CAN President attributes Coronavirus outbreak to sin, disobedience to God

The President, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Samson Ayokunle, on Sunday, said arrogance of humans against God and the constituted authority were responsible for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic across the world.

The CAN president said this in a special sermon on a cable television, which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by his Special Assistant, Media and Communications, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji.

He also mentioned sin and all sorts of wickedness as parts of the things responsible for the outbreak of the virus.

Although Ayokunle, who is also the General Secretary, Nigeria Baptist Convention, described Coronavirus as a disease that defied human solution, he, however, said that God had provisions for its cure.

The cleric called for a change of heart among humans so as to see to the end of the pandemic.

He also identified others factors as ungratefulness or ingratitude as well as the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ.

“As in the case of the children of Israel in this passage, the arrogance of man against God and lawfully constituted authority led to God’s anger and judgment over the people.

“People say anything today against God and against His word. The injunctions of the Scriptures, which are God’s commands, no longer matter to us.

“We query the validity today of the word of God and equally deliberately act against it,” he said.

He said that all practices that would make us worship God had been rejected or abandoned under the guise of fundamental human rights.

“In some advanced nations, anything about God must not be mentioned in any public event and neither can people worship God nor share the gospel with their neighbours.

“Doing so is an offence. This pride and arrogance against God came because of advancement in technology. We feel we can do many things without God and thus become ‘god’ unto ourselves.

“Technological advancement should make us to reverence God the more, because He is the revealer of knowledge,” he said.

Ayokunle described sinfulness as an extension of the first point of arrogance against God.

“In Nigeria, violence has become a daily occurrence, beginning from the wickedness of armed robbers to religious terrorists, such as Al Qaida, Al Shabab, Boko Haram and ISIS, among others.

“We equally have banditry and Fulani herdsmen’s attacks everywhere in the country. People are slaughtered, kidnapped to be slaughtered or for ransom,” he said.

On what should be done to overcome the Coronavirus pandemic and other similar diseases, the cleric said that those who were godly should nurse no fear of any pandemic.

He recalled how God used the blood of the lamb to protect His people in Goshen when the angels of destruction were killing the first born of the Egyptians.

“When the plague was ravaging Egypt, it did not get to where the children of Israel were staying, though it happened within the same city.

Ayokunle also identified faith in Jesus as another shield against any pandemic.

“Believe today and escape from the pandemic ravaging the world. There is healing balm in Gilead and it is Jesus, the Christ,” he said.