By Ogunbowale, Tolulope Sobiye
There are seasons in human life when heaven seems to whisper the same message to different people at the same time. One of such moments occurs when Ramadan and Lent fall side by side on the calendar , when the crescent moon of fasting rises almost in step with the ash-marked beginning of Christian reflection. Is this mere coincidence, or is it a quiet reminder that humanity, despite its differences, drinks from the same deep well of spiritual longing?
Ramadan, the sacred month in Islam, honour the revelation of the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad. It is a period when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk, discipline their desires and strive to polish their hearts. Lent, on the other hand, recalls the forty days of fasting and prayer undertaken by Jesus Christ, as recorded in the Bible. For Christians, it is a season of repentance, sacrifice and preparation for Easter.
Though they arise from different traditions, both seasons beat with the same spiritual rhythm. They call people to slow down, to search their hearts and to straighten crooked paths. After all, what is fasting if not a way to “cut one’s coat according to one’s cloth”? What is prayer if not an attempt to “put one’s house in order”?
When these two sacred seasons begin together, the symbolism is powerful. It is as though the world is being handed a golden opportunity to pause and reflect to see if two great faiths can fast at the same time, why can’t humanity learn to live in peace at the same time? Why must we always allow religion which should be a bridge to become a wall?
Indeed, both Ramadan and Lent emphasize uprightness. They remind believers that faith is not just about rituals but about character. What good is fasting if one still lies, cheats or harbors hatred? As the saying goes, “You cannot wash your hands clean in muddy water.” True spirituality demands integrity in speech, in actions and in dealings with others.
They also stress compassion and unity. During Ramadan, Muslims are encouraged to give charity and care for the poor. During Lent, Christians are urged to practice almsgiving and acts of kindness. The message is clear: no one is an island. When a neighbor is hungry, can one truly claim to be spiritually full? When injustice thrives, can one honestly say their conscience is at peace?
The overlap of these sacred seasons therefore serves as a gentle call, a call for harmony in a world often torn by division. It asks uncomfortable but necessary questions, must we always “fan the flames” of differences, or can we choose instead to “bury the hatchet”? Must we judge one another by labels or can we see the shared humanity that binds us?
At a time when societies face tension, suspicion and conflict, the simultaneous arrival of Ramadan and Lent is like a moral compass pointing in one direction toward unity. It reminds us that faith, at its core, is not about competing for superiority but about striving for goodness. Ultimately, whether under the crescent or beneath the cross, the call is the same, live uprightly, love sincerely, and walk humbly with others. For when hearts are purified and hands are joined in peace, the world itself becomes a sacred place.
And perhaps that is the greatest lesson of all that when we choose harmony over hostility, we are not merely observing a season, we are building a future. Let’s build a better Nigeria. It starts with you.
