Christians all over the world are in the Easter mood, beginning from today which is Good Friday, the day Jesus Christ was crucified on the
Cross of Calvary where He shed His blood over 2,000 years ago for the
atonement of the sins of mankind. The death, resurrection on the third
day and ascension of Jesus usually mark the high point of very significant
religious activities in the Christian calendar regarded as fundamental to
their faith.
To commemorate the occasion, the federal government has declared
today and Monday as public holidays.
The journey to Easter began with the 40-day Lent during which
Christians fasted, prayed and solidified their relationship with God.
En route to the celebration, the adherents of the Christian religion
also observed the Palm Sunday as well as Good Friday which is in
remembrance of the agony, shame and mockery that Jesus was subjected
to by his fellow Jews and Roman soldiers on the Cross of Calvary.
On Monday, believers will mark the convergence of the disciples on
Galilee, as Jesus instructed them to meet Him there for the last time
before His ascension into heaven. The importance of the season to the
Christendom cannot be over-flogged. It is during this period – from Lent
to Easter Monday – that Christians mostly exhibit the virtues of love,
sacrifice, altruism and forgiveness as exemplified by Jesus Christ during
His ministry on earth that spanned a period of three and a half years.
Even for churches that traditionally do not observe the other historic
seasons like Christmas, Easter holds a sacred place as the keystone of
their worship.
What is being observed today is the harrowing suffering and death
of a perfect Messiah who abandoned the glory of His heavenly abode
on a divine mission to rescue man and reconcile him to his Maker by
His death and resurrection. We rejoice with our Christian brothers and
sisters around the world during this year’s Easter celebration. However,
this year’s commemoration has come at a time, especially in Nigeria,
when the citizens are not only experiencing severe economic hardship
but also contending with all manner of security challenges across the land.
It is noteworthy that Christ’s ministry was associated with the poor,the needy and the afflicted. The Buhari administration was swept into
power in his first term through the massive votes of the downtrodden
Nigerians who had hankered after a better life. But have their
expectations been met? The Buhari administration will be four years
on May 29, 2019. But the economy is not totally out of the woods,
prices of goods and services have continued to defy the law of gravity
and power is refusing to stabilise. Hunger, frustration and despair are
palpable. Many have been driven to suicide.
The degraded Boko Haram is still rearing its ugly head in some parts
of the Northeast axis as evidenced by suicide bombing of soft targets,
kidnappers and armed bandits still stalk the land freely.
Herders/farmers’ clashes now define who we are. Rape, especially of minors, no
longer shocks anyone anymore. Some are mercilessly raped to death.
These acts are as ungodly as they negate the spirit of Easter.
Our leaders, irrespective of their religious persuasions, should
imbibe the spirit of Easter which is sacrifice to mankind. It is an irony
that a nation blessed with unquantifiable natural and human resources
harbours some of the poorest people on earth, simply because its leaders’
pastime, until lately, was looting of the treasury and transferring the
looted funds to western and Middle East nations.
It is no surprise that with the inequality in the land, our country has become one of the most dangerous places on the planet to live in.
The Christians in particular should show example of the kind of
love that Christ displayed by offering Himself as a sacrifice that all
may have abundant life here on earth and the opportunity of eternal
life hereafter. Such love, which transcends personal and selfish
gratification, should be extended to non-Christian brothers and sisters
with all genuineness.
We urge Nigerians to see this occasion as a period to demonstrate
the spirit of religious tolerance, forgiveness and love for one another.
They should pray for a united, stable and prosperous Nigeria. Both the
government and the governed must henceforth live each day as Easter.
