Bola Tinubu’s ‘poisoned communion’: outright insult to Body of Christ

How else to describe Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “Poisoned Communion” metaphor if not to say it is very offensive and an outright insult to the body of Christ, the Church? And any Christian who does not see it that way should actually re-examine his or her believing.

It is unacceptable any how you look at it and then coming from a non-believer of the Christian faith, it depicts a deliberate attempt to bring the very soul of Christianity to ridicule more so considering where it was said.

While addressing the Arewa interactive committee on Monday 17^th October in Kaduna, Tinubu had compared Nigeria’s compliance with global climate change directives to preventing “a church rat from eating poisoned Holy Communion”.

“It’s a question of how do you prevent a church rat from eating poisoned Holy Communion. That’s the way,” the APC presidential candidate had said.

It’s insulting to the Body of Christ for Bola Tinubu to characterise climate-change policies for poor countries as a question of how do you prevent a church rat from eating poisoned Holy Communion.

He used “church rat” to symbolize poor nations (Nigerian English speakers often say “as poor as a church rat” where native English speakers say “as poor as a poor church mouse” to indicate extreme poverty) and “Holy Communion” to acknowledge the desirability of climate-change policies.

In the first instance, the place where he made the comment was not a church/Christian gathering but an Arewa event. Couldn’t it have been better for him to use a metaphor that resonates with his audience?

Without mincing words, the utterance was not only misplaced and out of order but outrightly callous no matter how anybody wants to look at it. As Tinubu was speaking at the Arewa interactive committee, a predominantly Muslim audience, he should have used a metaphor they can identify with in full understanding.

Also the assemblage of the words in the metaphor and its delivery only goes a long way to show that the APC presidential candidate was deliberate to rubbish the object of the Christian faith, The Lord and Saviour of the whole world, Jesus Christ.

What is Holy Communion in the first instance? It is the number one sacrament in the Christian faith instituted by The Lord Jesus Christ himself the very night he was betrayed. “He took bread and gave thanks. Then he distributed it to the disciples and said “Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

“After the same manner also he took the cup (of wine), when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.”

“For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come (1 Corinthians 11; 23-26 KJV).

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Why should Tinubu in the first instance call in the Holy Communion into an unrelated conversation? This sort of metaphor coming after this same man arrogantly ignored the protest by the Christian faithful across the country against his fielding a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket, was just to add insult on injury.

Having overlooked Christians in his choice of a running mate, he further rubbed insult on injury by calling in the Holy Communion into an unrelated conversation. It was deliberate for sure!

It is unacceptable that the APC presidential candidate could plunge into new depths of desecration by his unguarded and unrelated flow of thought to despised the body of Christ by profaning the sacrament of communion and dishonouring the church.

Let’s even look at Tinubu’s choice of words and/or terms: ‘poisoned holy communion; and church rat. How could anyone on earth ever conceive the idea of poisoning the Holy Communion to be served to the congregation? Can you just imagine how that guy’s mind works? Poison, holy, and communion, how can these three words go together?

Do rats ever get near the Holy Communion not to talk of eating it? So anybody justifying the metaphor obviously does not have an iota of regard and does not mean well for Christianity in his/her heart. What kind of a mind does Tinubu have? And for sure some who say they are Christians are already full blast defending this aberration and outright desecration just for a morsel of porridge. God have mercy upon you all!

Tinubu as the APC presidential flag-bearer should actually retract his comment on Holy Communion and publicly apologize to Nigerian Christians. The comment depicted an insult on Christians and the object of their faith, The Lord Jesus Christ.

The Holy Communion is for a divine reason called Holy. To trivialise it and ridicule it to a joke is insensitive and a further show of disregard to the Christian faith. Tinubu must apologise. As he well knows, leadership and presidential dream comes with responsibilities. God bless Nigeria!

• Mr. Izeze is a Columnist with National Daily. Email: [email protected];