Christmas: Clergyman Preaches Peace and Tolerance Among Christians

Magnus Nwokpor, Abakaliki.

Last updated Dec 26, 2023

The lead Pastor of Flock Assembly Ministries International, Enugu, Reverend Celestine Okenwa, has enjoined Christians across the globe to live in peace with one another as they celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ.

READ ALSO: Christians Commemorate Christmas Across the Globe

Reverend Okenwa made the appeal in a special church service to mark the 2023 Christmas celebration in Enugu State, Southeast Nigeria.

He further stressed the need for Christians to always show love and tolerance to fellow Christians and, by extension, their Muslim counterparts as Christ, who came to salvage mankind, lived for peace and showed love and tolerance.

“The Saviour of the world, Jesus Christ, whose birth the entire Christendom is celebrating today, lived a life of sacrifice.

His life preached the virtues of peace, love and tolerance. So, for us to say that we are Christians, it means that we have to emulate his lifestyle.

And for us to celebrate his birthday, we have to first receive him into our lives.

The best way to celebrate Christmas is to submit totally to Christ, whose birth has called for the celebration.

It is not necessarily a period to slaughter goats, cows or other animals. Neither is it a period to show up with your new clothes and other material things. It is a time to receive Christ into your life and submit totally to him,” he preached.

Reverend Okenwa warned religious leaders in Nigeria to steer clear of partisan politics as this would make them derail their primary role of winning souls for God.

Economic Hardship

The clergyman lamented the current wave of economic hardship in the country, adding that if the trend is not checked, it might result in many Nigerians losing confidence in the present administration.

“I think the spate of the difficulty orchestrated by the fuel subsidy removal is alarming. It is biting too hard on our people, and if it is not urgently checked, the effects will be devastating,” he remarked.

Okenwa, however, urged Nigerians to remain calm and patient with the government. He hoped that the new price regime in the country’s oil sector would boost the economy.