Dear readers, I wish you Happy Easter! By the grace of God, you made it to this glorious day, which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. His resurrection is the reason those who believe in Him as the Messiah have hope of resurrection to eternal life in Heaven and not eternal condemnation in hell.
As we partake in beautiful celebration of Easter, let us call to mind our various depravities as individuals. We need to search our conscience, reflect on past conducts, sober on them and amend our ways. One obvious fact in life is that it is clearly stated that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and, therefore, there is no saint on earth, rather people are working hard to become better humans in fulfilment of the scripture. The mystery of creation, faith and belief point at the fact that no man has ever seen God, but through our attitudes, conduct and relationship with others, godliness could be seen in some people. Therefore, what attitude do we personally and collectively present at all times? Today and what it represents is a wake-up call to be conscious of our relationship with others, which include friends, relatives, colleagues, business partners, neighbours, classmates, one form of relationship or another. How we treat another human being matters to God. Are there areas we have failed to live up to expectations in dealing with fellow human beings? Are there individuals, institutions, communities that we owe apologies, restitution and thereby mend fences? This year’s Easter provides such opportunity. Easter celebration is not only about having sumptuous meal and choice drinks, but encompasses the ability to live a pious life like the one who rose from death. There is nothing wrong if an older person retraces his or her steps, to apologize to the offended younger one. It will make life a much better place for all.
Respectfully, if one must be sincerely resurrect with Christ, some bad baggage must be dropped forever. In recent times, and in every nook and cranny of the society, people have really been taking very wrong steps. Caution and the standard practice of yore have been cast aside. It is succinct to point out that in our daily lives virtues are almost giving way for vices. How does one juxtapose a situation where self-acclaimed men and servants of God desecrate the altar of God in various ways as if doing so has become an acceptable norm? But I take solace in the comforting scripture that says, “God is not mocked, whatsoever, that he shall reap.” I want to ask some men and women of God who see the things of God as another business enterprise, are you resurrecting with Christ this morning? Those who take advantage of church programmes to abuse married women, teenage boys and girls, you should know that you are not singing sincere Halleluiah as part of this celebration. Servants of God who assume the position of God, and cause irreparable damage among families, communities and otherwise, what is your conscience telling you this Easter day? Men of God who are envious of other pastors’ anointing, who are dead in sexual immoralities, are you filled with remorse today? It was once alleged that one of them had a particular practice of compulsorily going for programmes outside town with his side chick. When they fell out, the side chick exposed all the things he did with her using the same mouth he used to preach. If such sinful, depraved and ungodly character is not dropped with genuine repentance, know it that you are just celebrating the Easter with sumptuous meal and choice drink. Masters who make sure that their apprentices labour to the last drop of blood while serving them, you need the touch of Jesus Christ, the Eternal Redeemer during this Easter period.
Homes where atrocities reign, where husbands and wives cheat on each other, where mother and daughter are engaged in cold war over one man; where husbands allegedly use wives for ritual purposes, where a domestic help does not deserve life, but should rather experience terrible treatment akin to death sentence, the people in such homes are in desperate need of repentance. What then are you celebrating? The risen Christ or the sumptuous food and exquisite drink. There is need to follow Christ and walk his passion way.
Most youths have lost innocence and are no longer celebrated young adults by the time their escapades are brought to public knowledge. A lot of criminal activities hover around their heads and one does not see an end to it. With the emergence and influx of Western lifestyle, the social media and the new off-campus system of education, all these coalesced and dealt the generation a big blow. All manner of unimaginable atrocities emanate from among the youths. Their many sins include lying easily, disobedience, arrogance, laziness, cybercrime, young and middle-age prostitution by young boys and girls; drugs use, trafficking and other drug-related offences. Others include co-habiting, alcoholism, cruising, clubbing at high places and waywardness. Wake up to the sunny side of life and celebrate genuine Easter by living a worthy life.
Again, men and women whose hands are stained with blood should look at the Cross and repent. The same goes for people who patronize native doctors, seeking for powers. I can never forget how my late father drummed this admonition into the ears of my two brothers when we were still young: “Do not seek for power from any other source except from the Almighty God. Such powers come in exchange for one’s own life.” It is worthy to note that many have soiled their hands in seeking for influential, financial, respectful, wealth and business powers. Are you celebrating Easter with Christ or herbalists? Who are those gossiping fools who knock heads together? Where are the lazy men who cannot provide for their families but are sex-hungry at all times. The bible described them as “being worse than infidels.” Such men sit back while their wives go through pains in providing for the family. Are such men also Easter? It is only the kind of people who have what late pioneer Deputy Managing Director of The Sun Publishing Limited, Pastor Dimgba Igwe, once referred to as “kanda heart” that would look at the Cross, visualise the blood He shed for the redemption of the soul of man, and still remain the way they are without amending their ways.
Present day politicians, office holders, civil servants and senior executives, should know that this missive applies to you too. Are your consciences telling you to go ahead with your endless treasury looting, share your states’ statutory allocations and organization’s resources between your families and friends? How are you able to sleep knowing that you have a hand in bringing the economy of the country to this abysmal state? Politicians are not the only ones that are corrupt. Trade unionists who sell the conscience of the masses to gain from the government are not better than politicians. Members of the judiciary that have failed the common man, teachers who eat student’s food, accountants who rob with the pen, nurses who exchanged babies in labour room, they all have their questions to answer. This country will not forget #EndSARS, end bad governance and its aftermath in a hurry. Governance is now filled with lies, manipulation, lack of trust, fraud, quota system and side-lining; those in authority who are responsible for this are not rising with Christ this morning. Their celebration would be banters of a failed war.
Authorities in the educational sector, are you free from allegations of sex-for-marks, tribalism and slander against other colleagues? Lackadaisical attitude to work, traders who short-change buyers, and people who inflict unnecessary pain on others, the list is endless.
Dear Fellow Nigerians, who fall under any category (or categories of errors enumerated), the good news today is that there is opportunity on this Easter Day to amend your ways.
Source: Sunnewsonline.com.
