From Esther Akaa, Lafia
The Bishop of Lafia Diocese, Most Rev David Ajang has urged Nigerians to make sacrifices that would bring about change from the negative forces that have been plaguing the country.
Bishop Ajang made the call in an interview with The Voice immediately after celebrating the passion of Christ to mark the Good Friday at St William’s Cathedral, Lafia, Nasarawa State capital.
He said Nigeria can only be better if all citizens make frantic efforts to change the socio-economic challenges the country is passing through especially kidnapping, banditry and terrorism, among others.
The Bishop said that, often times, citizens accuse leaders of not being able to deliver on their responsibilities but fail to acknowledge that they also have critical roles to play in supporting the growth and development of the country.
He, therefore, called of the public to support their leaders by carrying out their obligations according to the constitution of the country for the betterment of the nation.
Speaking on the significance of Good Friday, the Bishop stated that the death of Jesus Christ was not in vein as it brought about the salvation of mankind.
He said: ” The dramatisation of the passion of Jesus reiterates once more the importance of the bible as something that gives us quite a number of lessons. We saw in the play that the same crowd who had shouted crucify Him later metamorphosed and joined the women of Jerusalem who mourned for Jesus.
“Also, the contest that took place between Barabbas who was a known criminal and Jesus the saviour which Barabbas won applies to our individual lives where we make choices between good and bad acts.
” Mostly, we are drawn towards the bad and neglect the good even though we know the repercussions of our choices.
” We should therefore, change and create positive impacts in our society by going for what is good for a better society.”
In his comment, Sylvester Maduabuchi Okeke who played the character of Jesus in the drama said the act was a demonstration of the suffering of Jesus for the salvation of mankind.
” It showed the crowd what Jesus went through and how he was crucified to save us. This is a lesson for us to learn and run away from sin and follow Christ who died on the cross for mankind,” he said.
Meanwhile, Godfrey Chijioke Nnechi, the Director of the play, appreciated Bishop Ajang, the Priests and parishioners who participated in the play and prayed God to bless them.
Nnechi disclosed some of the challenges faced in staging the play to include inadequate actors and costumes and called on youths of the church to always avail themselves for such programmes for the growth of the church and to win souls to Christ.