What a truly wonderful nation ours is. We are blessed with so many beautiful and wonderful religious celebrations, in which all of our citizens participate fully, lovingly and without division. Christmas is one of those many beautiful and wonderful celebrations. It occupies a special place in the hearts of all of us, regardless of our creed, race, class or religion. For Christians, it is a joyous commemoration of that blessed night, over two millennia ago, on which Jesus Christ was born into the world, and with Him, the hope of salvation and the promise of eternal life. The Gospel of Luke describes, very vividly, the moment that an Angel of the Lord brought, to a group of frightened shepherds, the news of the Saviour’s birth, declaring to them “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
What a wonderful message of comfort and of hope this is, for all of us. As the Angel of the Lord made clear, that message is to all people. At Christmas, we are all comforted in being reminded that, regardless of our religion, we are loved by an Eternal God who watches over us forgivingly and carefully. We are all enlivened by being reminded of the hope that, whatever our religion, so long as we follow and apply the precepts of our faith, we will all be saved. We are all energised by the divinity that flows from out of our hearts, and into one another’s.
As we join our Christian brothers and sisters in the celebration of Christmas this year, may the Season’s universal messages of comfort and hope prompt us to reflect on the divinity that lives in each of us, and inspire us to channel that divinity outwards, and into our relationships and interactions with one another. May we especially remember, at this time of celebration, those around us who are not able to celebrate because they are hurting, and are struggling daily to face and to overcome the challenges and the difficulties in their lives. Christmas can be especially difficult for us when we face these circumstances, but see the rest of the world celebrating. Let us be an aware and a sensitive people, who pause in the midst of our own joy, to reach out and, like the Lord’s Angel did on that first Christmas night, bring a comfort and hope to those who are suffering.
Christmas is an opportunity for us all to set down our differences, to heal divisions among us, and to find ways to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our fellowmen. It is an opportunity to be inspired into action by the narrative and teachings of Jesus Christ and to fully embody the angelic proclamation of “on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” May we all understand the true message and meaning of Christmas and find ways to bring comfort and hope to one another.
My husband and I take this opportunity to wish every citizen of Trinidad and Tobago a merry, safe and holy Christmas and a bright, prosperous and purposeful New Year.
