It is Resurrection Morning, and I woke up with my Easter message as the Minister in Charge of the #MinistryOfClarity to our Mind Congregants across the globe through my #HomilyFromThePew.

I believe there is a resurrection we urgently need. I believe the emancipation of our families, our nations, and the continent of Africa will remain a long shot for as long as we do not address this issue. I believe our efforts to raise conscious children, who are sufficiently whole to live balanced lives free from oppression, are jeopardized if we fail to confront it.

There are five things I have observed in life, especially in times of crisis, conflict, or misgiving, whether personal, professional, or organizational, among many adults, particularly among elite and educated Nigerians.

1. The Crisis of Unprincipled Faith

Irrespective of the faith they profess, that faith hardly translates into principles that determine their position or conduct in times of crisis. They do not take principled positions. Most of the time, their operative principle is that, in war, everything is fair except principle.

Yet Scripture makes it clear that by their fruits we shall know them, and that faith must find expression in conviction, courage, and conduct (Matthew 7:16; Habakkuk 2:4; James 2:17).

In my own corner of the world, what a man or woman truly believes is only revealed in times of crisis or pressure. Anyone can profess anything when there is no demand for the cost of that belief.

2. The Nobility of Self-Interest Disguised

Because a principled position is absent, many place personal, and sometimes selfish, interests above principle. They then construct narratives that bear the appearance of nobility and altruism, and by these narratives sway the minds of the majority. Often, they get away with it, for reasons I will mention later.

However, when such narratives are carefully scrutinized by the few who are discerning enough to distinguish genuine nobility from inordinate self-interest disguised as nobility, the difference is usually clear.

Scripture warns us that not everything that appears right is truly right (Proverbs 14:12).

3. The Instability of the Unprincipled

Because their positions are not rooted in principle, many people are inconsistent. They are tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine and circumstance. They are not dependable, even when it may not be their intention to be unreliable. The content of their character, not having been formed in the crucible of principle, betrays them and renders them unstable.

In the day of battle, they are like smoke to the eyes and like a foot out of joint, as the Book of Proverbs describes the unfaithful (Ephesians 4:14; Proverbs 25:19).

4. The Discipline of Informed Engagement

Many who take positions do not take informed positions. They fight according to their pain and ego. They do not fight from victory, though they often imagine that they do. In doing so, they forget the wisdom preserved in Yoruba philosophy.

They forget the Yoruba philosophy which says, “Alágbára má mọ̀ èrò, bàbá ọ̀lẹ.” This means that the one who thinks he has strength, but does not think things through before acting, is the laziest of all in battle.

Another proverb says, “Ẹjọ́ la ń kọ́; ènìyàn kan ò kì í kọ́ ìjà.” This means that knowing how to present one’s case is an indispensable craft and should not be mistaken for being the cause of the fight.

Even Scripture affirms this truth: “By strength shall no man prevail” (1 Samuel 2:9).

An informed position should be scientific, spiritual, and lawful, especially in a manner consistent with the faith one professes and the law of the land. Yet many are in such a hurry to act that they abandon procedural due process.

Consider the history of universities expelling students. In many cases, those students, though less powerful and less learned than the institutions that expelled them, still prevail against the universities. This is despite the fact that the universities are staffed by distinguished professors, including faculties of law led by deans and senior legal scholars. Those students are often restored, not necessarily because they are guiltless, but because the universities fail to follow proper procedure, even though they are ordinarily better positioned to know and uphold it. This is a serious indictment.

5. The Yoke of Convenient Silence

Many people, often the majority, remain under an unbroken yoke of silence. They keep their opinions private. They actually hold positions, but those positions are expressed only when it is convenient and when doing so will not require them to rock the boat or be publicly identified with their convictions.

If the matter is a conflict between persons, their position is disclosed privately to the person to whom they claim allegiance, but not publicly where it may count. They are the silent majority whose support does not alter the situation, but merely provides moral comfort to those they support and to themselves. Yet privatized support is no support at all, especially when the moment requires public clarity.

I often think that many educated Nigerians fall into this category. They cannot speak truth to private power, where the risk may be relatively lower, yet we expect them to speak truth to public power, where the risk is much higher. The order is already in disorder, so how do we build a conscious citizenry capable of asking questions?

They do not speak truth to power or ask necessary questions at Parents-Teachers Association meetings, Residents’ Association meetings, religious association meetings, or old students’ association meetings.

Silence, in such circumstances, is not neutrality; it is complicity. Scripture says, “Open thy mouth for the dumb,” and calls us to speak where justice is at stake (Proverbs 31:8–9).

Many hide their silence under various excuses, but I have observed carefully and found that such excuses are often untenable. Their silence positions them as candidates for double standards.

I believe that until we address these issues in our private dealings, we are not ready for the work of raising fortified families or for the larger task of nation-building.

If there must be resurrection, it must also be the resurrection of principle, courage, truth, procedural integrity, and public conscience. Only then can we claim to be building a people prepared for freedom, justice, and lasting transformation.

Do have an INSPIRED Easter celebration with the family.