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Peace eludes us. Yet the quest for peace, justice, and love continues. Without peace, nothing moves. In Nigeria, as in many other societies, it is believed that peace is the priority, the sine qua non for all other activities in society.

We must go back and meditate on the words of the song: "Whoever you are, give peace a chance to reign." And on the words of the anonymous singer: "Oh my Lord, you sent your Son to save us; so that sin will not enslave us: and so that love once more may reign." Anger and hate enslave but forgiveness and love set free!

I pray that those who escaped the crisis will not behave like the people John describe in Revelation 9:20–21:

The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood — idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

The solution to violence in Nigeria must include political activity, religious education, community action, church action, and personal witness that embrace justice, love, forgiveness, and peace in all their truth. It must come with the realization that, in the words of Thomas A. Shannon, "Peace is a gift to be shared with other individuals as well as with the community."

On an encouraging note, a Muslim woman with her nursing baby traveled into Jos on Saturday without knowing what was going on. She got trapped in the crisis and had to run to JETS for safety. She was taken to the provost.

On Sunday, he brought her to our church to worship with us. That Sunday morning, we could not hold a normal Sunday service. So when she was asked to stand in the midst of Christians, she was emotionally and psychological disoriented. If she had fallen into the hands of the wrong group, she and her child would have been murdered and burned to ashes. Perhaps that was why I saw her shedding tears.

I thanked God that our students at JETS have started putting into practice what we are teaching them. She was stranded both physically and financially. We assured her that it would be well with her.

Although the pastor had said that he did not think it was wise to ask for an offering that Sunday, because of the need to send this woman back to her family and the needs of other refugees, we took an offering.

This was my moment of joy: to see the church protecting the life of this Muslim woman and her child. This gives me great hope for reconciliation and peace in Nigeria. I pray that such love will bring her to a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ.

Sunday Agang is a John Stott Ministries-Langham scholar and a professor at ECWA Theological Seminary, Jos.

Copyright © 2008 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

The Associated Press, The New York Times, and others reported on the violence in Jos.

Jos suffered similar violence in 2004 and 2001, with thousands of casualties.

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December (Web-only) 2008, Vol. 53