Rt. Revd. Samson Olu Osundina, the Methodist Bishop of Diocese of Ikorodu, Methodist Church of Nigeria, Patriarch Bolaji Johnson Cathedral, Ikorodu spoke with Kunle Adelabu, the Publsher/Reporter –in – Chief, THE IMPACT Newspaper, after a brief online special Easter service with the members of the Church.
He spoke on the significance of Easter celebration at a time that CONVID – 19 is ravaging the world, government lockdown to contain the spread of the virus and Easter message to Christians. Excerpts:
IMPACT: What is the significance of Easter celebration especially at this period of the ravaging CONVID – 19 that has brought the entire world to its kneels?
Bishop Osundina: No resurrection, no Christianity. No event of the rising Christ, no Christianity. Christ came for the salvation of man and God has not made mistake in allowing this pandemic to come at this period of time. This is today that God love the whole world that he gave his only begotten son and He allowed this to happen now to tell us that if we believe in Christ, the world will be saved. If we believe, trust and serve Christ in spirit and truth, the whole world will be saved. He has not sent His only begotten son that we will be destroyed by any pandemic of any kind but that the whole is saved. The pandemic is happening at the right time and I will lay claim to the fact that God is Methodist in the sense that God is a God of order. He has strategically planned it. This thing (COVID -19) started in 2019 but now manifesting and coming into reality now and we are now experiencing in Nigeria now. This is not happening at any other time when Nigeria is marrying but when 60% of the world that are Christians are observing length to bring us closer to Himself.
Luke1:37 says, “With God, all things are possible” and in Jeremiah 31: verses 2 and 3, He said, “Whoever escaped the sword of a pandemic is by grace”. By grace, we have survived till this time. Nigeria is one of the luckiest nations in the whole world to have recorded very low figures of victims. Even the ones that we are having, God will raise them up and make them come back alive. Those countries claiming to be there in term of power and everything are not so lucky. He that has God is in majority. We are not rejoicing with what is happening to them or happy about it but God is on our side. The pandemic has come and it is permissive will of God to allow it to happen. Anytime that we run back to Him, He’s always ready to see us through and save us. Remember in Mark 5: 35 – 41, Disciples were on the boat and when they called on Jesus when the wind came, the wind was calmed down. If we all turn to God, He will give us answer; He will give us solution. This is an eye opener to everyone that God has brought to power to know that He gave the power for a purpose.
It is time for our hospitals to resurrect. Parastatals must be resurrected now. All companies that are dead must resurrect now, otherwise, we are in trouble. COVID – 19 is not a new thing because diseases such as this had at some point in time ravaged the whole world. LASSA fever came and died a natural death. Ebola came and reared its ugly head but Good crushed it. We really have to pray to God now in order to over the current challenge posed by COVID-19.
IMPACT: What do you see to the precautionary measures put in place by the government, especially the lockdown order, to prevent the spread of COVID – 19?
Bishop Osundina: The precautions are very good but there must be some amendments to the lockdown. If we fail to respect, honour and allow God to intervene, then, we are looking for trouble.
IMPACT: There are some people saying that COVID –19 is beyond religion approach and that it is a scientific challenge that requires scientific approach. Also, your position since the beginning of the lockdown is that government should respect God by allowing Churches and Mosques to operate instead of locking them down and today, you just conducted the Easter service with less than 15 congregants while other Churches were locked, what do you have to say about this?
Bishop Osundina: The absence of God is a great disaster. Whoever that advised the government to copy what are happening around the world should know that Africans are notoriously religious. If Christians and Muslims are allowed to pray to their God, things will be better. The social distancing and other measures are good, but I want to say that the lockdown issue has promoted robbery. Many families have suffered in this so called quietness. Right opposite my Church, incidences have been recorded because they know people are indoor. God has to be given its rightful place or else, we are in trouble. If you remove God from your life, you are in trouble and so am I if I remove Him from my life. It is grace that has given us the opportunity to see today. Advanced countries have recorded more disaster but because of His grace, we have been lucky. That is to tell us that Africa is Christ’s home. We love Him and He loves Africa. He took refuge in Africa when He was rejected over there. What we are suffering today is man-made but not from God. Those that God has not instituted but have instituted themselves as powers are the problem, but if we, as a humble nation, cry to God, He said in 2nd Chronicle 7: 13 and 14, that He will answer us. He said if He shut heaven and there is no rain. If He send disaster; locust and there in no peace and if He send any disease to all the people, He said we should call His name and He will answer. If genuine Nigerian and African Pastors and Churches are allowed to worship, then, God will answer us. With all the isolation centres, what has happened? If they discharge two, another ten will be tested positive. This is because we are trying our human Mathematics and methodology which will always fail. If you travel with God, you will travel successfully and return successfully. The moment you travel alone, you are in trouble. Let government respect God and allow Him to do it. This is not the first time that we are being faced with such global challenge but God has never disappointed us. With the celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection, we shall overcome. Resurrection will come to Nigeria and it will rescue Africa and the entire world but we need to allow Him.
Let’s respect God and allow Him to heal us. Only God can heal this nation and all its inhabitants of the pandemic and not human knowledge.
IMPACT: Government has just extended the lockdown, what is your advice to the government, other Churches and the people?
Bishop Osundina: By His grace, I thank God on the lives of our government – federal, state and local governments, but the more we are using this trial and error, we will continue to fail. We should not say because this is what the France and others are doing, we should follow suit, no! The thing was blew into the air over there and not in Africa. If you continue to lock us down, we will only be promoting more evil because the situation is promoting some businesses while some areas are suffering the consequences. That’s why people are coming out forcefully and not obeying the directive. I pray that such do not happen in Lagos State because the situation is becoming unbearable. Some people are now breaking down others shops to steal the little that they have. How do you continue to fold your arms under such situation? What we are now suffering now is because our government failed to prevent the disaster. We are now adopting medicine after death. If our borders are not porous; if our leaders have us in mind and at heart and they had locked our airport since, we will not find ourselves in this situation. The incidences that we have had in the country are brought in by those that arrived in the country. You don’t accept visitor in your home when you know that his coming will bring pandemic. We need to blame ourselves for the situation. We thank God that we are taking measures and God is on the throne. Pastors can never close their mouths now because if they do, nobody, including the President and governors, is save.
IMPACT: Lastly sir, what is your Easter message to the people?
Bishop Osundina: My message is that Christ has risen. He is the savior of the world and when you accept him, you accept life and that means in abundance. Without Him, you are nothing. I wish Nigerians happy Easter celebrations and we pray that COVID – 19 pandemic will become a thing of the past and we shall be singing “God has done it again”. Thank you very much.
IMPACT: Thank you sir.
