Yuletide: Clerics Advocate Unity, Love to Curb Division in Churches

^{In Lagos State, Nigeria, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Lively Chapel underscored unity and love as pivotal themes during their 2024 Christmas Carol service. Parish Pastor Adebayo Amao urged Christians to embrace these virtues to curb divisions within the church and foster harmony. He highlighted the need to reflect on Christ's gift of salvation during this festive season and called for acts of kindness towards others.}

^{Assistant Pastor Oladipo Ishiola echoed this sentiment, advocating for trust in God amidst challenges and unity as a defence against division in the body of Christ. The event featured performances that celebrated the birth of Jesus, encouraging believers to strengthen community bonds through shared faith and love.}

LAGOS STATE, Nigeria —As the world celebrates the Yuletide season, clerics in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Lively Chapel have emphasized the importance of unity and love in curbing division within churches.

In his Christmas message, the Parish Pastor, Adebayo Amao stressed that unity among Christians was pertinent in promoting the values of love, peace, and harmony.

He spoke on Sunday during the 2024 Christmas Carol service, tagged, "Emmanuel" held in Omole, Lagos state.

According to him, "Christmas is a time of reflection for Christians in appreciation of what God has done for humanity; for giving us a saviour to give us hope and eternal life.

"I want to encourage and charge every believer that this period serves as an opportunity for all to show love to one another, to care for one another, to be a blessing to your neighbours, No matter how small, be a blessing to that child, be a blessing to that widow, be a blessing to that widower, show the love of Christ to everyone around us," he said.

The cleric while speaking on division in churches, called on Christians to uphold unity and love as cardinals that guide against division.

He said, "We must come together as one body in Christ, putting aside our differences and denominational affiliations. We must not allow the devil to divide us. We are stronger together, and our unity will promote the gospel of Christ."

Pastor Amao's call for unity and love comes as a reminder that division has no place in the body of Christ.

He said, "We are one in Christ, and our unity is our strength. There shouldn't have been any form of division because, we have the Bible; the word of God. That is our basis for living. I want to encourage each believer to come together as one. We are one.

"The Bible says that any house divided against it cannot stand hence, we need to come together, no matter the difference, no matter the denomination, we should see ourselves as one," the cleric stressed.

As Nigeria continues to grapple with various economic challenges, pastor Amao has urged citizens not to lose hope but to look unto Jesus for salvation and transformation.

He emphasized that Jesus is the answer to Nigeria's problems adding that, Nigeria is not the only nation faced with hard times.

According to him, "We are facing many challenges as a nation, but we should not lose hope. Our hope is built on Jesus, and we must look unto Him because He is the author and the finisher of our faith.

"If you look at what is happening in Nigeria and even the entire world, it could be so discouraging. Even developed countries, they have challenges in their economy, in their policies, but if we look up to Jesus, he answers to all problems," he added.

Earlier, the Assistant Pastor of the church, Pastor Oladipo Ishiola described Christmas as a time to show immense love for one another.

He however called on Christians all over the world to keep trusting God in the face of challenges.

He said, "Christmas is a wonderful time, it's a time where we show love because God has shown us immense love by sending us His Son, Jesus.

"We should trust God. We understand that the times are hard, but God is a God of miracles. He's a God who can turn things around for good. We only have Him to trust. When we believe in him, He never fails, He will never fail."

The cleric while speaking on division in church said, "It's important that we understand that we are not fighting against ourselves. The devil is against the unity of the body of Christ. And it is important for us to understand that the gate of hell is throwing arrows of disunity across various denominations, even across families.

"Disunity will not favor any one of us; hence, Christians have to be united. We are all soldiers of Christ. Our God is the commander-in-chief. And there is no army that fights against it that way. But we should understand that this disunity, we need to pray against it. We need to cast it out of the body of Christ for the growth of the gospel. Disunity is an attack of the enemy."

At the carol celebration, there were lots of displays to depict the story surrounding Jesus’ birth as well as song rendition.

As Christians across the country celebrate the Yuletide season, many are reflecting on the importance of unity and love within the church. By embracing these values, Christians can promote a more harmonious and loving community, both within and outside the church.