By Eunice Hilda A. Mensah
Accra, Dec.21, GNA – The Most Reverend Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church Ghana, has urged churches to be security conscious at all gatherings during the Christmas festivities.
Delivering Christmas and New Year message in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, he said considering the security concerns in the sub-region, it was only prudent that churches as well as individual members stayed alert, especially on 31st night.
He also appealed to road users, especially commercial vehicle drivers, to drive cautiously and responsibly and desist from reckless driving to prevent road crashes.
“Please don’t drink and drive, make sure to apply all the road safety regulations. Send people to their destinations safe and sound and bring them back safe and sound, so we can all enjoy the New Year in the peace and joy of Christ,” he added.
Bishop Boafo said Christmas was a time of love and God’s reconciliation and that the news of Christ’s birth brought hope and peace to humanity when the world was full of hopelessness and doubts.
“Christ brings us new life in dead situations when he visits us and the message the Angel brings to us this season is ‘Fear Not’,” he added.
The Presiding Bishop, also the Immediate Past Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, said Christmas was a time of giving alms to the needy and vulnerable and allowing the glad tidings to break the barriers of hatred among men.
He also advised Christians to live in peace and harmony with all Muslims and traditionalists, saying it was through understanding and accommodating of one another that the world could be a better place for all.
Bishop Boafo prayed that all persons in doubt, fear and anxiety understood the message of Christmas and the power it brought to feel at ease.
Speaking about COVID-19, he said it still existed, and asked Christians to observe the safety protocols strictly as they celebrated the festivity.
“COVID-19 is still with us so even as we go through the celebration and joyfully welcome the New Year, let’s take the protocols in good faith to enter the year in good health, so that we can be more productive for our offices and homes,” he added.
Christmas is a Christian festival celebrating the birth of Christ. It is usually celebrated on December 25 of every year as a sacred religious holiday.
GNA