A Holy Thursday Call to the Nation by DeKing Charity Foundation
On this Holy Thursday, while some of us gather in churches and others go about life as usual, a deeper question presses in:
What does it mean to truly serve one another in a society gasping for trust, healing, and hope?
You don’t need to be Christian or even religious to understand this: when communities lose trust, everything else collapses. Governance fails. Homes fracture. Neighbors become strangers. Progress stalls.
But here’s the good news: trust is rebuildable. And history and even faith gives us a blueprint.
What Holy Thursday Really Means (Even if You’re Not Religious)
Holy Thursday, also known as Maundy Thursday, marks the evening before Jesus’ crucifixion. It commemorates the Last Supper, but more importantly, it recalls a scene of radical humility: the moment Jesus the “King of Kings” washed the feet of His disciples.
In a world obsessed with power, this act was scandalous. But it was also divine.
Leadership wasn’t about ruling; it was about serving. That’s the message.
Whether you believe in Christ or not, Holy Thursday is a reminder that true change comes from sacrificial leadership and community-centered living.
The Crisis of Trust in Our Communities
We don’t need more proof that trust is broken. The data speaks loudly:
- In a 2023 Afrobarometer survey, 74% of Nigerians said they “rarely” or “never” trust government officials.
- A World Bank report showed that disillusionment in community governance has risen in sub-Saharan Africa by over 40% in just five years.
- Only 27% of Nigerian youth say they feel safe in their communities, citing corruption, insecurity, and betrayal by “leaders.”
But the loss of trust doesn’t begin and end with politicians.
We’ve lost trust in each other.
We’ve stopped believing that our neighbors care.
That our religious leaders practice what they preach.
That our NGOs actually serve.
That our youth have direction.
That tomorrow will be better.
It’s Time to Rebuild From the Ground Up
This Holy Thursday, DeKing Charity Foundation is making a clarion call—not just to religious folks—but to everyone who still dares to hope.
We must reclaim the power of community, rooted in service, equality, and empathy.
We’re calling on:
- Religious leaders to rediscover the servant-heart of Jesus and lead by sacrifice, not status.
- Political leaders to put their feet in the shoes of the people they were elected to serve. (Or better yet, start washing those feet.)
- Civic bodies and NGOs to stop waiting for government funding and start with the small, local acts that heal.
- You, the people, to look your neighbor in the eye again and remember that they are not your enemy—they are your mirror.
Why Shared Faith Moments Heal
We’re not just being spiritual here. The numbers back this up.
- According to a 2021 Harvard study, communities that participate in shared religious or reflective practices report up to 55% higher trust among neighbors.
- A 2022 meta-review from Lancet Psychiatry found that during religious seasons (like Ramadan, Easter, Passover), there’s a measurable drop in community violence and an increase in volunteerism.
In one case, a slum community in South Africa, previously torn apart by gang rivalry, saw transformation after local churches, mosques, and cultural groups began holding monthly community suppers and service days. Crime dropped. Bonding grew. Hope returned.
Holy Thursday: Not Just a Memory, But a Model
We must stop seeing these sacred days as nostalgic rituals.
They are blueprints. They are models. They are missions.
“I have set you an example,” Jesus said on Holy Thursday, “that you should do as I have done for you.”
(John 13:15)
Let this example awaken us.
Let it drive us to:
- Organize neighborhood foot-washing moments (symbolic or literal).
- Share community meals that cut across religion, ethnicity, and class.
- Create trust circles in local blocks to talk, cry, forgive, and rebuild.
- Launch volunteer actions that don’t wait for international grants.
Because healing doesn’t start in Abuja or State House. It starts with you and I, in the street, at the table, with the towel in our hand.
Final Word
What if the most spiritual act this Easter isn’t going to church, but going across the road to your neighbor?
What if your “offering” this year isn’t in the tithe basket, but in your time and tears, shared with someone you’ve avoided?
DeKing Charity Foundation believes that community trust is sacred.
It is the soil from which justice, equality, and progress grow.
So today, on Holy Thursday, we don’t ask for donations, we ask for devotion to change.
Not just in temples and churches, but in streets and hearts.
The towel is in your hand now.
What will you do with it?
