"Peace on earth" (Luke 2:14): The politics of peace and peacebuilding in St. Luke

Abstract

Peace is a positive tenet of life. All human beings and nations of the world desire peace for survival and growth. However, the world is not a peace. She is faced with war, terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, incessant killings, and conflicts in diverse forms. Travelling by land, air, water, and rail becomes turmoil. This is also the case in Nigeria. To ensure peace, the governments at all levels have empowered the security outfits; the citizens also formed different vigilante groups, and a huge sum of money is being spent to enthrone peace. Yet, little or no progress is being made as the problem keeps increasing at an alarming rate. Many factories and economic establishments have folded up, many schools have been closed, and an average Nigerian youth wishes to migrate abroad instead of living in a land rich in mineral wealth, but lacks peace. This study is a shift from the various solutions to the state of unrest being encountered in Nigeria today. The study attempts a narratological analysis of Luke 2:14, with aim of examining the nature of peace envisioned for the Nigeria Christians. Luke has been chosen because of Luke’s interest in peace, having used the word ’peace’ 20 times (in the gospel and 14 times in Acts) of the approximately 90 usages of the word usage in the New Testament. The aim is to propose an alternative model for building long lasting peace in Nigeria.