The Christian Youth and Nation Building

Nation building is a continuous crucial undertaking by every nation for stability, growth peace and national pride. If our youth and particularly the Christian youth cannot find relevance in being a part of building our nation today, the repercussion would be gravely borne by them in the near future of the nation. It is therefore important to address this issue, be it in brief, for the benefit of the Christian youth and the nation.

In discussing this all important topic a few key words would be stated and defined for the sake of precision and clarity of understanding. The few words are Youth, Nation, Christian Youth and Nation Building.

I. Definition of Key Words

Youth is a word associated with young people. It is used in describing young people, usually adolescent between childhood and maturity (adulthood), who have the common characteristics of still growing and developing, physically, mentally, emotionally, vocationally, academically, etc. However, due to differences in culture and other considerations, the term 'Youth' refers to different age groups from society to society. Some society especially in the United States of America (USA) refers to youth as mainly teenagers between the ages of 12 to 21 years. Other societies in Africa for example Nigeria, regard youth as young people within the age bracket of 18-35 years. It is considered that youth marks the stage of the highest release of the physical, spiritual and creative energy among the human beings.

Human beings by nature are social beings. Being social beings there is the natural sense and inclination to association with each other. From the family which is the smallest unit of human association or community, man's capacity of association grows into a nation. A Nation is a body of people occupying a given area whose common interests are strong enough to make possible the maintenance of a single sovereign civil authority. This usually goes beyond the historical truth of a nation which comprises of a tribe or a race for example the Hausa Nation, Yoruba Nation or Igbo Nation which are the major tribes in Nigeria. A nation therefore is clearly stated as a people, not just the land, an association not necessarily one tribe or a race.

The youth reflect a culture of theirs in our society. The language they speak, the music they listen to and many aspects of their lives differ from that of the past generation. Therefore many people of older generations tend to make judgments and assumptions of youth which are typically based in the manner which they speak, dress and present themselves. Because of these generalizations, the faith of many Christian youth may be overlooked. In a world where many youth are surrounded by things such as materialism and discrimination, many still have the strength to maintain a spiritual life. A Christian Youth therefore stands out not necessarily in the physical but in faith and convictions about the Christian God that gives him/her the courage to do what is righteous in the face of distraction, opposition and persecution.

Nation Building for the sake of this discussion can be defined as the process of reinforcing the common bonds among the people of a nation, to the end that there may be general stability and prosperity so that the nation may participate usefully in the community of nations. Nation building is an ongoing task of developing the nation. National development does not consists merely in economic progress but means increasing possibilities for all of living a fully human life on the physical(material), cultural and spiritual levels. It also implies the growing ability of a nation as a whole to take its rightful position in the international field, economically, politically and culturally.

II. The Christian Youth and Nation Building

Good leadership is the most essential ingredient for nation building. In fact a nation with all the resources but bad leadership is bound to ruin. The Christian youth contribution to nation building begins with good leadership example. Since the youth are leaders of tomorrow, the examples they see and the lessons they learn on good leadership will contribute not in a small way to good leadership and governance in the future. Christian youth however must take up the challenge and must be encouraged to take up leadership roles in secular, corporate and religious associations. By taking up such leadership responsibilities and by virtue of their faith and convictions they can set up a standard through good work, selfless service and dedication for other youth, and indeed all to follow.

The standard already set by our past and present leaders has proved to be disastrous to the nation. Instead of building-up the nation, what we have is a nation on the verge of disintegration, since it is clear that they were all serving as leaders for selfish gains and not for the good of all or the majority. Hence the whole nation is out on a selfish expedition. It is no wonder why the moral values of the nation continue to erode away. It is no wonder why corruption remains a consuming cancer on the nation. What right has a pot to tell a kettle that it is black? The Christian youth however, are capable examples of good leadership through good acts, if they truly hold on to the tenets of their faith, which basically views true leadership as unselfish service to humanity. Moreover, with the cultural divide between the youth and the older generation, the Christian youth are best equipped by way and manner which they speak and dress to reach out to their fellow youth in the language they understand and to draw their attention to the positive aspect of good leadership in nation building. Through such effort and examples the Christian youth will bring hope of a better nation with good future leaders. (1 Timothy 4:15)

For a nation to be prosperous it citizens must be hardworking. Every hard work brings profit (proverbs 14:23). Every nation needs the full contribution of energy of its youth for development and growth. The culture of hard work however is on the decline all over the world. Quick ways to making money or to achieving success and even sheer laziness has become fashionable. The scourge of 419 and terror of area boys testifies to the fact. But for the Christian youth such laziness and crooked ways to success are strange. The Christian youth and not any other should be the one to excel most in their various chosen profession, even as students, by putting all their effort and energy as if working for the Lord, as they are taught by God. Prophet Daniel and his three friends were youth (Hebrew) captives in Babylon who excelled in their profession contributing much in the nation building of Babylon. They made every effort to break-off from the reckless attitude and wasteful living that characterized their environment and even though they were in a foreign country they embraced it as their nation and worked hard serving selflessly and excelling to bring meaningful contribution to the nation they belong. Daniel and his friends are the great example of hard work for today's Christian youth in an era devoid of the culture of hard work. The Christian youth therefore must continue to be the vanguard advocate for hard work and excellence in the nation, realizing its contribution to nation building thereby making the nation a better place for all

One of the greatest challenges faced in nation building today is intolerance especially in the form of tribal/ethnic and religious discrimination. This is true since a people (nation) divided against themselves cannot stand. (Mark 3: 24). With so many political, cultural, religious and tribal factions and divisions fighting and discriminating against each other and threatening the unity and common bonds among the people, nation building becomes a steep hill climb task. The very things that keep the nation together are not the common speech (language), religious belief or way of dressing with its little differences, but values like human dignity, rights and freedom, which are enshrined by the constitution. If the Christian youth understands this it will not champion or propagate any divisive organization be it political, tribal or religious inclined. Instead the Christian youth have a great role to play (and should take up the role) in the unity of the nation, an essential condition for meaningful nation building. It is true that without unity and peace, national development and growth (prosperity), is meaningless, since all will be brought to square one in the event of a war. Pursuant of peace and obedience to all instituted authorities are clear Christian doctrines that must be imbibed by the Christian youth.

God is no respecter of persons but rewards everyone accordingly. They are many examples in the scriptures that attest to this. God blessed and accepted Abel's sacrifice because he gave the best but refused Cain's because it was not given in faith. Joseph a Hebrew slave became prime minister of Egypt because he had a vision and mission that will save the entire region from famine. Esther a Hebrew slave was chosen as queen after scaling through strictly by merit as the most beautiful girl in an impartially contested beauty contest. We can go on and on citing different instances where God revealed his impartiality. We could talk about Rehab the harlot who was given an inheritance among the Jews; Daniel and king Nebuchadnezzar; Jesus and the centurion, Peter and Cornelius; we will see that in all these stories what mattered to those in authority and the people were not tribe or religious leaning but merit, excellence and the good for all, not forgetting the merciful grace of God. Having seen that God is not a respecter of anybody, a tribe or any group of people, the Christian youth therefore has the responsibility of being the vanguard in the campaign for equity, fairness and justice to all. The Christian youth should shun and fight against all forms of discrimination at all places, whether it turns out for their good or not, for God treats all men equal. A healthy nation is one that will recognize people and honor them not on the basis of their tribe, religion or political leaning but on pure merit and distinction. Without such a healthy nation, effort to nation building would only be a frustrating retrogression.

Conclusion:

We have seen from the discussion which is not exhaustive that our youth particularly the Christian youth have a part to play and indeed a great responsibility in nation building. The challenge is for the Christian youth to rise up with a fresh vision born out of the biblical worldview for our nation in the 21^st century, a nation that is made of individuals, families, communities and a mosaic of races, language groups, religious traditions and cultures. A vision that will honor Jesus Christ as lord of the nation and that will seek the well being of our fellow citizens in the realization of truth, righteousness, justice, freedom, equality, mercy and love for all.