By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
A team of Nigerian Muslims clerics and youth groups have visited pastor Yohanna Buru’s house this afternoon with the aims of felicitating him and other Christian brethren across the globe.
This is coming as Christians around the world commences 40 days fasting and prayers today Ash Wednesday.
The Team was headed by Mallam Gambo Abdullahi Barnawa kaduna, who pointed the need for Muslims to visit the pastors home and felicitate with him and other Christian Clergies across the globe as they commences 40 days fasting and ceaseless prayers.
While encouraging the pray for peace stability in the country, he further called on Christians to remember the three pillars of Lent which are fasting, ceaseless prayer, and almsgiving.
He said “last year they were at the pastors home during a day like this to strengthening Christian and Muslims relationship in the region and to promote interreligious tolerance and mutual understanding.
According to the Lenten season is an
Important occasion to all Christians all over the world as he appealed to
Christians to offer special prayers toward healing the world against
increase crisis,war,Banditry,Hungry, climate change and other forms of environmental degradation affecting human and other living organism in the environment.
He said this year Lenten season comes amids of high cost of living,scarcity of fuel/Naira note and issues of presidential general elections by the corner.
Adding that the Lenten season is a time of fasting and preparation for Easter.It is a time to reflect on Jesus’s sacrifice and to prepare for Easter celebration .
He said the visit was also to encourage peaceful coexistence, religious
tolerance and also strengthens the relationship between Muslims and
Christians across the north
Similarly, In a show of solidarity and respect ,a Muslims youths are standing with Christians and giving up guilty pleasures for lent in order to sthrenthening good relationship among the adherence of different faith base organization.
Musa Dauda One of the Muslim youth leader said, they are going to forfeit taking or watching and drinking many things that could go contrary to their Christians fellow.
While some vow to quit eating meat, watching TV and stay off social media till after the 40 days.they wish there brothers ,happy Lenten season and happy easter in advance.
Responding, the general overseer of Christ evangelical and life intervention ministry kaduna pastor Yohanna Buru expressed happiness over the visit by Muslims.
He said,Prayer is essential to the everyday spiritual life of a Christian.But during Lent,when Christians are supposed to focus more on God,it becomes even more important to them. Prayer is one of the three pillars of Lent, but it is a common practice throughout the Church year.
“For Christians, lent is a period of self-restraint,marked by fasting, repentance, prayer and self-control. Luxury or rich foods, such as meat and dairy are often avoided by those taking part.
Abstention from personal “bad habits” such as watching television or eating too much sugar is also commonly practised.
The observance starts on Ash Wednesday and lasts until Easter, as Christians imitate the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in a desert before being blessed by John the Baptist.
Pastor Buru added that “there is a good relationship between Christians and Muslims in the northern part of Nigerian. He said, he spend over 15 years visiting top Islamic scholars breaking Ramadan fast with them to promote interreligious tolerance and forgiveness among the adherence of different faith base organization in the country.
He said every Months of Ramadan,the church shares bags of food stuffs to the poor Muslims across the North to enable prepared for the 30 days fasting and prayers.
Stressing also that the church used to bail out Muslim and other inmates to participate in the 30 days fasting at home with friends and family with joy and happiness like any other Muslims round the world.
We should always remember that
“we are one family Under God “
“we have holy Books from one God “
“we are family of Adam and eve “.
He called on Christian and Muslims scholars to keep praying for peaceful elections, while encouraging youth to shun political thuggery,Buru concluded by calling for support to victims of earth quakes that claimed thousands live and destruction of billions of properties at Turkey.
