Christians as Light and Salt in Matthew 5:13-14 and its Implications for Good Governance in Nigeria

Abstract

The attitude of many Christians in Nigeria to governance is generally poor and 
this has always had adverse effects on nation building. Going by its tenets and 
values, Christianity is a worthy religion whose adherents are expected to 
positively influence the systems they are part of, and so, Christians cannot 
afford to leave the governance of Nigeria into the hands of others. 
Unfortunately, Nigerian Christians are, at best, apathetic to political 
participation. In the Beatitudes, Jesus likened those who believed in Him to 
light and salt with an expectation that they would have good impacts on their 
immediate community. Apart from the fact that light and salt are essential to 
life, they are also change agents. However, as indispensable as they are, they 
cannot make any appreciable impact unless they are part of the system they 
are expected to influence. It is, therefore, imperative that Christians in Nigeria 
would resolve to be practically involved in the governance of the nation. In this 
paper, the authors will critically examine the description of Christians as light 
and salt of the world and, using exegetical and hermeneutical methods, the 
implications of these to good governance in Nigeria would be highlighted.