Christmas: Feast of selfless love, time to share – CAN reminds Christians

Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna State chapter, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, has observed that Christmas is an extraordinary feast that lay lessons of selfless love for every single soul under the Sun.

In a Christmas message to Nigerians titled, “Celebrate Christ: Celebrate love for he is the reason for the season”, Rev. Hayab said, “The season is here again when we are called to lead a life serving the world as salt to give her taste and light to give her sight. Today’s celebration is the birth of a fully evolved man in whom the glory of God and the value for humanity is prioritised above everything else. In the light of this season of celebration, I bring you greetings in the name of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ whose birth and life we celebrate today.”

According to Rev. Hayab, Christmas is for everyone, it is a time for the old to learn from the young, just like Jesus and the elders in the temple, adding that it is a time for the weak to carry the strong just as Christ bore the burden of all of mankind, a time for the rich to be fed by the poor like christ will feed multitude out of little.

“Christmas is an extraordinary feast wherein lay lessons for every single soul under the Sun. It is a season of selfless love,” he observed.

He thanked God for the gift of life and provision, thanking God that we are alive again to witness another Christmas, saying that Christ granted mankind the grace out of nothing at a time when many have perished by accidents of all kinds, illnesses especially the pandemic, disasters, and the evil of terrorism that have enveloped their society under the watch of a government that appear seemingly comfortable with the events of the day.

He lamented, “Clearly today our society is in want of leaders with a sincere love for humanity, the kind of leaders who see service to humanity as a vocation, not a business venture. What our state and nation need today is a leadership that will learn from Jesus Christ who today remains ever high and celebrated worldwide not because He accumulated wealth but because he gave his all in service to humanity.”

Rev. Hayab expressed the belief that man cannot have such a great king, Lord and Saviour and still wallow in challenges, assuring that at his time evil will bow. ”When he says it is over it will be over, when he declares victory, no matter the forces and powers that have gathered, his will shall prevail”.
“So as we celebrate, let us celebrate as a people of hope, a people with faith, a people with a Saviour,” he prayed.

Reverend also noted that COVID-19 is still very much around and still evolving and called on Christians in the state to observe all protocols given to deal with the pandemic, reassuring Christ’s faithful that they have consulted with Christian health experts on the COVID-19 vaccine and realized that they have nothing to be afraid of.

He invoked God’s blessings upon all in this season, saying no one will have reason to cry over any loss as the love of God has been poured on all to shield all.