LEAH SHARIBU:
SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS, WAKE UP

By Bola Adewara

In so many Churches, a 15-year-old, like Leah Sharibu, would still belong to Children ministry. From what I have seen of Children Ministries in so many Churches around here, we are very far from producing the likes of Leah who could damn her life and stand for Christ.

What is the content of the Sunday School  training that produced Leah? Who are Leah's Sunday School teachers? I am sure her children ministry is not the yoghurts, biscuit serving type, where they watch videos and sing songs like 'Mary had a little lamb'.

The Sunday School that produced the type of Leah must be where the Word is preached, where the examples of Joseph, Daniel, Shedrach, Meshack and Abednego are constantly made and direct applications made to their daily living. The Christianity that thrives  in areas of persecution is not the psychedelic, give-your-neighbour-a-Hi-5 Christianity. It is a Christianity of 'If I perish I perish.'

I have travelled extensively in the North since the Islamic crusade began with Mohammed Marwa, (Matatsine) in Kaduna in 1985. I have seen first hand so many burnt churches, women become widows, children become orphans, towns become desolate. These same Christians return to the burnt buildings or gather under the shade of trees, on Sundays, singing, dancing and clapping joyfully, counting it all joy to suffer for Christ. The Christians in the North are rare Christians.

Let the same fate befall some Churches in the south, Church don close be dat. Some Christians here even complain of heat during service, mounting pressures on Pastors to fix air con or they go elsewhere. Gradually, the race now is NOT to save souls, but have AC Churches. Psychedelic Christianity that can't produce the type of Leah.

Sunday School teachers, GOs, Senior pastors and resident pastors, are you there? Upgrade your Sunday schools. Upgrade your Bible stories to daily applications. Leah, like General of faith, George Ojih, has become a metaphor of courage, the modern day Daniel and the three Hebrews.

Tell the children in your classes that they can stand to be counted for Christ. The days of 'they are still children' are gone. Leah is a baby. 15 years old! She has become a giant killer, an example to parents and elders in the faith.