By Rev. JOHN OKWII
There are stories that begin beautifully and appear to end tragically. There are families that begin with prayer but pass through conflict. There are communities that begin with brotherhood but descend into suspicion. There are nations that begin with hope but later find themselves surrounded by corruption, violence, insecurity, poverty and moral confusion.
Yet, the story of Abraham and Lot teaches us a profound truth: a bad chapter does not necessarily mean a bad ending.
Abraham’s journey began with a divine call. God instructed him to leave his country, his kindred and his father’s house and go to a land that would be shown to him. Abraham obeyed, but he did not travel alone. He carried Lot with him.
Lot was his nephew, not his biological son. Nevertheless, Abraham’s treatment of Lot demonstrates something that contemporary society desperately needs: responsible relationships. Abraham had received a blessing from God, but he did not become too important to care for another person.
As the years passed, Abraham and Lot became exceedingly wealthy. Their possessions became so great that the land could not sustain both households, and their shepherds began to quarrel. This was the first major test.
Abraham could have insisted on his rights. He could have reminded Lot that he was the elder, that God had called him, and that Lot had travelled only because of him. Instead, he called Lot “brother” and declared, “Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee… for we be brethren” (Genesis 13:8).
What a remarkable statement.
Abraham understood something that many societies have forgotten: preserving relationships is sometimes more important than winning arguments. An African proverb says, “When brothers fight to the death, a stranger inherits their father’s house.” Another reminds us that “The person who refuses to bend the tree may be the one who breaks it.”
Abraham chose to bend. He surrendered his right to choose first. Lot selected the fertile plain toward Sodom, while Abraham chose peace.
Here begins a strategic lesson for the Church and for Nigeria.
Social re-engineering begins when honour becomes greater than self-interest. Genesis 13:8–9 provides a blueprint for rebuilding relationships and societies. Abraham did not deny the existence of conflict; he confronted it.
He did not pretend that the shepherds were not fighting; he addressed the problem directly. He did not wait for government, lawyers or outsiders; he accepted responsibility. Most importantly, he refused to allow a material disagreement to destroy a covenant relationship.
His approach was simple yet profound: recognise the conflict, respect the person, separate the interests and preserve the relationship.
This is precisely what Nigeria needs today.
The Church must become an institution of reconciliation rather than another arena of rivalry. Plateau needs men and women who can say, “We may disagree without becoming enemies.” Nigeria needs leaders who can say, “Your dignity does not diminish my dignity.”
The Church must teach young people that disagreement is not necessarily hatred, political difference is not treason, ethnic difference is not inferiority, denominational difference is not permission for persecution, and competition does not have to become destruction.
An African proverb wisely observes that “A single finger cannot kill a louse.” We need one another. Nigeria cannot be rebuilt by one ethnic group. Plateau cannot be rebuilt by one denomination. Africa cannot be transformed by one generation. Social re-engineering begins when we recover the dignity of the other person.
Respect and honour are not merely cultural values; they are spiritual dynamos. Abraham called Lot his brother even though he was his nephew because he understood that how we address people influences how we treat them. Words can build bridges or burn them. They can restore dignity or destroy it.
Abraham did not say, “You insignificant nephew; remember that you are here because of me.” Instead, he affirmed, “We are brethren.” That was social engineering through language.
There is far too much contempt in public discourse. People insult one another because they disagree. Children insult parents. Church members insult pastors. Pastors attack fellow ministers. Political supporters demonise opponents. Ethnic communities speak of one another with disdain.
Yet Scripture instructs us, “In honour preferring one another” (Romans 12:10).
Honour does not mean agreement. Honour means recognising the God-given dignity of another person even when we disagree with that person’s position.
An African proverb says, “Respect for the elderly is not because of grey hair alone, but because of the journey they have travelled.” The Church must become a school of honour where children learn to honour parents, citizens honour lawful authority, leaders honour the people, pastors honour congregations, congregations honour pastors, the rich honour the poor, the educated honour the uneducated, the powerful honour the powerless, and every human being honours another as one created in the image of God.
The danger of choosing by sight alone
The story then moves to another crucial lesson. Lot lifted up his eyes and saw the well-watered plain of the Jordan Valley. It looked prosperous, attractive and full of opportunity. He chose according to what his eyes could see, and he moved toward Sodom.
This is one of life’s greatest dangers.
Not everything that looks prosperous is safe. Not every green pasture is God’s pasture. Not every open door is God’s door. Not every profitable business is a righteous business. Not every political opportunity is a divine assignment. Not every beautiful city is a healthy environment.
Abraham chose according to what God had promised, while Lot chose according to what appeared immediately advantageous.
The question is not merely, “What can I gain?” The greater question is, “What will this choice make me become?”
A Nigerian may ask, “How much money will this give me?” A Christian must also ask, “What will this money do to my soul?”
A politician may ask, “Will this position give me power?” A believer must ask, “Will I still be able to tell the truth when I occupy that position?”
A young person may ask, “Is this relationship attractive?” A disciple of Christ must ask, “Will this relationship bring me closer to Christ or farther from Him?”
African wisdom reminds us that “The beautiful fruit may hide a worm inside.” The Church must therefore teach discernment. Vision must become greater than visibility.
One of the most powerful lessons in this narrative is that honour does not mean passivity. Lot separated from Abraham and moved toward Sodom. Later, disaster struck. Powerful kings invaded the region and carried Lot and his household away captive.
Abraham’s response was extraordinary.
He armed his trained men and pursued the captors. Consider what this meant. Lot had chosen the land Abraham could have taken. Lot had enjoyed the advantage. Lot had separated from him. Yet when Lot was in trouble, Abraham did not say, “He made his choice; let him suffer the consequences.”
He rescued him.
That is honour. That is covenant. That is spiritual maturity.
The Church must recover this ministry of rescue. When a brother falls, we must not celebrate. When a sister makes a mistake, we must not circulate the story. When a pastor encounters difficulty, we must not rejoice. When a young person gets lost, we must not abandon him. When a family is broken, we must not mock them. When a community is displaced, we must not first ask what tribe they belong to; we must ask, “How can we help?”
Galatians 6:1 urges believers to restore those who have fallen in a spirit of meekness.
An African proverb declares, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.”
Abraham went after Lot because he understood that people are more important than disputes, and relationships are more valuable than personal advantage.
Becoming an Abrahamic community in a broken world
What, then, must the Church do in a nation that longs for renewal?
The first task is to re-engineer our relationships. The Church must become an example of reconciliation by resolving disputes before they become wars, teaching forgiveness, respectful disagreement and conflict management, and building bridges across ethnic, denominational and generational boundaries. Churches must model the Nigeria they are praying for.
The second task is to restore the culture of honour. Fathers must honour mothers, children must honour parents, pastors must honour members, members must honour pastors, leaders must honour citizens, citizens must honour legitimate authority, the wealthy must honour the poor and the educated must honour those without formal education. Honour is not weakness; honour is social strength.
Equally important is the call to build a culture of rescue. When someone falls, we must restore. When someone is lost, we must search. When someone is wounded, we must heal. When someone is hungry, we must feed.
When someone is displaced, we must shelter. When someone is hopeless, we must give hope. The Good Samaritan must become a social philosophy of the Nigerian Church.
The Church must also teach discernment, helping young people understand that not every green valley is God’s will. They must learn to distinguish prosperity from purpose and to value character above possessions. The essential question is not simply, “What do I gain?” but, “What do I become?”
Above all, the Church must preach Christ as the final hope. Social transformation without salvation eventually collapses. Political reform without moral transformation eventually decays. Economic development without spiritual renewal can produce richer sinners rather than righteous societies.
Therefore, while we must feed the hungry, educate the young, advocate for justice, promote peace and rescue the vulnerable, we must never abandon the proclamation of Jesus Christ, because humanity’s deepest problem is not merely economic or political; it is spiritual, and the ultimate answer is Christ Himself.
Imagine what would happen if every Christian became an Abraham. When conflict comes, we would say, “Let there be no strife.” When someone falls, we would say, “I will rescue him.” When society is under judgment, we would say, “I will intercede.” When a generation appears hopeless, we would still believe God for the future. When sinners are far away, we would carry the Gospel to them. When people are divided, we would become bridge builders.
That is social re-engineering. It begins not in parliament but in the human heart. It begins not with the president but with the believer. It begins not in the capital city but in the local church. It begins with each of us.
As we draw this message to a close, consider the remarkable movement of the biblical narrative. Abraham began with a divine call. Lot travelled with him. They became wealthy. Their shepherds quarrelled. They separated. Lot chose Sodom. He was captured. Abraham rescued him. Sodom was judged. Lot was rescued again. His family suffered terrible consequences.
Yet generations later, Ruth emerged from that broken lineage, entered the genealogy of David and ultimately became part of the line through which Jesus Christ came into the world.
What a story.
Therefore, Plateau, hope. Nigeria, hope. Africa, hope. Church, hope. Family, hope. Young people, hope. The wounded, hope. The displaced, hope. The discouraged, hope. The sinner, hope.
The God who brought redemption through a broken human story has not changed, and the greatest evidence of this is Jesus Christ. The story that passed through Abraham, Lot, Ruth and David ultimately arrived at Jesus, the Saviour of the world.
Our final message, therefore, is greater than the hope that Nigeria will become better. It is the assurance that God is still at work and that His redemptive purpose will prevail.
Remember this: Honour before the horizon. Choose honour. Build bridges. Rescue the fallen. Intercede for the nation. Raise hope. Preach Christ. Because God can take a broken journey and still lead it toward salvation.
Crux sola est nostra theologia.
Amen.
Rev. Prof. John Brown Okwii, the
Serving Pastor, Assemblies of God Church, Hwolshe, opposite Model Academy, along Yakubu Gowon Way, Jos, writes via johnbrownokwii@gmail.com