“The sooner we all heal and allow things to flow from a healed heart, the world can only be a better place,” His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, 21st Olu of the Warri Kingdom of Nigeria, told The Jerusalem Post on Sunday in an interview in Jerusalem's Tower of David.
The king's visit to Israel - his first - was organized by Bishop Robert Stearns of Eagles' Wings, a global Christian movement dedicated to strengthening Jewish-Christian relations, supporting Israel, and fighting antisemitism.
The current delegation brought 550 Christian leaders from 51 nations to Israel, where they met leaders, soldiers, and attended the annual international Christian worship festival Awake Jerusalem.
Taking place during Sukkot and the week of the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks, one of the purposes of the visit is to "reveal the truth about the region."
Reflecting on this, the king told the Post that peace in the region means "Hearts. Vision. Perception. And once the heart is at peace, at equilibrium, everything stems from the heart."
He said peace is not "simply the absence of conflict," but is about "what flows from being connected to the creator of the world, the source of our being."
The last three years in Israel have been shaped by the terror attack that took place on October 7th, 2023, and the ensuing multi-front war.
At the same time, Nigeria has been experiencing several overlapping conflicts, including the Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgency in the northeast of the country, mass kidnappings, and banditry in the northwest and north-central regions, and militancy (especially in relation to oil) in the Niger Delta region.
What can Israel, Nigeria learn from each other?
Given the conflict-ridden realities of both nations, what does Atuwatse think Israel and Nigeria can learn from each other?
"Too often, we've seen in history where lenses, because of emotions and experiences, are not at equilibrium," he said. "The sooner we all heal and really allow things to flow from that place, that healed heart, the world can only be a better place."
Atuwatse said that beyond the spiritual connection, the relationship between African nations and Israel can be developmental, such as partnering in education, in technology, in infrastructure, in security, and more.
"Israel has always interacted well with Africa, and by Africa I put Ethiopia at the front of that, obviously due to historical ties. Roughly half of the African continent is Christian, and of course Christianity comes out of Judaism because of Jesus Christ, so even for spiritual and religious reasons, our hearts are always in this direction."
"Things are first spiritual before they're physical, so that's why I believe there are so many opportunities for partnership between Israel and the African continent," he continued.
Atuwatse said his key takeaway from his visit has been that "there is so much more that unites than divides."
"Obviously Nigeria is a very diverse nation: there are many tribes, many cultures, a couple of religions, but sometimes people are very focused on the division."
"But if we all yield ourselves, we can produce a really beautiful tapestry. That's the appeal that Jerusalem has."
'Jews, Christians are walking together in solidarity, friendship'
Stearns echoed the words of the king, adding, "When we take the time to humanize the other, when we understand one another's journey, one another's perspective, this begins to bring a place of equilibrium and openness, and from that place, real progress can occur."
He cited Isaiah 60:3, "Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn," as a prophecy being fulfilled given the visit of kings such as the Olu to Israel.
"We live in a day of miracles. Israel has been reborn after 2,000 years of exile. The exiles have returned home from 106 nations of the earth. And now, another miracle. After 2,000 years of division, Jews and Christians are walking together in solidarity and friendship."
While this delegation has been taking place for 24 years, this year takes on special meaning because it is "a tipping point in human history," Stearns told the Post.
"We live in a time where people are more led by emotion than they are by reason. We see tragic photos, TikTok videos, Instagram, and emotions are stirred up."
"That's different than being here and engaging deeply and understanding the layer after layer of the situation here. So our focus at Eagles Wings is the next generation. We are completely focused on bringing the next generation of Christian leaders here."
"It's a domino effect. It's a force multiplier effect that makes an impact in the next generation."