From Dupe Olaoye-Osinkolu, London/
Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, today enjoined Nigerians home and abroad to embrace love as Christ is love.
Speaking at a joint crusade of the Cherubim & Seraphim Worldwide and Celestial Church of Christ globally at Excel ICC Hall, in London, Obasanjo preached that God is love and for any community or nation to make progress, the people must show love to one another.
He quoted from the Bible passage – 1st Corinthians 13: 13, saying, “And now these three remain; Faith, Hope and Love, but the greatest of these is love.”
Obasanjo’s appearance in a Sutana like a white garment church pastor kindled laughter among the congregation.
He also provoked laughter, when he echoed the MC, who announced that people should sit down when they stood up to have a glimpse of him (Obasanjo).
He said, “Everybody should sit down and stand up. Sit down if you have where to sit. If you don’t have a seat, remain standing.”
Everybody cheered Obasanjo. He then listed a number of attributes that he claimed God does not share with human beings to include: Omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience and eternity.
“These are great attributes of God which he keeps to himself,” he said.
He, however, added that there were attributes of God that he shared with human beings. These, according to him, include righteousness, kindness, compassion, love and “the greatest of these attributes is love”.
He said, “Faith is the foundation and content of God’s message. If you have no faith, you can’t believe in God. If you have no faith, you can’t even believe in yourself. To believe is to have faith.
“Hope is the attitude and focus.
“Love is the action from one to another. God himself is love, as we have in 1st John, Chapter 4 Verse 8. Love is the attribute of God that he shares with us. Love is the only attribute that can change human beings, community, society; love can change the world. No matter what is happening to you, or happening within our nation, our continent, our world, the only way to bring about change is through love.
“This joint revival has been brought about by love. If we must make progress in our life, we must love. Hatred kills.
He rounded off the speech by praying that God grant everyone present the spirit of love that will make us change in “our community, our nation and our world”.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi also spoke at the event tagged ‘Comfort the Comforter Crusade’.
He said, “What you are doing today is very good. Both Cherubim & Seraphim church and the Celestial Church that are having a joint revival were established in Africa by black men. I don’t believe in the saying that nothing good comes out of Africa. If we don’t acknowledge our own, who will do it for us?
“The cloth that we wear was first worn by Oduduwa Ateworo. Oduduwa was the first to wear cloth in the entire world. We blacks were the first to produce iron; that is why they call us blacksmith. Today, they use iron for every good thing – cars, aeroplane, houses, even this mighty hall, where we are, cannot stand without iron.”
According to the Ooni, every good thing came from Africa.
He added that even electricity was first produced by Africans as palm kernel chaff and palm oil were first used to power electricity. Every good thing therefore came from Africa; and because of that, Africans must always cherish goodness and shun evil.
The Supreme Head of C&S Worldwide, Prof. Solomon Alao, urged members not to be found wanting in good behaviour.
He said, “If anyone is committing traffic offence, corruption, and lawlessness, it must not be C&S member. We must be holy, because our white garment represents holiness.”
The event was sponsored by Rev. Mother Abimbola Ajayi, the founder and pastor, Love of Christ Generation Church, in London. The highlight was musical performances by Nigerian artistes, including Chief Ebenezer Obey and Sir Shina Peters.
0