Leaders in Nigeria have been called upon to be agents of positive change
The Emeritus Archbishop of Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Nigeria, John Cardinal Onaiyekan stated this in his 2025 Christmas Message.
“I wish these politicians know this. That if God wants to settle the problems of Nigeria, they should make themselves available so that God can use them. To turn our poverty into prosperity. To turn our insecurity into peace and tranquillity. To turn our division and polarization into harmony and unity. And since God is
bigger than us, and nobody can advise him, he does things the way he likes.
“And as we know, God will never come here in any particular form to do anything. If God wants to act, he will always act with somebody. And with God, everything is possible. Even this is possible. And then, what makes us Christian is that we believe this rather ridiculous idea
that God has come in the form of a man. Not that God is acting in a human being. That one is easy enough to believe. In fact, in all of us, God is acting with us,” he said.
Cardinal Onaiyekan also urged Nigerians to be hopeful amidst crisis noting that, Christmas brings the message of hope, joy, and peace from God for everyone.
“Our nation, Nigeria, has been going through painful distress and crisis on many fronts. The message of Christmas is to give all of us, all of us hope and consolation in thee saving action of God, the God in whom almost every Nigerian believes in, God, who in our lives and in our nation continues to act.
“A child has been born for us. His name is Emmanuel, which means God is with us. Matthew 1.23, quoting from Isaiah 7.14. God is with us, Nigerians, God is with us. We who are Christians in this country called Nigeria, and we who know and believe in the full meaning of Christmas will have the duty to live up to the message of this season, the message of hope, joy, and peace, and spread it to everyone that we meet in this, our beloved
country,” he noted.
Speaking further Cardinal Onaiyekan explained that, “Christmas, on the surface, celebrates the birth of a child born over 2,000 years ago in a manger, meaning where animals eat, in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, which is in modern-day state of Israel, just a village outside the city of Jerusalem.
“For us Christians, this was more than an ordinary event in human history. This was according to the plan made from all eternity by the Almighty and Merciful God, the Father and Creator, a plan which He promised as good news long ago through His prophets in the scriptures, as St. Paul says in Romans chapter one, verse two. This promise was fulfilled when the appointed time came, when God sent His Son, born of a woman.
“The woman’s name was Mary, Galatians 4, 4. Thus, the world became flesh and dwelt among us, John chapter one, verse 14. And this was the child born of the Virgin Mary, whose birthday we celebrate at Christmas. This child grew up to become the greatest religious personality in human history, and for billions of Christians worldwide, is worshiped as Son of God, sent by God the Father to
redeem the world.
“At the birth of Christ, God intervened in our human history in a unique and non-repeatable way, bringing joy and salvation to the whole world, to the entire humanity, not only to those who believe in Jesus as Son of God. It is therefore not surprising that the whole world today celebrates Christmas, from Nigeria to Sydney, from Sydney to Bangkok, from Bangkok to New York, even to Dubai and Abu Dhabi,” he explained.
On more lessons of Christmas, he emphasized the message of hope, joy, and peace from God, which Christmas brings, is meant for everyone, a message which our world of today is very much in need of. Christmas reminds us of an event which is unique and non-repeatable in the history of humanity, namely that this little child that is born, whose birthday we are celebrating, is not just a little child.
He is the son of God made man. If you are a Christian, you believe that Jesus is the son of God who came as a man, human being, which is the core doctrine of Christianity, that Jesus is God and man.
“We call it, in theological language, incarnation, meaning God put on human flesh and the world was made flesh and dwelt among us. This is the core of the faith of Christians. Not many people accept it. Not many people can even try to grasp it because, like we often
hear sometimes, God cannot be a child.
“God cannot be born. Alone we’ll be, we’ll hear sometimes. Obviously, that kind of statement is very natural. To say that God has a child, a son, is not normal. And when Christians believe it, they should know that what they are believing is not normal. But don’t forget, we believe it.
“And before us, for the past 2,000 years, billions of other people have believed it and lived by it. And we don’t know how many more billions of people will believe it. Why do we believe it? Because we believe that, as the angel says, with God nothing is impossible,” he highlighted.