Our Hopes do not Disappoint us
A fractured world: Amidst so much pain, injury, war and death, what can we say today about Christmas and its message of Joy and Peace to a fractured world? Everywhere we turn, blood is being spilled in the name of God and Religion. There are no more grey areas. We believers all seem to be at a total loss as to how to explain the clouds of doubts that hover over our horizon.
Last year, I issued an Easter Message titled, Do not let our enemies ask, where is your God? We might be tempted to say things are worse today. However, as Christian, we are men and women of Hope and we know God is on His throne.
Struggle for power
Today, the path to peace is still littered with so much debris of human pain. The excesses of Boko Haram still haunt the landscape. The Chibok girls are still not found and we will still spend another Christmas without any ho0pe that their laughter will soon return to our homes. The engine of political change has still not gathered the steam we had hoped for.
The political calendar continues to shift as we witness a domino effect of overturned elections across the State. All in all, new anxieties, new battles for power among the elite will likely lead us to loss of more innocent lives and blood. The contest for power continues to take its toll and yet, we continue to pray for the stability of the ship of state. We call an our leaders to use the power in their hands for service.
Has religion failed us: Amidst so much pain, injury, war and death, what can we say today about Religion?
Some people think that Religion is to be blamed for the woes of the world. Neither of these positions is correct. However, we believers cannot turn our eyes from the fact that we must take a substantial part of the blame for where Religious find itself in our society. What has gone wrong? For us as Christians, what has become of the message of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and our Saviour?
Where is the laugher, the joy, the peace that was promised in the words of the different Christmas carols we all continue to sing year in and year out? Where is the light that Jesus brought and entrusted to us to drive darkness from the world? Today, more than ever, We Christians must rise up and take full responsibility for what we have done or not done in our societies. When we Catholic confess our sins during the celebration of the Holy Mass, we accept and plead with God to forgive us our sins for; what we have done and also what we have failed to do. Often the sins of omission can be as serious as the ones we commit by actions. Let us not be bystanders. We must all commit ourselves to dong some good today. This is why Pope Francis has asked Christians to wake up the world.
Blame government but take responsibility: We have learnt to blame the government for everything as an excuse for our own sins of omission.
True, we have not been the luckiest people in the world with the quality of leadership we have had. But that is not an excuse. How for example is a government responsible for men whose irresponsible lifestyles lead to their children being sick or out of school?
How is government responsibility for men who decide to marry and bring children into the world when they have not means of bringing them up?
How is government responsible for domestic violence? How is government responsible for the collapse of family values? How is government responsible for students who decide to cheat in their examinations? How is government responsible for men who choose armed robbery rather than hard work? How is government responsible for women who decide to choose a life of prostitution? Government can and must create conditions, but we must all become instruments of change. If we take our responsibilities serious, we can compel government to serve us better.
Christian, show the way and be like Christ
Like the Greeks who approach Philip, the world is saying to Christians, We want to see Jesus (Jn 12:21), However, increasingly, many of us have shielded Jesus by our arrogance, blind quest for power and worship of new but false gods. I am reminded of a poor man who kept coming to Church on Sunday but each time the warders would not let him in because he cozed some ordour and looked unkempt.
Prayer and Worship
The Warders fears that his presence could offend some of the big shots in the Church or dirty their clothes. The poor man got fed up with trying and, sitting in his shack by the roadside one Sunday, he cried to Jesus; Lord I heard you message and have tried to enter the Church to worship you, but the people in the Church will not let me in.
Please, forgive me but kindly accept my prayers and worship here on the street where I am since I cannot enter the Church and this is my home. Jesus whispered to him; Sorry, my son, my fate is not different from yours. Even I too have tried to enter their Church, but they have refused to let me in!.
Religion is not for profit
The word of God and its living blessing are free. Isaiah said that much when he said: Come all of you who are thirsty, come to the water and you who have no money, come and eat. But wine and milk without money and without cost (Isaiah 55:1). St Paul reminded us; What is my profit? It is this: that in preaching the world I might offer it free of charge (1 Cor. 9:18). This is what led Jesus to express His only visible show of anger and violence when he whipped the money changers an accused them of