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| Sunday, 25 December 2005 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Handshake with a grip of peace Light Refractions by Lucien Rajakarunanayake My Dear Santa, It's one year since last Christmas and the terrible day that followed. As you were still flying over some countries dropping your loads of goodwill, hours after your flight over Sri Lanka, nature hit us very hard with the tsunami. First wish I will not recall the details of that tragedy, but my first wish for this Christmas is that as you ride over Sri Lanka in your sleigh, you bring plenty of hope and the certain promise of better days for the thousands still trying to overcome that disaster. Have very special concern for the children of the tsunami; whose future seems shattered by the huge waves of nature's terror, and bring them all hope and opportunity for a rewarding future. Our country has a new leader, who in keeping with recent trends was compelled to give early Christmas gifts to all those elected to parliament from his party and a few allies too. These were Cabinet Portfolios, Deputy Ministries, State Ministries and even subject ministries. Next on my wish list is that you visit the homes of these lucky people and place a bon-bon in their Christmas stockings, with a message asking them to subdue their greed for office and petty power. Help them understand that the best reward one can have is satisfaction that one has honestly served the people, and not the trappings of political office. Peace and goodwill on earth is the refrain of the Christmas message, so often obscured by the gross commercializing of the birth of the Prince of Peace. Yet, peace is today very distant from our land. The roar of a Tiger, determined to tear up this blessed land and divide its people is heard all over. There are more than smears of blood on the Christmas decorations that lure people into stores to waste hard-earned money on the baubles of X'mas and not the simplicity of Christmas. Dear Santa, your bags may already be loaded, but please use your special magic of the Season to give our leaders on whatever side of the political divide, the strength and courage to put people and their yearning for peace before all other evanescent political interests. Make those who win learn to rule wisely, and those who lose accept it gracefully. Give strength Give strength to our new leader to transcend political divisions and unite our polity in the cause of and honourable peace. Strengthen his patience in the face of provocation and make real the traditional belief among our people about those with patience being the real victors in conflict. As you fly over Tiger territory, bring the glad tidings of Christmas and particularly its message of love and peace to those children forced to carry arms for the Tiger. Give them strong hope of freedom in the near future, and also touch the Tiger leader to make him mellower in his demands and less threatening in his manner. Make him understand the suffering his own people and others undergo as he bothers little about the spilling of innocent blood. Give unto him the vision and capability to truly serve his people in peace and pave the way for a wider peace in this other Eden of yore. Your flight over Colombo and its suburbs will be lit up by fancy decorations of those marketing Christmas as a profitable commodity. There will more high rise buildings here than last year; many more will shout "Silent Night, Holy Night" shattering the very sanctity of The Nativity. But almost lost amidst those glittering high rise mansions and apartments live the poor for whom the Good Child was born at Bethlehem. Enter their homes Come down to them, Dear Santa, enter their homes through rusted roofing or broken tiles, and give them just a touch of the real joy of Christmas, lighting up the hard times they undergo to lead a simple life. This is an unusual request but I must ask it of you, Dear Santa. Please tap at the doors of the Catholic Bishops of this country, and tell them the Church of Christ should not be put up on sale to the highest bidder in the dirty game of politics. Bring to them the enlightened message of Pope John Paul, that Capitalism does not provide all the answers to the needs of the people, especially the poor. Teach them not to sell the soul of Christians for a mess of pottage from any business mogul, and also not to mix up the roles of politics and religion. I know you won't be fooled by the drunken yelling of those singing "O come all ye faithful" who insult the King of Angels with their opulent lives throughout the year. Bring the real joy of Christmas to those children in orphanages and such places, some of whom are insulted by those who give them glimpses of all the riches they miss the whole year, by just one hour at a Coffee Morning in five-star locations or a Carols Night at a Club. Bring to us Dear Santa the peace that has evaded us for so long. Not false peace Not a false peace as today, but the real peace that comes from trust among people. I shall close with the single wish for a Christmas gift from us all, which is to see our new leader Mahinda shake the hands of Prabhakaran in a mutually strong grip of peace. May your ride over a troubled world be safe to you and blessed to us all.
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