“Pentecost was said to be a ‘Unity Feast’; for it reversed the disaster of Babel that divided the human family but now opened racial and linguistic borders,” Archbishop Kaigama said.
“By this feast today, Jesus renews our baptismal and confirmation mandate with the Holy Spirit to enable us go into our world to bring peace, healing, reconciliation, unity, joy, love and salvation; not war, not violence, not immorality and not corruption,” the Archbishop of Abuja said, and adding that Jesus “wants us to achieve unity in our diversity.”
The Nigerian Archbishop called upon the people of God in the West African country that is riddled with attacks especially those that target Christians to endure their suffering, saying that it is the true call of Christian discipleship.
“Jesus did not want to create the illusion that being His disciples would spare us the trials and tribulations of our time as we find ourselves in our country today,” Archbishop Kaigama said.
He made reference to the Biblical Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus told his disciples that people would “revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you.”
“In John 15 Jesus says the world will hate you without a cause and those who kill you will think they are doing something noble,” the Archbishop of Abuja said, and added, “Jesus reminded we believers that we will be scattered but the consolation is that we have the Advocate, the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, to help us remain steadfast.”
He said that through accepting the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Nigerians would change their ways and end insecurity and corruption that continues to bedevil the country.
“A journalist with the Voice of Nigeria asked me last Sunday what we can do about the unending insecurity and corruption and how the Holy Spirit will help us at Pentecost. I responded that the Spirit transforms, edifies, guides and teaches, as long as we open the doors of our hearts to let God in, and to embrace positive and transforming change,” the Archbishop shared, and added, “God does not force change on us. Our values must change for the better.”
He highlighted some cases of corruption in the West African country saying, “Today, it is easy to swear an affidavit to change one’s age, whether for a football career, NYSC purposes, or for getting a job.”
“Our abusive language and lack of respect for one another especially in the social media is to say the least, un-African,” Archbishop Kaigama said, and added, “White lies are told as if they don’t matter. Someone is telephoning from the back of his house but says he is just arriving in Lagos!”
