Sunday Agang writes of the situation…

Jos, Nigeria – November 28, 2008

The local election crisis in the plateau state of Nigeria erupted into religious violence early Friday morning as young Muslims vented their anger by burning churches and murdering non-Muslims in the city of Jos. In retaliation, young non-Muslims began doing the same to the
Muslim community until the military was able to restore order.

Sunday Agang is one of several JSM-Langham scholars at the seminary for the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) located in Jos, the capital city of the plateau state. They responded with a message of peace, reconciliation and forgiveness. It did not take long before an opportunity to put this message into action as Sunday writes:

“A Muslim woman, with her nursing baby, traveled into the city of Jos on Saturday without knowing what was going on. She was trapped in the crisis and had to run to our seminary for safety. She was taken to the provost. On Sunday he brought her to our church to worship with us. That 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. That was why I saw her shedding tears. I thanked God that our students have started putting into practice what we are teaching them. She was stranded both physically and financially. The pastor had said that he did not think it was wise to ask for offering that Sunday, but because of the need of sending this Muslim woman back to her family and the need of other refugees, an offering was collected. 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. Pray that such love will bring her to a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ.”