CORONAVIRUS! WHERE ARE THE PROPHETS?
Something has been cooking in my mind lately and I’ve decided to find an outlet for it. In recent weeks, news tabloids have been inundated with reports of religious leaders craving for the government to call back the religious gatherings. I’ve had to close my ears to the arguments for and against it. I do understand the premise adequately for both sides of the divide.
I am particular disturbed about the sheer selfishness of some notable religious leaders who despite the seriousness of the occasion are willing to risk the lives of their proselytes for selfish gains.
Proselytes will easily take in the words of their prophets and pastors hook line and sinker even when it goes against their safety. The records have shown the many disasters that many religious organizations would have averted if they had taken warnings from the government.
Everyone’s facing tough times as a result of the financial crunch brought about by the lock down. Some of these religious organizations feel threatened by their inability to gather enough funds. Suddenly these leaders are using the guise of a need for a community prayer against the coronavirus to back their claims for the churches to reopen when in reality they are wishing things can come back to normal so that they can have their own dose of offerings.
Apart from a few deeply spirited fathers of faith who put the welfare of their members first, a good number are complaining about the lack of offerings. At least I’ve heard a couple.
It pains me that some of our religious leaders who should do the job of checking on their sheep during this lockdown are actually also hiding their faces in the name of lockdown. The moment the lockdown is eased, they send messages upon messages inviting members to service.
Some of our religious leaders do not understand the responsibility placed on their office. They are supposed to sacrificially bear the burdens of their followers. But rather, they use the guise of religion to put more weight on them.
Some pastors have boasted that they can heal their members when they gather in church. If they actually trust their ability to heal their members off this virus, they should have done the prayers for those who are hitherto already suffering from the virus so that when there is no recorded case of the disease, there would be no reason to keep the churches locked.
By the way, who told our religious leaders that God is interested in using them only to heal their members? Must they have to gather at church before they are healed?
It’s time for our religious leaders to prove their calling sure. With their presence in this nation and their prayers, the coronavirus should by now have seen its end. They boast of having healing gifts and been able to do signs and wonders but coronavirus seems to be proving too strong for their gifts.
Coronavirus is showing us that the church needs revival. Nobody should boast about praying for members to get healed when we are faced with a pandemic and people are dying in their numbers everyday who need healing.
Our religious leaders are playing politics with their calling. They should be at the top of this battle but sadly, they are nowhere to be found. They are also on lockdown, staying safe because they are afraid of getting infected. And they want to pray for those who are infected in their churches. Okay oh!
They seem to be more concerned with what the politicians are doing than with what God can do. They seem to do best at analyzing the steps taking by our political leaders but fail to spread word about God’s healing power.
Now that some psychedelic prank playing prophets can’t find members to play their pranks on, they want to bring back the gatherings so they can float on the fame of their pranks and steal on the psyche of their followers.
Our country is like the biblical Samaria and coronavirus is holding siege like Syria while our prophets are like Elisha with tremendous grace and faith busy discussing with the politicians of Samaria. I don’t doubt the capabilities of our religious leaders. They however need to be steered up. Maybe they are eating too much to not realize that not everyone is having a great time like they are.
Our president need to summon these men of God to a do or die fest just as Ahab did to Elisha. If the pastors claim they can heal members when churches reopen, they should be called upon to heal the nation. Elisha’s eyes were only open to his responsibility after Ahab had spurred him with a death threat.
Our religious leaders have a responsibility on their shoulders. If the government decides for a lockdown, it is because they are helpless and the prophets have not proven their mettle.
This is the time for religious leaders to leave their comfort zone, to get out to the field, to homes where members are. This is the time to shift prayer altars to as many homes as they can. Which member won’t be happy to welcome their pastors into their homes at this critical time?
It is time for our religious leaders to take charge of this war. They should lead at the front by their prophetic words. This is not the time to argue with government leaders over opening churches or not opening churches. This is the time to prove why they are God’s mouthpiece.
This is not the time for publicity stunts. Some religious leaders are busy using the coronavirus and the lockdown for publicity stunt. God didn’t call them to be publicity stunt creators but to be proof makers.
Let’s get back the hospital outreaches. John G Lake and Benson Idahosa will be ever remembered for daring ravaging epidemics, daring to go places where doctors are scared of going and proving God by healing the sick. This is time for our men of God to write their names in gold instead of adding to the conspiracy theories roaming around.
Those who need help aren’t the people reading on the internet. They are the people at the isolation centers across the land who think they are between life and death. They need faith building words to steer their spirits to wellness. Who will dare head there?
If you are a religious leader reading this piece, you probably have slept for too long. This is not the time to brag about what you have given and are giving to help the poor. You will not need to give that much if the coronavirus is dealt with.
It’s time for our reverend men of God to come to the spiritual rescue of the church. Only Elisha was enough to rescue the land of Samaria, how much more our plethora of pastors and prophets.
Now is not the time to play denomination, there is need for a united front. The coronavirus is everyone’s trouble and it needs a concerted spiritual effort.
This is a spiritual emergency, not against government but against the spiritual principality behind coronavirus. What this virus needs is a conglomerate of all the “strong” men of God to forge a common front to wage this war. This is the right time to prove the calling. This is a wakeup call to the prophets in the land.
About the author: Ekekere Samuel Ufot is a writer and author of several books including the best seller “Starting All-Over After a Lockdown”. +2347939702747 ekekeresamuel@gmail.com www.facebook.com/naijasoars
