Christians Celebrate Easter Amid Calls For Unity, Love
As Christians in Nigeria and around the world commemorate Easter, the annual celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the faithful have been enjoined to pursue and pray for unity.
The celebrations represent the culmination of the Holy Week which starts with the observance of Palm Sunday to mark the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
Millions of Nigerians thronged churches today for special services, prayers, and thanksgiving to mark Easter.
Calls For Unity, Peace
In its Easter message, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) called for peaceful co-existence and unity in the country.
“As a nation, Nigeria has faced many challenges in recent years, from insecurity and economic instability to social and political unrest. However, just as Christ rose from the dead and brought new life to the world, we too can rise above our challenges and start afresh,” CAN President, Archbishop Okoh, said in his Easter message.
“This Easter, let us all come together and renew our commitment to building a better Nigeria.”
“Let us put aside our differences and come together in unity, just as Christ’s resurrection brought together people from all walks of life,” the preacher added.
President Muhammadu Buhari, governors, and influential Nigerians highlighted the importance of the season in their individual Easter messages, calling for unity and prayers for Nigeria.
At the heart of Easter, the President noted, is the triumph of light over darkness.
Recognising that Easter is about renewed hope and a glorious future, Buhari urged all Nigerians to continue to be confident and believe strongly in the country for better seasons ahead.
In celebration of the season, the President enjoined Nigerians to do so in love, compassion, kindness, resilience, and forgiveness.
Similarly, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, rejoiced with Christians across the country for this year’s Easter celebration.
Gbajabiamila described the period as very crucial and called for sober reflection among the Christian faithful as it marks the resurrection of Christ.
He also called for peaceful coexistence among Nigerians “now and always”.
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Hope For the Future
Pope Francis leads the Easter Sunday mass on April 9, 2023, at St. Peter’s Square in The Vatican, as part of celebrations of the Holy Week. (Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP)
Pope Francis led Easter mass at St Peter’s Square in The Vatican. During the service, the Pope, did not, however, deliver a homily. This is because he had already delivered his reflections the night before.
During the Easter Vigil Mass, Pope France said the Resurrection of Jesus should motivate Christians to “leave behind our sense of defeat, to roll away the stone of the tombs in which we often imprison our hope, and to look with confidence to the future, for Christ is risen and has changed the direction of history”.
He said in spite of the sad situation surrounding Jesus’s death and resurrection, believers must harness the power of Easter to revive the “beauty of that moment we realized that He is alive and we made Him the Lord of our lives”.
