Christian Pilgrimage And National Development

Pilgrimages to Holy lands are a worthwhile experience of a lifetime and adherents, through the pilgrimages, seek spiritual strength to live righteous lives, obey God’s injunctions and live in peace with others.

The Christian pilgrimage to Israel is not an exception, as it affords the Christian faithful the privilege to visit sites of biblical and historic significance, so as to enrich their spirituality.

The Christian pilgrimage to Israel, parts of Palestine and Egypt is facilitated in Nigeria by the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC), which was established by an Act of Parliament in June 2007.

The NCPC operates under the aegis of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) in the Presidency

By its statutory mandate, the NCPC coordinates all matters relating to the conduct of the Christian pilgrimage across the country through the respective state Christian pilgrim welfare boards.

Also, the commission ensures that all the pilgrims undertake the pilgrimage in a manner that portrays them as good ambassadors of the country by refraining from unwholesome practices capable of denting or smearing the image of Nigeria.

As a result, all intending pilgrims are normally required to be screened thoroughly, to ensure that only credible persons with good spiritual dispositions are allowed to embark on the religious exercise.

Mr John-Kennedy Opara, Executive Secretary of the NCPC, stresses that the commission has attained great strides since its inception, as it has significantly reduced some unwholesome practices, hitherto associated with the Christian pilgrimage.

He says that the incidence of pilgrims’ defection in the Holy land has been drastically reduced, adding that those who now undertake the exercise are representing the nation well as good ambassadors.

Opara underscores the spiritual essence of the Christian pilgrimage, which he says, has since its inception paid off in multiple dividends.

“The reason for Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem, as recorded in Zachariah 8:22 is explicit and the blessings that follow obedience is very instructive,’’ he says, adding that the pilgrimage strengthens the Christian faithful spiritually, while also winning souls for Christ.

The combined effect of the pilgrimage, Opara expatiates, ensures godliness and good citizenship on the part of the pilgrim, adding that the two cardinal virtues are needed to enhance the country’s growth.

He says that the benefits of governments’ investment in the spiritual exercise are unquantifiable and so, advocates its sustainability, adding that sustainability of the exercise is of crucial concern to the commission.

Opara, nonetheless, says that the commission is looking beyond government’s sponsorship of pilgrimages, as it expects to explore ways of increasing private sponsorships, so as to significantly broaden the scope of the spiritual exercise.

Rev. Fr. Chris Utov, the Chairman of States’ Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, supports such a viewpoint and calls for more private sponsorships of the pilgrimage.

He urges affluent Christians to undertake the pilgrimage, as well as assist other less-endowed Christians to go to the Holy land, to enable them “see, touch and feel” the spiritual essence.

Utov, who also doubles as the Chairman, Benue State Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board, says that through the Christian pilgrimage, people are changed spiritually, socially and economically.

“The devoted and dedicated ways of life of the average Israeli impacts very positively on many pilgrims.

“For instance, I have picked up the educational system of the Israelis as a model and it is what I am using in the Polytechnic, Nursery and Primary schools that I have established,’’ he says.

The catholic priest thinks that governments should sustain the sponsorship of Christian pilgrimage, emphasising that the sacrifice is worthwhile, since many Nigerians have been reformed through the exercise to become better citizens.

“I think those who are agitating that government should no longer sponsor pilgrims are being selfish. Government should also invest in human beings spiritually,’’ he says, adding: “It is a kind of investment aimed at giving people some orientation; telling them the background of faith and godliness.’’

Utov, however, proposes that certain measures should be adopted to curtail perceived abuses and excesses in the extant pilgrimage procedures, citing the repeated sponsorships of same persons year-in and year-out as an instance.

“But if you have your own money, you can go a hundred times but I would advise that you try to sponsor others, so as to help them boost their spirituality,’’ he says.

Utov recalls the account of a senior citizen, who during the pilgrimage acknowledged a fact, saying: “Father, now that I have been here, I believe that Jesus came and existed and when I go home I will become a better Christian.

‘There, we also see how people live in the desert and mountains; how they are so hardworking – turning arid lands into fertile agricultural lands for bountiful food production.’’

Utov emphasises that pilgrims have the chance of seeing important places like the Sepulcher, which gives some measure of authenticity to the scriptural account of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“In fact, you see the place where Jesus Christ was buried and rose from the dead. You also visit Bethlehem, where he was born in the manger; the Church of Annunciation – where the first message came to Mary from Angel Gabriel,’’ he says.

On his part, Mr Steve Oronsaye, former Head of Service of the Federation, says that philanthropists, corporate organisations and public-spirited individuals should support the government in the sponsorship of Christian pilgrims.

Oronsaye, who spoke at the 2011 NCPC conference for chairmen and secretaries of states’ Christian Pilgrims Welfare Boards, says that what government should really be doing is to create the right environment for managing pilgrimages.

“While it is gratifying that many Christians are desirous of making pilgrimages to the Holy land, I am of the opinion that sponsorship of the intending pilgrims should not be left solely to government.

“With private sponsors, this dream becomes possible for many who, on their own, cannot afford it,’’ he says.

Oronsaye lists the benefits of sponsorship of pilgrims to include investment in the eternal life for the pilgrims, aside from the rewards that come with “sowing the seed of salvation”.

He bemoans the inability of many elderly citizens to undertake Christian pilgrimage due to lack of funds, advising that rich Christians should endeavour to sponsor such underprivileged faithful as a measure of spiritual sacrifice.

“We will be pretending if we refuse to acknowledge that there are some persons who see the pilgrimage to Israel as a religious jamboree,” he says.

Oronsaye, nonetheless, insists that the pilgrimage should be sustained by the government, as there are many pilgrims who genuinely go to the Holy land to enrich their spirituality, adding: God knows everything including our minds.’’

Mr Dalyop Bulus, a civil servant, who participated in the 2010 pilgrimage, insists that the exercise should be sustained since his personal experience of the exercise is worthwhile.

“Once people are morally sound, they become good citizens and this elevates a country to higher heights. The people will become more God-fearing and this invariably boosts productivity in various fields of endeavour,’’ he says.

On the spiritual significance of the pilgrimage, Bulus points out that there are people, who like Thomas Didymus in the bible, still doubt the account that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, adding that the pilgrims’ experiences during the pilgrimage would erase such doubts from the minds of sceptics.

Recalling his personal experience, Bulus says: “As a participant, I enjoyed the programme, I witnessed everything myself and with that, I am now morally and spiritually uplifted.’’

Admitting the veracity of some criticisms regarding Christian pilgrimages, the NCPC Chairman, Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh, says that his commission’s activities are guided by President Goodluck Jonathan’s charge that things should be “done differently”.

Okoh, who is also the Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), pledges that the NCPC will always anchor the pilgrimage on a sound spiritual foundation, adding that it has initiated ways of assessing the pilgrimage’s impact on the people.

“For now, we do organise the pilgrims in the states as fellowships, through which we get feedback to our Research and Development department.

“Through these fellowships, we assess the kind of lives that the ex-pilgrims live; the roles they play in the society, while for those in government, we assess how they render service to the populace,” he says.

The Primate expatiates that the initiative is part of efforts to reposition the NCPC and streamline all issues pertaining to the conduct of the Christian pilgrimage, adding that new staff had been recruited to strengthen the commission’s operations.

Even as observers and religion analysts laud the efforts to enhance the spiritual exercise, they also urge the government to sustain the pilgrimage so as to enhance the spiritual wellbeing of its citizens.

They insist that the sound spiritual development of man impacts positively on his ways of life, while promoting good citizenship and other patriotic ideals.

Anokam writes for News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) .

Emmanuella Anokam