Kunle Adelabu
In the midst of the ravaging COVID – 19 pandemic which has brought the global village to its knees and adversely affecting not only economies but also social order, came the 2020 Easter celebration which is one of the most important annual Christian festivals.
For about a month, many religious places have been shut due to the lockdown which is one of the measures put in place by the government to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.
The lockdown order has prevented Christians globally to congregate and observe Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and main Easter celebration on Sunday and Monday, which are greatly significant to the Christendom .
THE IMPACT chatted and physically engaged some Christian leaders in lkorodu community to hear their views on the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ with the 40 days of praying and fasting without food and water, death and rising of Jesus Christ which are all features of the Easter celebration amidst the ongoing lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has caused thousands of deaths while many thousands of people are critically sick globally.
Rt. Revd. Samson Olu Osundina, the Methodist Bishop of Diocese of Ikorodu, Methodist Church of Nigeria, Patriarch Bolaji Johnson Cathedral, Ikorodu, in an interview with THE IMPACT on the Easter Sunday, stated that God, through the resurrection of Jesus, as depicted by the Easter celebration, is ready to save the world from the COVID –19 pandemic.
The Christian leader added that people must be ready to accept Him as the Lord and Savior for them to be healed of any disease and have everlasting life.
“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 for allowing this pandemic to come at this period of time”, Bishop Osundina stated.
“This is the day that God, due to His love for the whole world, gave his only begotten son and for allow this (COVID-19) 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 world 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 and we are now experiencing it in Nigeria. This is not happening at any other time when Nigeria is merrying 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 says, “Whoever escape the sword of a pandemic is by grace”. By grace, we have survived till this time”.
He stated that Nigeria and Africa are lucky, adding that God will intervene in the global pandemic if allowed.
“Nigeria is one of the luckiest nation 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 mostly hit by the pandemic but 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 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 for everyone to know that God gave the power for a purpose.
He charged government at all levels to see the Coronavirus as a test case and ensure that hospitals and good governance are instituted in the country if they must escape the wrath of God.
“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 at some point in time has been ravaging the whole world. LASSA fever came and died a natural death, Ebola came and reared its ugly head but God crushed it. We really need to pray to God to also overcome the Coronavirus”, Bishop Osundina stated.
Bishop Osundina also expressed his opposition to the lockdown order which, according to him, has prevented Christians from celebrating Easter and called on the government to amend it.
“The absence of God is a great disaster. Whoever that advised the government to copy what is 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”, he stated with confidence.
“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 His grace that has given us the opportunity to see today”, the Bishop of the Methodist Church emphasized.
SIR (Otunba) Ayodele Elesho, KJW, a former Labour leader in the State and former Lagos State Commissioner for lnformation, in his own reaction, stated that the Easter celebration is a period of sober reflection due to the sufferings, crucification and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“The Easter period is a special season to commemorate the sufferings, crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ on Calvary.
“It is a period of sober reflection for the people of Christian faith to understand that truly, Jesus Christ died for us on the cross, for the sins he never committed”, Otunba Elesho stated.
The Agbaakin of Ikorodu Kingdom stated that many are of the views that the deadly Coronavirus is as a result of sins.
“Majority of the people strongly believe that the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the whole world is as a result of the sins of the people all over the world, particularly by our so called leaders, through the production and application of chemical, biological and destructive weapons used in mass killings of people across the World, waging of unnecessary wars by Nations against other Nations and other atrocities committed by our political and economic leaders”.
He commended the government for the measures taken so far especially the stay-at-home order, describing it as the only way to stop the spread of the virus.
“The “Stay at Home, Stay Safe” mantra introduced by the Federal and State Governments is quite appropriate at this point in time and it is the only way to stop the spread of the dangerous virus.
He also endorsed the government’s decision to shut down Lagos State.
“When there is life, there is hope, this means that we shall have many Easter celebrations in happiness, fanfare and joy with the usual religious activities if only we abide with the stay at home and stay safe order.
“I fully support the lockdown imposed by the government, and if in its wisdom also, the same government considered it necessary to extend the lockdown, so be it”.
Pastor Bayo Oteju, a senior legislative aide to Hon. Babajimi Benson, member, Federal House of Representatives, supported the government’s decision regarding the lockdown which prevented the celebration of Easter Sunday and Monday in the state.
He stated that he has been campaigning against the gathering of people to stop the spread of the virus.
“Your question on the significance of Easter celebration in view of the Coronavirus that is ravaging the world which has prevented the Sunday and Easter Monday church services, is quite timely. I started a campaign on Twitter ( NotJumatEasterService) on Monday April 6th, 2020, and I even encouraged and pleaded with a Twitter bull dog…Segun to help trend the campaign”, Pastor Oteju stated.
“I am quite excited the mileage for the efforts and the positive change of plans by some state Governors and even Churches, Nigeria Medical Association and others. I’m not the only one campaigning against the gathering of people in whatever form for now as other people are also doing so for safety and precaution until we are advise when it is medically okay to relax the lockdown”.
He charged people to be mindful of those he described as ‘religious contractors’.
“Why the campaign? We live in a complex world where many have abandoned their faith and spirituality for religious contractors. It’s not a new phenomenon but the present day dimension can be liken to the predictable end time prophecies. With all due respect, please, google 2020 prophetic declarations and show me the one that accurately predicted the corona virus”.
He stated with references that gathering of Christians for the celebrations cannot change what God has desired, adding that people must adhere strictly with the measures pronounced by the government.
“Beloved, our gatherings will neither stop the move of God nor the Holy Spirit that lies inside a believer. Philippians 2 vs 12, explicitly stated that, “Therefore, my dear friend, as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling”.
“Sunday or Monday Service are men’s development that has little or no bearing on any “Church”, (the building and cathedrals are not church but the people).
Speaking on the significance of Easter celebration in the midst of the ravaging disease, Pastor Oteju stated that:
“Easter is the demonstration of God’s Love for man in the person of JESUS as He paid the ultimate price for our victory over the devil, law and sin, which were seen in His Temptation, Suffering, Death and His Resurrection.
“According to the Scripture in (Rev.1:4) JESUS is, He was and He is to come, that means before COVID-19, JESUS was and after the virus, He will still be.
The first Adam disobeyed God, but JESUS, the last Adam, obeyed God in all things for man (Hebrews.4:14-15). Faith in Jesus makes us partake and share in the blessings of His obedient (Isaiah.55:1-12).
“Jesus was nailed on the Cross strapped with sin on His body, He went to the Cross with sin, died with sin (Romans.8:3: 6:22a, 4:25). Jesus’ on the cross was our deliverance from the consequences of not been able to keep the law (Galatians.3:13).
“Jesus resurrection is for our justification before the Father (Romans.4:25). The only reason life would have had an upper hand against us is if Jesus Christ was not raised from the dead (1Cor.15:17), but the good news is; He has risen (1Cor.15:20).
“All that we, as believers, need to do now is to believe and keep believing in Jesus, because He is the One that overcame the world, as we exercise faith toward Jesus, we partake and share in the victor he had over the world (1John.5:4, John.16:33, AMP).
“The world needs to look to Jesus as there can be no solution without him (Romans.10:13)”, Pastor Oteju stated.
“What should be our focus is the person of Christ and our relationship with him, not our yearly celebration and gathering that has little or no spiritual significance.
Monday Ohi Obadan, a Christian writer, community leader and social media activist, also speaking on the issue, described the celebration as a moment of sober reflection.
“The significance but symbolic celebrations of Easter is that it is a moment of sober reflection of the uncommon ingenuity of God to sacrifice Himself (in the form of man named and called Jesus Christ) for and on behalf of mankind to liberate those who accepted that sacrifice from sin and eternal damnation.
“Because man in his present nature cannot atone for his or her sins. In addition, life is consist in the Blood. Conversely, even in the kingdom of darkness, no sacrifice is efficacious except that which blood is propitiated. That is why you have all kinds of ritual killings”.
Mr Obadan stated that the death and resurrection of Jesus has reassured mankind of eternal life.
“The Good News is that Jesus Christ accepted to be laid as lamb for the atonement. It is so significant and symbolic because it reassured mankind of eternal life from the guilt and debt that the rebellious Lucifer plunged mankind. Symbolic because God cannot be killed nor die. He lives forever (Hebrew 13:8). The essence is selfless love, hope, faith (1 Corinthians 13:13).
He charged Christians to observe and comply fully with the measures stipulated by the government towards ‘containing the spread of the Coronavirus, adding that God encourages cleanliness.
“To follow government’s medical, hygienic and sanitary precautionary measures, in fact and in some effects, are spiritual requirements. The Bible says “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”, so, government is not doing anything extraordinary but reinenforcing what the sacred books already prescribed.
“For instance, in the Islamic faith, ablution before prayers is hygienic, isn’t it? Women wearing veil (Hijab) or face/nosemask is also sanitary. The Book of Leviticus in the Bible already laid down spiritual measures to hygiene and cleansing.
“To cap it all, self-isolation in Christendom may be likened to retreat, alone with God which encourage meditation, revival and renewal. It is a period to receive fresh revelation. It should be a period of self-evaluation and self-assessment for reawakening.
“It can also be used for what I would rather refer to as spring cleaning of garbages which will have accumulated in our systems and not environment overtime. It is a good challenge!! If no one learns anything new in this period of mandatory stay at home order, it would then be unfortunately a wasted time in someone’s life in the journey of life”, Mr Obadan stated.
“Happy Easter…. He is Alive!! He is Rising!!!”, he added.
