CRISIS FREE LIFE AND WORLD IS AN ILLUSION

The president and all important dignitaries present on this occasion; all protocols observed. It is important at this inauguration to emphasize and bring to the notice of all Chaplains that we are called to mediate, intervene and resolve crisis situations and reduce human sufferings.

It is pertinent for us to know that there is no crisis free life and world any where until the return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  It is a known fact that crisis free life is an illusion and unrealistic. We have enough evidence at our finger tips to prove that crisis is part of normal life:

1.   The challenges of life are there to make life what it is.

2.   The difficulties in life are there to make life what it is.

3.   The problems of life are there and normal part of life to make life what it is.

4.   The world we live in is saddled with a lot of problems calling for urgent attention and solutions. Crisis free world is an illusion and has also become unrealistic.

Contemporary world we live in is playing with:

1.   Political problems.

2.   Industrial problems.

3.   Social problems.

4.   Health problems.

5.   Psychological problems.

6.   Emotional  problems.

7.   Mental  problems.

8.   Relationship problems.

9.   Unemployment problems.

10. Economic problems.

11. Immigration and migration problems.

12. Religious problems.

13. Terrorism and associated problems.

14. Environmental problems.

15. Marital problems.

16. Adolescent and youth problems.

17. Family problems.

18. Gender problems.

19. Status and class problems.

20.  Cultural, tribal, racial and ethnical problems.

21. Cross-cultural problems.

22. Behavioural problems.

23. Contractual and legal problems, to mention but a few.

These enumerated problems of our society, world and humanity are calling for the attention of those who care to make themselves available in providing the needed solutions to them.

We as professional Chaplains should be grateful to the Almighty God who hath called us with a calling of proffering solutions to unending problems of humanity and also gave us the Chaplaincy profession. Praise God!

Chaplains have the professional mandate to seek to proffer the needed solutions to the numerous problems of the people of our world, and thus have the opportunity of becoming;

1.   Crisis managers.

2.    Behavioural and attitudinal change agents and consultants.

3.   Problem solvers.

4.   Conflict management and resolution experts.

5.   Professional mediators and arbitrators.

6.   Professional care providers.

7.   Home and Family menders.

8.   Hope rekindlers etc.

NB: God in His own wisdom and power hath provided Chaplains to who the people of our world can turn to when problems, difficulties and challenges of life seems to overwhelm them for sucour.

Chaplains should therefore comport themselves in such a way as to help alleviate or reduce the sufferings of people and make the life they live more meaningful in all ramification.

Chaplains must therefore endeavor to shun compound people’s problems or do anything that will cause confusion amongst the people who they are called to serve. 

In professional practice, the opportunity we have and enjoy in serving the Almighty God and humanity must be taken seriously. From now on it must be a national action for all Chaplains to take service delivery to the nooks and crannies of our nation. Let us realistically say to the people of our world that we are adequately prepared to make us proffer solutions to their problems in the most professional way, thus enhancing profitable and fulfilled meaningful lives for the people.

In our efforts to give people meaning in life, as we practice our profession, we must seek to;

1.   Help the hurting.

2.   Reduce people’s sufferings.

3.   Identify with the in their various situations and conditions.

4.   Help the build their coping capacities.

5.   Provide the needed care.

In summary, we learn to depart from the past deception, mediocrity, individualistic tendencies and inaction, mounting higher from now to tae Chaplaincy in Nigeria to the professional status it enjoys all over the world.

Professionalizing the Chaplaincy profession remains the audious task that must be accomplished by all of us together if we do not want to stand to be ridiculed amongst the committee of nations.

Let all of us take this to be the threshold of professional development as we mark our thirty-fie and half decades of existence.

Long live Civil Chaplains of Nigeria.

Long live Chaplaincy Profession.

Long live our nation Nigeria.

Speech delivered by

Chap. Prof. David Mike-Jacobs JP, AP, CBC, CPC.

@ The Official Inauguration of Civil Chaplains of Nigeria Inc.

April 29^th -30^th 2016AD, Redemption Camp – Lagos