From the bottom of my
hearth, I want to wish every one of you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2017
in advance. I want to also use this opportunity to thank my friends and family
members who made my stay in Nigeria and back to the US one of a memorable
experience.
To my cousins, nieces
and nephews, you guys were amazing. You rock. And to the men of God who were
there for me, I cannot thank you enough. Specifically, I want to thank Pastor
Charles Osazuwa of Rock of Ages, Pastor Sylver Wealth Iyamu of Canaan Land
Ministry, Pastor Pius Egualeona of Open Heaver, and last but not the least, my
good friend and cousin, Pastor Cyril Okoh. Above all, I thank God for His
infinite mercy and protection.
As we celebrate
Christmas, let's shrive to be Christ-like in all that we do. As a country and
as a people, we worship God or Allah more than any country or group of people
on earth, but we know who we are as a people, as a society and as a
nation-state.
There is no denying the
facts that there is a total disconnect between the Holy Books and Nigerian
realities, our existence and life style as believers and teachers of the
faiths.
Time was when it was
all about the gospel, the teaching, and of faith, atonement and repentance of
sin. Yes, it was about the healing and forgiveness of sin - "your faith
has saved you; go in peace."
Today, at Churches, at
home, offices and political gathering, we devote so much quality time and
energy invoking Holy Ghost fire, and wishing death and destruction upon our
imaginary enemies and political opponents. At the end, so little quality time
is spent on perfecting the gospel and the teaching of acceptance, tolerance,
peaceful co-existence, and empowerment.
Who is teaching about
love, acceptance, tolerance, and dignity? What about "love their
neighbor" or "thou shall not steal or convert their neighbor's
goods?" What happened to "being their Brother's Keeper?"
We display superficial
love, professing bogus piety in the social media. Inwardly, we are ravenous
wolf.
As a people, we are
born great and honorably inclined. But when call to serve, we promote and
champion avarice, dispensing with honor and dignity.
Call this soul
searching; I really don't know the answer, but what I do know is that Jesus
Christ would definitely have indicted Nigerians of apostasy and perversion of
the gospel long ago.
There is no doubt;
there is more to living the message than in preaching it. It’s about you and
your conscience, expressed in your actions and pronouncements.
But fear ye no Satanic
or demonic forces. For it is written: "when a man's ways please the Lord,
He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." Yes, it's more than
being born again. It is about remembering to be Godly, living the life of
Christ and what he represents.
Remember, "render
therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things
that are God's." That's the first step towards redeeming the image of God
in us and reinventing our society and governmental institutions/constituted
authorities.
Therefore, "do not
withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your
hand to do so." And "do not strive with a man without cause, if he
has done you no harm." That, indeed, is the beginning of wisdom and
enduring legacy.
I am not perfect and do
not lay claim to perfection. To those I have wronged, in my writing or
pronouncements, in what I have done or failed to do, I ask for forgiveness.
Once again, Merry
Christmas everybody.
Barr Alex Aidaghese
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The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.