By CHIJIOKE AGBAEZE

“In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”— *George Orwell*

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.”— *Isaiah 9:2*

Today, the Church enters the sacred season of Advent—a season of hope amid darkness, watchfulness in the face of crisis, and yearning for justice. The world into which Christ was born was marked by violence, oppression, and political tension—not unlike Nigeria today. As we begin a new Christian year, our eyes are turned again toward the promise of a Saviour who comes not in splendor but in struggle; not into peace, but into political fear, social violence, and imperial darkness. For this reason, I cannot be silent.

The same darkness into which Christ was born now hangs heavily over our land. Nigeria is bleeding. Before now, we said farmers in the North could no longer tend their crops, and traders dared not go to market without fear. But today, there is no region untouched, no people group spared—North, South, East, West, Christian and Muslim, Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba, Fulani—we are all bleeding.

Recently, I asked an ex-staff member in Enugu to help facilitate a simple seminar recording. She declined—not out of disrespect, but out of fear. The road from Enugu to Nsukka, in her words, is a death route. This is not the North. 

This is the East. My own wife, travelling from Enugu to Abia for a family funeral, had to weigh every mile with fear and prayer. Kidnapping is no longer an incident—it is a pattern.

What we face is not merely religious. It is not simply tribal. Perhaps it is not even strictly political. It is a hydra-headed monster—a product of decades of neglect, injustice, poverty, and broken systems. And now, even the government appears overwhelmed, outpaced, and unable to restore calm. The nation cries out while leadership postures.

And yet, Advent reminds us that God is not absent in the darkness. He steps into it. He does not avoid our pain—He is born into it. So today, I make this statement not out of despair but out of watchful hope. Hope that tells the truth. Hope that confronts evil. Hope that calls us to act. Therefore, I declare: To the Nigerian Government: You were elected to lead, not to blame. If you are helpless, say so. If you need aid, seek it. But do not deny the suffering of the people while seated in comfort. Our silence does not mean safety—it means loss of trust.

To the Church: Let us not decorate Advent with candles while ignoring the cries of our communities. This is the time to rise with prophetic clarity, pastoral courage, and practical action. We must be both watchmen and witnesses.

To all Nigerians: Do not let fear steal your humanity. Speak when you can. Refuse to be numbed by the normalisation of evil. Our silence is not peace—it is surrender. 

Let this Advent be a turning point.

Let it be the moment we refuse to walk blindly in darkness.

Let it be the moment we name our wounds and mourn our dead.

Let it be the moment we say, “Enough is enough.”

Christ comes not to the palace, but to the periphery. He comes not to the proud, but to the grieving. And He comes to Nigeria still.

May His coming awaken our conscience.

May His light break our silence.

May His justice roll like a river upon this bleeding land.

God bless Nigeria.

God awaken His Church.

God save His people. Amen.

•Rev. Agbaeze, Pastor, First United Presbyterian Church, Little Falls, New York, USA, delivered this on Advent Sunday, November 30, 2025.