Stupidity will never be sexy and quiet excellence has no value. Excellence must be seen, felt and experienced to have an impact.

In recent times, I have been rudely reminded that there can be money available for projects in Nigeria, but what will frustrate you, is finding humans capable of executing. If so many professionals were good at what they did, I doubt they would be that difficult to find. And so, it bears repeating that quiet or hidden excellence has no value.

The Internet was supposed to be the game-changer.

I thought the Internet would make talent sourcing easier and give underdogs a platform to shine. Rather, it has handed pretenders megaphones. It has democratized rebellion against fundamental character and encouraged a shocking twisting of values. “My truth” appears to be more valid than the truth. He who shouts the loudest and can sway the mob wins every argument. People who should know better shrink in fear, overwhelmed by the noise. The profile and public alliances of those who speak are more important than the message.

There are so many brilliant folks who should take the lead and champion qualities like hard work and altruism. But, they lack the self-motivation to do so. They are tired and so, rarely finish what they start. Their brains have been scrambled by the attention deficit brought on by too much social media use. Some are battling debilitating Imposter Syndrome, and a few require their egos to be massaged in order to finish what they have already been paid for.

Goodness looks like counterculture now. Deep thinkers keep searching for validation and sane spaces of expression. 

The church has a role to play.

The Church shares some blame for the shrinking values space. In Nigeria, a Christian organization’s elections were won by open bribery and corruption. So, it’s difficult for it to now claim moral authority. Pastors have been censured for rape, corruption and the hypnotic compulsion of offerings, while their peers kept quiet. So how can the Church as a body politic, embody values? Popular Christian online conversations are quick to explain the validity of tithes, but they neglect contemporary concerns. Congregants are told to eschew politics for a heavenly home, but how will they then ensure justice for humanity, while still on earth? 

Through inaction, the Church may be signaling that it lacks power; the main currency of nations. It is strangely communicating that it lacks moral, spiritual, political and spoken authority. Even the force of its numerical membership has been neutered by division. If the Church had bite, evil doers would surely be afraid of its bark.

I know the incalculable good the Church can do and that has always done. But when good men and women of God shrink while evil thrives, the world will keep breaking down. 

The world needs salt to be preserved.

Even if some believe the world will keep getting worse based on apocalyptical prophecies, at the very least, our Christian mandate is to restrain the evil day so more can be saved. So why this laissez-faire attitude to culture and social justice? Why are we not speaking the Word with the creativity that modern media demands, so we can reach a new generation? Language adapts and evolves, even when the core message remains unchanged.

When I think of all these things, I get pretty tired of “Christianity”. Especially the black African kind. For at times it is difficult to find the extreme creativity of the Holy Ghost in it. To sense the unfettered love and authenticity of the Father there. To see the extreme brilliance, reason and logic of Jesus inside. Surely, there must be a better way.

For more, please read The Nature of Evil.