The message of Lent
Beginning from Wednesday, Christians in Nigeria joined their counterparts around the world to mark the beginning of the Lenten season, during which period they are expected to commit themselves to piety and penance. By Christian tradition the 40 days of Lent which commences on Ash Wednesday and terminates with the Easter Sunday marks the period when the Lord Jesus Christ spent an equal number of days to fast in the wilderness, ahead of his earthly ministry of salvation for mankind. The period is therefore one of the most, if not the most solemn, in all Christendom.
Lent as Christian tradition, has its roots in the early days of the church. The word Lent itself is derived from the AngloSaxon words lencten meaning “spring” and “lenctentid” which literally means “springtide”, another word for “March,” the month in which the bigger segment of the Lent period falls. Ash Wednesday itself comes from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting. It was traditional among the Jews to pour ash on themselves as a sign of penance. The practice includes the wearing of ashes on the head. The ashes symbolize the dust from which God made us. As the priest applies the ashes to a person’s forehead, he speaks the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” The priest may also use the words, “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” The day also marks the process of preparing Christians for Christ’s Resurrection on Easter Sunday, through which they attain redemption.
For many Nigerian faithful, the 2017 Lent period started off with typical solemnity and a renewed commitment to more intense and extensive prayerfulness pursuant to higher levels of Godliness. Consequently, they trooped to churches and other places of worship to rededicate themselves to God with prayers for His guidance. The recourse to prayers remains most appropriate at this time and in the face of significant trials for the country. This much was the theme of several Lenten messages by various church leaders, who spared no effort to call on their members to turn away from Godless ways and embrace a new relationship with their Creator in the New Year and ever after. Traditionally the period is also marked with almsgiving, prayers and fasting all of which are intended to instil in the Christian a disposition to be closer to God.
With an economic recession ravaging the purchasing power of the people and insecurity keeping people on edge even in their homes, hardly can the need for God in the daily life of Nigerians be overemphasised. Just as well the deepseated syndrome of corruption in virtually every aspect of the country’s public life has denied the citizenry of the benefits of good governance leading to many citizens losing faith in the government. In city after city and town after town, economic despair registers on the face of the average man on the street, with hopes of quick relief hanging out of sight. The general condition of life in the country clearly dictates a return to winning ways with God in the fore front.
This is why the message of the church leaders for their followers to adopt a closer walk with God is more relevant now than ever. The call is most appropriate as it provides the necessary guide post for a national renewal of hope and premium in the future; a future that is driven by the fear of God and not mammon, which has reared its ugly face in the wanton worship of materialism, greed and avarice demonstrated by the mindless looting of public property by well-disposed Nigerians many of whom are prominent in the Christian fold. Let all the misguided take a cue from the message of Lent to move closer to their Creator and thereby become better citizens.