By Adeola Ogunlade
The diocesan bishop of Lagos and missioner, Anglican Diocese, Humphrey Bamisebi Olumakaiye, has called on Nigerians to see this year’s celebration of Easter as a time to seek divine intervention for national repentance to embrace godliness.
“It is high time our government retraced its steps and focus on securing life and properties, revamping economic sector, invest in education of the teeming young ones,” said Olumakaiye stating that the event of Good Friday Is therefore a clarion call for national repentance.
Olumakaiye spoke during the Good Friday celebration sermon at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, where he said it is God giving mankind another chance to reject “Barabbas” and choose Life and Peace.
According to Olumakaiye, the event of Good Friday and Easter celebration is the demonstration of divine love, which indicate that in spite of the monstrous miscarriage of justice, and cruel rejection of Christ’s love and person; yet he willingly choose to die for mankind.
Speaking on the state of the nation, Olumakaiye said sadly Nigeria now have a Federal Government that is seemingly insensitive to the plight of the common man on the street. “It looks like “Give us Barabbas” all over again,” he stated.
According to the clergyman, the whole nation has been ravaged by spate of violence, kidnapping and insecurity. However, when it is expected that the Boko Haram insurgents and perpetiators of other act of criminalities who were captured be seriously dealt with, “it is robust amnesty programmes that is being offered to them,” said Olumakaiye.
The bishop of Lagos states that various texts of John 18: 40 showed that Barabbas was a thief, insurgent, and rebel; yet, the government of the day would rather free a rebel, an insurgent and a thief rather than a man whom Pilate in all his craftiness and wickedness declared that “I find no fault in Him”.
This he said is an indication that government would rather side with insecurity and somewhat sponsor terror than signing alliance with the ‘Prince of Peace’.
“They would rather accept evil than good. They were in for unrighteousness and pervasion of justice than acceptance of righteousness, peace and holistic transformation,” Olumakaiye said.