Martins, Makinde urge peace, help to less-privileged

Ademowo wants action against nation’s woes
CHRISTIAN leaders, including the Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Adewale Martins, Prelate Emeritus, Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr. Sunday Ola Makinde, and the Dean Emeritus, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Revd. Adebola Ademowo, urged Nigerians to pray for peace and assist the needy.

In his goodwill message, Martins, who described Christmas as a joyful season of goodwill, called on Christians to use the opportunity to spread the joy of God to others, through their actions and activities.
“We derive inspiration to do good during Christmas. So, whatever we can do to make life easier for others, this is our opportunity to do so.

As we celebrate Christmas, Christians must celebrate with moderation. We must also celebrate having others who are less-privileged in view such that they too can have a bit of the celebration as well. This is a difficult time for people, in spite of the goodwill and joy of the season,” the Catholic Archbishop said.

Makinde, who urged Christians to be prayerful and more spiritual at this time of the season, said: “We should handover Nigeria to God because the country is in an intensive care. We have to solve the problem of the country with spirituality. Honestly, Nigeria needs spiritual solution. I commend Nigerians for smiling, despite the suffering they are facing and have continued to endure because Christ endured while on the Cross.”

Ademowo, who is also the Anglican Bishop of Lagos, urged Nigerians to unite against the challenges facing the country so that life can be more meaningful for the people.

His words: “In today’s world, especially our nation Nigeria, myriad of problems and challenges are evident everywhere, ranging from neglect, suffering, poverty, diseases, robbery, kidnapping to political fracas, violence and insurgency. They are fast becoming part of our everyday lives.

They are the numerous challenges we battle with everyday. They are the mountains and hurdles we need to surmount in our national life before we can make the desired progress that we all yearn for as a country. The message and the lessons of Christmas must therefore be appropriated to the salvation in our land. We must see hope that Christ brought to the world and must rise together to overcome our challenges as we first set our priorities right.”

According to Ademowo: “Our God is still very much with us if we would draw close to Him, especially at this time as we celebrate and commemorate his birth. He alone knows those things that make for our peace. When we accept forgiveness from God, we lose our desire to withhold it from others. And when we live in peace with God, we are eager to make peace with others. We can both give and receive the gifts of peace this Christmas.”