The Diversity Of The Christendom

With the way Nigerians are worshipping pastors these days, soon we may wake up to find that many have ditched God Almighty for celebrity men of God.

I rarely write on matters of this quid, but in hindsight I've also realized that keeping mute does no good!

As a preacher in the Methodist Faith, I feel good when members treat me with respect, but I don't crave worship.

There have been instances where I innocently stray, either in words, intent, actions, or emotions, and older persons in the fold, who are not necessarily pastors, approach and gently talk me back to track.

I find that invaluable because I'm an imperfect human.

I know that as much as pastors are [or should be] oracles of God, they are mortals & can err, conceivably.

But that doesn't mean their calling and office be brought to disrepute, under any guise.

But, a situation where a pastor crosses the line in diction, decorum or dialogue, cursing, abusing and threatening murder, and all congregants do is cheer on is simply unfortunate.

The greater ill in deifying a pastor is that the day you see his weakness [and all of us have got one or two], or find him tempted into an atrocity you never thot he could descend so low to commit, in shock, you could fall away from the Faith, cos you saw him as an infallible, perfect model.

A lead Christian composer and seraph in the state told me how she nearly left Christianity after her spiritual father & Papa forced himself on her and then resorted to threats, in a bid to silence her. She is reading this post.

Am I implying that all pastors have weaknesses? YES! We all do.

But if Jesus is still our model, then we have a proven template with which to respond to even the villest of offences and insults on our person or our fathers!

You don't necessarily have to share the points I make here. But you'll agree that despite several attempts by the disciples to get Jesus, the Christ Himself to approve that they command fire from heaven to descend and burn down his enemies, they never got His nod for it. Not for once!

Even Peter who disengaged a man's ear ostensibly to protect the Master, never had Jesus' imprimatur on it.

Imagine if some of today's pastors you worship were the Christ! No body would be spared, even you that is clapping them and cheering on!

We are all sinners, so you better stop hating fellow sinners on behalf of God. For even God is wondering who sent you to hate another sinner sinning differently!

I do not encourage anyone to treat a pastor with disdain or disecrate their sacred calling.

But even where that unfortunately happens, pastors should increasingly see the pulpit as a platform for 'pulling' the lost out of the 'pit', via their salted and seasoned rejoinders, instead of spewing and threatening hellfire and brimstone - if they truly seek to harvest souls for the kingdom.

That is why that podium is called the Pulpit.

If an unbeliever insults me and I decide to insult him back, fine.

That's understandable, but where of all places, the best place I find to engage the sinner, call names and trade insults is [on] the pulpit, that's a rip off.

How does doing that edify the body of Christ I shepherd? How?

Pastoring isn't an all rosy affair or some tea party. Offences are part of the mix, and they'll sure come, but of what use is reducing ones pulpit in an utter revenge mission to a platform for name calling, threats and abuses?

Here's the bottom line and it should be underscored:

Not everyone who offends you will die by fire. Some will live, get saved and go to heaven. Heaven can't be empty because of you!

But the funny part is that you could even miss heaven for failing to forgive your offenders!

God bless you.