23rd October, 2016
The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), says it will give 50 per cent attention to the youth and 10 per cent to agriculture in its plan to refocus Christian pilgrimage.
Rev. Tor Uja, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), gave this indication in Abuja.
He said that the commission would expose the Nigerian youths during the pilgrimage to activities of the Israelis whose economy, agriculture, polity and security are driven by the youths.
“We are looking for funds, we are looking for groups and establishments, and we are looking for people that will sponsor youths.
“We want to expose them to what goes on particularly in Israel because the Israeli economy and the Israeli polity and the Israeli society are driven by youths.
“You don’t find anybody above 30 in the Israeli army or police; it is (the) youths that they give attention to and it is these young people (that) are dedicated to their country”.
Uja said that the commission would also include the women and political leaders in instilling a new culture of dedication and patriotism towards the country.
He stressed the need for Christians and the Church to derive the maximum benefits of the exercise, the commission was also planning to increase sites to be visited to other Biblical places.
The executive secretary noted that Christians’ awareness about pilgrimage as indicated in the Holy Bible is “fundamental”, saying it is imperative for churches to raise such awareness.
According to him, the Nigerian Christian church is in great need of carrying out pilgrimage and deriving the benefits that pilgrimage can give to a community.
“And I discovered that first the awareness of Christian pilgrimage is very low, the ownership of pilgrimage by the church is still very low and then the actual participation in pilgrimage is also still very low.
“I urge the church to take ownership of Christian pilgrimage; challenge individuals and establishments to participate in pilgrimage and derive its benefits.
“And to also create better awareness so that people understand what it portends because sometimes people don’t even see pilgrimage so much in the Bible but it is a very fundamental part of the Bible’’.
He quoted the book of Luke Chapter 2 that the first people to come in contact with Jesus Christ after his birth were the pilgrims, who took days waiting to see the Messiah.
“I give you one example that when Jesus was born, the first people to have access to him were pilgrims, the three wise men that came from the East in Luke Chapter 2.
“They came looking for Jesus; they had a message that the King of Kings had been born. Where do we find him? And they took days and they spent their money.
“The Bible says they came with their money and when they came they had enough to even give gifts to the new born King.
“And it took them time to locate where Jesus’ birthplace is in Jerusalem, Bethlehem (but) eventually they saw him.
“Incidentally, those who were even living in Jerusalem, who even opened the scripture, calculated and say this King should be born in Bethlehem, none of them saw the king, except the pilgrims,” Uja said.