By Our Correspondent
Cross River State governor, Senator Ben Ayade, has enjoined Christians to reflect on the import of Christmas brought about by the birth of our saviour, Jesus Christ and its redemptive hope to millions of Christians around the world.
In a goodwill message by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Christian Ita, Governor Ayade urged Christians to use the opportunity of the celebration to rededicate themselves to the values of love, peace, sacrifice and tolerance as embodied in the birth of the Saviour, Jesus Christ.
According to Governor Ayade, “As we celebrate Christmas, let us reflect on the significance of the season and reach out to one another. May the occasion bring us peace, hope, joy and the warmth of friendship.”
Urging Nigerians to eschew hate and bigotry, which was what Christ preached against, Ayade sued: “As we share with one another gifts, let the season be a stark reminder to all of us that we are living at such challenging times requiring us to demonstrate to our opponent, tolerance; to our enemies, forgiveness; to our friends, our heart and others, our respect.”
Harping on compassion towards the less privileged, Governor Ayade admonished Christians to remember those who cannot afford to celebrate and make conscious effort to reach out to them.
“We should take time to ponder on the sufferings of the poor who are not privileged to celebrate. And that is why as Christians, we have an obligation to leave the comfort of our everyday life to help the poor among us, just as Christ did for us. Above all, let us reflect on the value of family, friendship and fellowship.”
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