The Word Café Podcast with Amax

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A voice rises from Nigeria's capital, speaking directly to a nation in pain. Amidst the horrific killings in Benue State, this heartfelt message confronts the deafening silence surrounding the violence while offering a counterintuitive path forward. The speaker, deeply connected to Benue through colleagues and friends, wrestles openly with the tension between justice and peace.

Drawing from Nelson Mandela's extraordinary example of forgiveness after 27 years of imprisonment, the talk explores what it means to pursue peace when vengeance feels justified. "How do you say I should pray for somebody who is killing me?" the speaker asks, acknowledging the difficulty while still pointing toward this radical response as "the height of true power." Rather than looking to failed political leadership, listeners are encouraged to mobilize "the force of peace" through spiritual resources.

The most powerful moment comes when comparing the bloodshed in Benue to Christ's sacrifice: "Jesus was killed, but his blood cried salvation." This reimagining of violence not as a call for revenge but as a catalyst for redemption offers a profound alternative narrative. As the message concludes with reference to a unifying song by Nigerian artists Giz Baba and Loris Oyo, we're reminded that even amid tragedy, the Nigerian spirit of resilience remains unbroken. "We will not turn back now," becomes both promise and defiance—choosing hope when despair would be easier. For anyone struggling to find light in darkness, this message offers a challenging yet deeply human response to suffering.

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