To the Bishops of Nigeria,
Dear Brother Bishops,
While we walk this Lenten journey towards the Resurrection of the Lord united with the whole Church, I wish to extend to you, dear Archbishops and Bishops of Nigeria, a fraternal greeting, which I extend to the beloved Christian communities entrusted to your pastoral care.
I would also like to share some thoughts with you on the current situation in your country. Nigeria, known as the "African giant", with its more than 160 million inhabitants, is set to play a primary role, not only in Africa but in the world at large.
In recent years, it has experienced robust growth in the economic sphere and has again reasserted itself on the world stage as an attractive market, on account of its natural resources as well as its commercial potential. It is now considered officially the single largest African economy.
It has also distinguished itself as a political player widely committed to the resolution of crisis situations in the continent. At the same time, your nation has had to confront considerable problems, among them new and violent forms of extremism and fundamentalism on ethnic, social and religious grounds.
Many Nigerians have been killed, wounded or mutilated, kidnapped and deprived of everything: their loved ones, their land, their means of subsistence, their dignity and their rights. Many have not been able to return to their homes.
Believers, both Christian and Muslim, have experienced a common tragic outcome, at the hands of people who claim to be religious, but who instead abuse religion, to make of it an ideology for their own distorted interests of exploitation and murder. I would like to assure you and all who suffer of my closeness.
Every day I remember you in my prayers and I repeat here, for your encouragement and comfort, the consoling words of the Lord Jesus, which must always resound in our hearts: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you" (Jn 14:27). Peace – as you know so well – is not only the absence of conflict or the result of political compromise or fatalistic resignation.
Peace is for us a gift which comes from on high; it is Jesus Christ himself, the Prince of Peace, who has made of two peoples one (cf. Eph 2:14). And only the man or woman who treasures the peace of Christ as a guiding light and way of life can become a peacemaker (cf. Mt 5:9).
At the same time, peace is a daily endeavour, a courageous and authentic effort to favour reconciliation, to promote experiences of sharing, to extend bridges of dialogue, to serve the weakest and the excluded. In a word, peace consists in building up a "culture of encounter".
And so I wish here to express my heartfelt thanks to you, because in the midst of so many trials and sufferings the Church in Nigeria does not cease to witness to hospitality, mercy and forgiveness.
How can we fail to remember the priests, religious men and women, missionaries and catechists who, despite untold sacrifices, never abandoned their flock, but remained at their service as good and faithful heralds of the Gospel? To them, most particularly, I would like to express my solidarity, and to say: do not grow tired of doing what is right!
We give thanks to the Lord for them, as for so many men and women of every social, cultural and religious background, who with great willingness stand up in concrete ways to every form of violence, and whose efforts are directed at favouring a more secure and just future for all.
They offer us moving testimonies, which, as Pope Benedict XVI recalled at the end of the Synod for Africa, show "the power of the Spirit to transform the hearts of victims and their persecutors and thus to re-establish fraternity" (Africae Munus, 20).
Dear Brother Bishops, in perseverance and without becoming discouraged, go forward on the way of peace (cf. Lk 1:79).
Accompany the victims! Come to the aid of the poor! Teach the youth! Become promoters of a more just and fraternal society! I gladly impart to you my Apostolic Blessing, which I ask you to extend to priests, religious, missionaries, catechists, lay faithful and above all to those suffering members of the Body of Christ.
May the Resurrection of the Lord bring conversion, reconciliation and peace to all the people of Nigeria! I commend you to Mary, Queen of Africa, and I ask you also to pray for me.
FRANCISCUS PP.
"Safety does not rest in our distance from the danger, but in our nearness to God." – Anon.
Nobody woke up that morning planning to die. Of those that died, yesterday was supposed to be a regular day where they go to work and come back home to their families, friends and loved ones. If they knew it was their last day, they would have done a lot of things differently: told their loved ones how they really felt, settled as many scores as they could and most importantly, they would have made right with their Maker.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed here on
earth, we only have today to make the most of our lives. Tragedies like this bring the reality of eternity to the fore of everyone's mind and pose the question: are you in right standing with your Maker? Being in right standing with your Maker doesn't mean you are perfect, it means you acknowledge and accept the finished works on Christ on the cross and are living a life of faith, a life that is pleasing to God. That's how you make the most of your today.
It is God's desire for you to have the guarantee of eternal bliss when you depart from the world. That's why He sent Jesus to bear the sins of the whole world upon Himself.
He threw the offer open to as many people as are willing to believe and receive Him into their hearts.
Like the scripture says "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If ANYONE hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."
This offer of salvation is valid for all tribes, races and social classes. There is no one so good that they have no need for Christ and there is no one so bad that God's grace cannot restore.
Many people wonder if there really is a God in heaven and if He is, why He allows bad things happen. God has given us the free will to either choose or reject Him. Being a merciful God, He keeps giving each and every one of us one more chance.
According to the scriptures, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering towards us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."
It is safe to trust in this God Who never runs out of second chances for us. Today may be your last chance to make things right with Him. Don't leave it till tomorrow. If you haven't already accepted Christ into your heart, there is no better time than now to do it. If you have but you are not consistent in the faith, there is no better time to start being consistent than now.
The scripture says "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this is the judgment"
There is light and hope for everyone who accepts and believes in Jesus, hope in this life and in the life to come.
Jesus said "The thief comes but to steal, to kill and to destroy, but I have come that you may have life and have it
more abundantly"
The abundant life Jesus promised covers all aspects of our lives. The presence of Jesus in our lives brings peace, hope
and joy. His Word and Spirit are able to change your perspective of life and you begin to enjoy life in a way you never imagined possible. This abundant life Jesus promised is still valid for all who will trust in Him.
You have the assurance that no matter what, you and God are on the winning team. May the God of all comfort provide comfort to those who lost oved ones in that tragedy and all who mourn.
May the light of His Love bring healing and warmth into all of our lives.
By Pastor Bolaji Idowu
Senior Pastor,
Harvesters International Christian Centre
Follow @pastorbolaji on Twitter
