The Good Friday Message from the Archbishop of Ecclesiasitical Province of Lagos and Bishope of Lagos (Anglican Communion) The Most Rev Dr. Ephraim Adebola Ademowo, OON

Dearly beloved children of God, it is another Good Friday. We thank the Almighty Father and appreciate Him for the special grace accorded we Christians in Nigeria in joining our counterparts worldwide to celebrate Good Friday this year. This is a period to commemorate the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary. You can call it “giving up to go up”.

Indeed, Good Friday is a period of sober reflection, as Christians, world over view Christ’s crucifixion was a voluntary and vicarious act and one through which, after resurrection on the third day, death itself was conquered.

Christ’s death on the cross provided a way for all people to come to God (to be reconciled). It removed the sins that have kept us from having a right relationship with our Creator.

The Bible says “For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the Cross.’’ (Colossians 1:19-20)

Beloved brothers and sisters, our nation is very sinful and sick. The multi-billion dollar Energy probe has witnessed shocking revelations – The German Company that was awarded a contract to conduct feasibility studies on the multi-billion Naira Mambilla Hydroelectric Power collected N369million as mobilization fees and has never visited the project site. There are even conflicting figures on the total energy expenditure in the last regime.

◊ People worry over growing incidents of armed robbery.
◊ Wasting of talented lives through kidnapping and assassination.
◊ Menace of collapsed buildings.
◊ Violating our stance on morality and human dignity.
◊ Corruption of the highest order.
◊ Thousands faces of victims of violence from detention camps which some people attempt to justify in the name of religion.
◊ Education has been bastardized at different levels.
◊ Unavailability of food, electricity, water and other basic amenities.

The problem of our Nation is basically moral and can be responded to only through spiritual remedy. The history of United States and Britain shows that the global strength of the two nations had its source in the call for righteousness from their church messages. I strongly believe that the pulpit stands for pulling people out from the pit. Knowingly or unknowingly, the whole nation still looks up to God as her only hope. If the Christian faith turned the U.S.A and U.K from the path of moral decadence and national disintegration to the path of restitute and global prominence in their time, the message of Good Friday should transform our national character and reputation in the committee of nations. We should use the Good Friday event as a model to embrace peace, forgiveness and reconciliation.

I foresee an unprecedented emergence of the beautiful plans of God for our blessed Nigeria in a grand style. Jesus Christ submitted himself to the Roman Governor who publicly discredited Him and brought Him under the ancient curse for those that were hung upon a tree. The Holy Bible says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written. Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’’ (Galatians 3:13) He paid the price for us ones.

I sincerely implore us Nigerians to, in all things, discipline ourselves and think positively to move our Country forward.

We should be Christ-like in our leadership style. “The Lord Jesus did not come to be served but to serve. He did not come to seek his own welfare but that of others.’’

Our leaders should give their Today for the Tomorrow of the youths.

The political class should allow peace, love and concord to reign in our country. Let them adopt systems to resolving issues rather than using methods that will fault our democratic era.

Our government should deliver constant power supply, provide employment for people, education has to be given an emergency treatment by backing it up with a lot of resources, while corruption and its ancillaries should be jettisoned in a systemic yet extra- intolerant manner.

I wish you a Happy Good Friday.

The Most Revd. Dr. E. Adebola Ademowo, OON
The Archbishop of Lagos and Bishop of Lagos.