Several people have been asking for some form of revolution in Nigeria. Some agitate for a bloody one, others just use the word because they hear many change-proponents use it. We may not all know the implications of a revolution in the sense some imagine it but I believe we all have a picture, maybe not very clear for all, of what we want to see in our beloved country. I like two definitions of the word ‘revolution’ in The Free Dictionary. One says it is the overthrow of one government and its replacement with another. The other says it is a sudden or momentous change in a situation. So revolution doesn’t always have to be bloody neither does it have to cost a fortune in damages to infrastructure and investments. Revolutions can be silent and effective. They can be far reaching and yet go unnoticed.

I am canvassing for a revolution too, one that sweeps across the entire country; one that touches every facet of our existence and one that would be felt by every age group in Nigeria. It is a revolution of a different sort, one the fearless and the timid can reckon with and pursue fervently. It is a sudden change to start to do things right. A determination in our hearts to do the right things in our own little spheres of existence; a choice to stand for what is morally right and just. We would begin to stand on queues instead of shunting. We would begin to obey traffic rules and regulations. We would begin to work productively and not waste man-hours which we get paid for. We would no longer cheat others because of our perceived advantages. We would become faithful stewards of what is entrusted to our care. We would begin to live as worthy examples to those who look up to us. We would begin to speak up against wrong doings around us. We would no longer offer or collect bribes. We would resolve to always speak the truth and defend the truth. This is not an exhaustive list anyway.

It is a revolution because it is a sudden change of the patterns that have influenced our lifestyles. It is the replacement in our hearts and minds, of the government or system of wrong doing we have been subject to, with the government of right living and right doing.

We have been praying hard and long. Now we have to act. The church is more educated and enlightened today than it has ever been. We, generally, have a good knowledge of what is right and what God requires of us. Right living provides a cover. It just makes things go right. Things generally begin to align in the right direction because we have chosen to do the right things.

Bloody revolutions have always been costly. Some say that is the sacrifice we have to make for the change we want. But I know one bloody sacrifice was made for all – the sacrifice of Jesus the lamb – so that we may have the peace and prosperity we all desire. So the revolution we need now is one in our hearts. One we would need no one else’s support to carry out. It would require us making personal and deliberate choices. It would require discipline and resilience. We would also have to regularly approach the throne of grace for grace and more grace to help in our weak moments. Let’s forget about what the guy next door is not doing right and focus on what we should be doing right. The change we want is the change we would see. Please pass on the message.