Today is Easter Sunday, when Christians all over the world commemorate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Church leaders have continued to call on Nigerians to imbibe Christ-like love for the nation to experience a new birth, writes Women’s Editor, TEMITOPE OJO.
As Christians in Nigeria join their counterparts globally to celebrate this year’s Easter, Nigerians have been enjoined to cultivate the true essence of the season, which is genuine love, proven through positive attributes like magnanimity, forbearance, amity, charity and altruism, if the country must really move forward.
Those who spoke with TheNiche opined that if we can imbibe the essence of Easter and allow its message of genuine and selfless affections to percolate our spirits, most of our problems will disappear.
Globally, Easter is seen as the ultimate symbolism of agape love; the divine love of God for mankind conveying the message of everlasting hope. Christians believe that Christ is the son of God, who came to world for the singular purpose of saving the fallen man from eternal damnation.
Diocesan Bishop of Lagos, Anglican Communion, The Most Revd. Adebola Ademowo, stated that contrary to many opinions, Easter and its message are not all future tense as many suppose. Rather, it is not something totally unrelated to life here and now. The blessing and message of Easter combine to encourage us to live courageously from day to day, doing great things with and in Christ, he said.
The cleric stated that Nigeria’s situation, generally, is not strange to Christ, adding that it will end in sweetness.
“Our values and attributes can be revived, while solutions should be provided to the socio-economic crises, insecurity, wrong perception of us and other vices plaguing our nation. Every Nigerian must play their part in being a good citizen. We must be God-fearing, hardworking and responsible as citizens. We should begin to see Nigeria as a country worth sacrificing for.
“There is the need to restore our values. We have sacrificed our value system on the altar of greed, indiscipline, selfishness and insatiable craze for material wealth acquisition. National rebirth must begin with the family through the inculcation of values and virtues of truth, fairness, selflessness, justice and so on, in the youths.
“What is left to be seen is a reduction in food importation with consequent reduction in capital flight. It’s time to till the ground to produce all the items of food we import by ourselves. Graduates should be financially empowered to keep them busy and government should directly invest in huge agro-business that can mop up a large number of the unemployed,” Ademowo advised.
Presiding Overseer of Maranatha Ministries international, Bishop Samuel Alawode, in the same vein, urged Nigerians to ditch hatred which has permeated the hearts of many and love one another, so that we can rebuild the nation properly.
His words: “Neither the Holy Bible nor the Al-Quran Kareem enjoins us to embrace the culture of hatred and violence; neither says we should maim and kill one another on accounts of our reconcilable or irreconcilable differences. Rather, the two scriptures are replete with passages urging love and forbearance.
“Lack of love has penetrated every facet of the society. It would do us a lot of good if we strive to forget all our differences and unite as common sojourners in this earthly realm in which we are bound with a common destiny. To really move forward, we must cultivate the sublime virtue of love, evinced through positive attributes like magnanimity, forbearance, amity, charity and altruism.”
For the nation to experience true rebirth, he called on politicians who exploit their offices by looting the treasury of the nation thereby impoverishing the larger society to desist from it and imbibe the real love which Jesus demonstrated by dying on the cross.
“The politicians who exploit public offices to pursue egotistic agenda, who loot the treasury with reckless abandon, acquiring properties all over the world while the majority of their compatriots are languishing in poverty, have no love in their perverse hearts. What amount of love inheres in a heart that diverts funds meant for development into a private account or a leader who denies the people their fundamental human rights, or fraudulently steals the mandate of his opponents in an electoral contest?” he wondered.
Bishop, United African Methodist Church, Lagos Island Diocese, Joseph Ojaoba, said Christians should see the resurrection of Christ as paying the ultimate price and accept Him as their Lord and Saviour, so that he can take absolute control of their lives.
As a nation, he noted that though Christians have been praying, now is the time to pray more and trust God to set this nation on a better platform.
Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, while congratulating Christians on another Easter celebration, noted that the season is indeed a time for liberation and freedom for mankind.
Bamgbola, who seized the opportunity to congratulate the president-elect, Buhari, said it is time for Nigeria to come together and work for the progress of the country.
“What Christians celebrate during Easter is the sacrifice that the Lord Jesus made on the cross to wash away the sins of mankind. Jesus gave his life for the human race, we must also be ready to sacrifice for one another and live in love,” he said, noting that Buhari’s election and the fact that the incumbent president conceded defeat is a testimony that God is on the throne in Nigeria.
He added: “Both leaders have demonstrated their love for Nigeria. President Goodluck Jonathan has served Nigeria
well and has done a good thing by congratulating the winner of the election. That is why there is peace in the land. The in-coming president has also been magnanimous in victory. This is the Lord’s doing.”
While noting that the prevalent peace in the land is an act of God, Bamgbola said: “Nigerians have every cause to thank God. He made it possible for us to have a peaceful election devoid of rancour and war. The atmosphere in the country has been peaceful. God has been good.”
He then called on Christians to comport themselves in a way that reflects Christ.
“As we celebrate this Easter, I want to appeal to believers in Lagos State and by extension the entire nation, to display love and be ready to make sacrifices at every time for the peace and progress of Nigeria. We are certainly going to be great as a nation again,” said Bamigbola.
