By Ibrahima Yakubu
Kaduna (Nigeria) – Nigeria’s Muslim Clerics have called on Christians to redouble their efforts in prayers and Bible studies especially at the holy month for God’s blessings and intervention to challenges faced by Africa and the world in general regarding peace and stability.
The team of clerics from Kaduna, North-west Nigeria stated this when they visited the General Overseer of Christ Evangelical Intercessory Fellowship Ministry, Pastor Yohanna Buru to wish Christians a successful lent period for 2016.
The visitation also was aimed at encouraging cleric-to-clerics visitation so as to further strengthen peaceful co-existence and religious tolerance among Nigerians.
While congratulating Christians all over the world for the commencement of the 40 days fasting, leader of the team Alaramma Abdulrahman Bichi, described the lent period as ‘a very special and Holy period to all Christians’ as such, they have come to felicitate and wish them success from the start to the end of the lent.
He said, “Lent is the period of preparation for Holy Week and Easter; it’s a very importance seasons for dedication to worship the Lord; Some churches hold the custom of making ashes from the palm crosses of the previous year and, in the Ash Wednesday service, marking the foreheads of participants with ash, signifying a period of penitence – many churches also remove items that are colorful or ornate, or cover them over with cloths of a drab or purple color, both of which signify penitence.”
Bichi added that, “during our holy month of Ramadan, Many Christians clerics wished us success for our 30 days fasting; so we are also here to wish them same as brothers. We are from one family Adam and Eve, worshiping one God; we all believed in paradise and Hell, as well as believed on the day of resurrection. Therefore, lets us all keep on living in peace and harmony by learning to accommodate and tolerate each other so as to make our country great.”
While making his remarks, Pastor Yohanna Buru thanked the Muslim Cleric for their visit and said, during Ramadan period, they also identify with the Muslim fellows by joining to break their fast.
He said, “We have been doing that for many years. We have also visited Muslim scholars in their places of worship and have joined them in breaking their fast, all with the sole aims of promoting peace and religious tolerance.”
He further appealed to both Muslims and Christians to live in peace and embrace one another so as to make Nigeria a wonderful place to live.
