evidence of this abundant life can be clearly seen in the progress, health care and
social services, together with the adult education, children’s education and also
tertiary education which the church brings to a people. These developments are functions
of the gospel; they are products and evidence of an effective gospel ministry in any
community. This same gospel also prepares people for leadership roles in all spheres of
life. It is these fruits of the activity and life of the gospel which are now suddenly
burnt up in flames in one day, as the investments of a life-time are turned into ashes.

It should be noted that in Jos we are coming face to face in confrontation with Satan
and the powers in hell, and only God can save us. There are, however, many Muslims who
totally disagree with violence as a means of settling issues, and of course it is not in
accordance with the gospel to use violence to settle issues either. What seems to be a
recurring decimal is that over time, those who have in the past used violence to settle
political issues, economic issues, social matters, intertribal disagreements, or any
issue for that matter, now continue to use that same path of violence and cover it up
with religion. We must pray against the powers of hell. We must also pray for our State
Government, our Houses of Assembly at State and Federal levels and our law enforcement
agents, that they may choose the path of truth and justice, and deal with crime by its
proper name, so that no-one, no matter how high or low, no matter of what faith or
creed, should be exempt from facing the law.

The national leadership should be lifted up to God, that they may rise beyond a concern
for political success and seek to do good and right in all things for the benefit of all
people. This is a most urgent prayer request, because Nigeria as a nation has a large
and ever-increasing army of leader-less, law-less, unemployable, unemployed, demoralised
and near hope-less youth. This, to my prophetic mind, is the big security issue which
the governments at Local, State and Federal levels are not taking seriously. For
example, every crisis in Nigeria in the last ten years has been executed by this
generation of young people. With each passing year, they perfect their skills and when
they run out of a supply of money, or when they become bored with any situation, then
any opportunity for action gives them satisfaction. This army has no religion, but can
choose to go under the name of religion to achieve its motives. They are uneducated and
so their values are totally different, as are their ways of handling weapons or choosing
how issues be settled. Please pray for us.

We deeply regret that a matter of work on a building site should trigger off the present
huge set-back for the people of Jos and Plateau State. Yet we rejoice that the gospel
has not lost its power to save. God is still on the throne and evil will never, ever,
have victory over good. We have a gospel to proclaim, and it is this gospel which holds
the solution and the remedy for the mayhem, the bitterness, anger, frustration and the
sheer evil which leads to the ruin of individual lives, and to the ruin which we see all
around us in Jos now.

Points for consideration: a. Once again the international media have highlighted corpses
and have shown and talked of corpses in the mosque. Corpses do not talk and we do not
know the names and addresses of these corpses. b. The same international media have
shown only the corpses in the mosques and are not interested in the corpses which are
not inside the mosque. Corpses should be in the mortuary or should be buried. c. It is
worthy of investigation as to why the construction of a building should be carried out
on a Sunday, during the time of Christian worship, with such a large number of youth,
and why a disagreement on or near the site should result in these same youth producing
guns, machetes and fake military uniforms.

Brethren: be fully assured that our faith in Christ is intact, and shall remain so in
life and in death. We have a gospel to proclaim; a gospel that brings light in darkness,
hope in despair, courage in danger, joy in sorrow. It is a gospel that brings life in
all its fullness, and it is this gospel alone which can bring a lasting solution to the
problems of the world and of Jos.

Brethren: Please we urgently need your sincere donation for relief support for all the
victim in our care.
You can contact me only with the informations below for donations and financial support.

mostrevbenjaminkwashi@o2.pl
mostrevbenjaminkwashi@yahoo.com

The Lord be with you,

Most Rev. Dr. Benjamin A Kwashi Anglican Archbishop of Jos

P.S. Please check our diocesan website: http://www.anglicandioceseofjos.org


http://www.anglicandioceseofjos.org/byei.html


http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/africa/11/05/nigeria.riots/index.html