Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has called on Nigerians to pray for peace as the nation prepares for the 2019 general elections.
The governor spoke at the 2018 Lagos State
Christmas Carol Service, held at the Lagos House, Ikeja on Wednesday.
According to him, Nigerians should use this
opportunity to pray for the peace and prosperity of Lagos State and
Nigeria, especially as "we prepare for election."
The governor said Christmas marked the birth of
Christ and the coming of light, adding that light would always overcome
darkness, bringing transformation, restoration and hope to the hopeless.
He noted that wherever Jesus is light, adding
that whatever "we do at Christmas is connected to light. Light personifies
Jesus. As christians, we should illuminate any environment we find ourselves’.
"As the light of God, we must show the way.
We should use this season of love to give to the less privileged in our
society," he stressed.
Also speaking at the event, wife of the Governor,
Mrs Bolanle Ambode, in her welcome address charged Christians to imbibe the
teachings of Jesus Christ and strive to emulate His qualities of humility,
love for all, fairness, selflessness and consideration for fellow humans.
Mrs Ambode emphasised that if Christians
succeeded in imbibing the teachings of Christ and strove to be like Him,
Christians would do less of preaching to bring non-believers to the
vineyard, "as our lives would be perfect examples and model that would
convince the multitude to come to God."
"Of course we cannot be Jesus Christ, but we
can imbibe His teachings and strive hard to emulate His qualities of humility,
love for all, fairness, selflessness and consideration for fellow humans, among
others," she said.
Mrs Ambode said "if God had not given
Christians a chance of redemption through Christ; if He had insisted on
vengeful action based on the sinfulness of the world; if God had not shown so
much kindness and mercy to people of the world, what will be the story of
mankind?
"It is because we deeply treasure the
special love of God and appreciate the magnitude of undeserved suffering that
Jesus went through because of you and me, that we have assembled here to
express our praise in solemn songs.
The pains that Jesus suffered and the burden he carried for us to enjoy forgiveness of sin from God, make Him the permanent hero that we must continue to celebrate. The carol is one of the little things we can do in this regard."
On the theme of this year's Carol, which is: ‘The
Light of the World’, the First Lady said Jesus came in His majesty to
illuminate the world totally enveloped in thick darkness and that He came to
redeem us from sin by pointing the way to righteousness and to eternity, saying
that is why He is the light.
According to her, despite Christ's awesome glory,
He came into the world with disarming humility, reflected in His carriage,
interaction and all that He did, as He toiled and served to save, so that
precious souls would not perish, adding that in the end of it all, He died but
gloriously resurrected, so that His mandate for humanity would be fully
accomplished.
She noted further that:"Imagine what the
world would be if everyone had the qualities of Jesus Christ. It would be a
world without hate and violence, where love reigns supreme, ensuring joy, peace
and complete harmony, among all people and all nations".
Carol lessons were read by the Chief Judge of
Lagos State, Justice Opeyemi Oke, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh, Special Adviser,
Education and the Head of Service, Mrs. Folashade Adesoye, while different
choristers took turn to render various songs.
The Christmas Carol Service had over 3000 persons
in attendance.
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