Nollywood actress Juliana Olayode has weighed in on the immense criticism that religious leaders, especially pastors, have been subjected to, following the crisis plaguing Nigeria.
In a series of posts on her Instagram page, she noted how social media has been filled with videos of pastors being criticized for being silent amid the ongoing insecurity.
She admitted that Pastors are expected to speak out more, including other religious leaders, and those with influence. She, however, admonished the public not to mistaken the pastors’ silence for lack of concern.
Making a case for them, she said that despite pastors being humans, they are also subjected to divine authority that gives them spiritual responsibility which they must adhere to.
According to her, sometimes pastors are solely tasked with praying, interceding, and also dialogue with those in authority.
She wrote:
“I know I might get dragged for saying this and not to deviate from the issue at hand, but I don’t know if it’s just my Tiktok and Instagram algorithm, I’ve been seeing a lot of videos of people calling out pastors. There’s something I think we should also take into consideration.
Yes, I believe pastors should speak up more. So should Imams, Sheikhs, and everyone with a voice and influence. But we should not automatically assume that those who are not speaking publicly on social media are doing nothing or are unconcerned about what is happening in the country. Not all meaningful action is visible online.
Pastors are not activists, though they certainly can speak on political and societal issues when they feel led to do so.
I understand that some people have no regard for pastors. We have seen and heard painful stories of what some have done in the name of God. But, while false pastors exist, so do genuine ones, men and women who serve faithfully, walk in integrity and carry their spiritual responsibility with sincerity.
Yes, pastors are human beings like the rest of us, but they are under divine authority and also carry a spiritual responsibility before God.
Throughout the scriptures, God’s servants didn’t always respond to national crises with public statements.
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