FAITH FILES

UNTIL recently most people here probably thought that “Sars” referred to a virus. Now, we hear it also refers to an infamous police unit in Nigeria.

It seems it was infected with corruption, brutality and injustice. And although the unit itself has been disbanded (or is that just renamed?), it is obvious much more must be done.

Nigeria’s reputation for corruption is well known. Yet despite this, there are many wonderful folk from this country, some of whom I’m privileged to know very well. The country’s image forged by the elite few makes life hard for everyone.

They say that power corrupts. But being a democracy doesn’t make a country immune. Nigeria isn’t the only place with such problems.

Perhaps we feel like we’re more enlightened in this country. But remember our colonial days are not that far in the past. Maybe we’ve progressed in some ways, but we’re still far from perfect.

In fact, you could argue the whole of humanity has an epidemic of corruption.

Right at the start, the Bible tells us we were put in charge of the planet. But instead of caring for it, the power we were given has gone to our heads, and we have exploited it in every conceivable way. Now we are staring into an environmental abyss. And those at the top of the pile continue to climb over the weakest and poorest who are often conveniently out of sight in other places.

God’s prophets have called out down the years for justice to “flow like rivers”, yet more often the stream seems to be drying up.

Some try diplomatic efforts and campaigning. But when those in charge don’t want to hear it is hard to make progress.

Often it is only through sacrifice that things change. When lives started being lost in Lagos, the world took notice. And so too is the answer to the overall problem of corrupted humanity.

Jesus spent much of his life challenging corrupt leaders, but it was only through His death that real change came about.

Tim Gossling, Communications

Manager, Valley CiDS