A meaningful Christmas

Come midnight tomorrow, millions of Christians the world over celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ who was born in a stable in Bethlehem over 2012 years ago.

St. Luke's biography records that the Virgin Mary and her husband Joseph left their home in Nazareth to travel to Joseph's ancestral home town in Bethlehem, to enrol in the census ordered by the then Roman Emperor, Augustus. Finding no room to rest their weary heads in inns in the town, they set up primitive lodgings in a stable where Mary gave birth to Jesus, the Saviour of mankind in a manger.

Jesus' birth in Bethlehem, home to King David from whom Joseph descended, fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah.

Christmas, dedicated to men of goodwill, is an opportune time to join hands with others to unite in peace. As millions of people across the globe celebrate Christmas tomorrow night, Sri Lankans fervently hope that Christmas would promote and strengthen national reconciliation in our resplendent isle. The Europeans introduced Christianity to Sri Lanka over five centuries ago. Today, Christmas takes on an added significance - much more than a religious event. Christmas has become a global event, celebrated by people from all walks of life, and an event eagerly looked forward to by the young and old alike - many belonging to different communities. Joy and rejoicing are closely associated with the festive season.

The Christian minority in Sri Lanka share their joy with their kith and kin and neighbours of various religious persuasions. Sinhalese, Tamils and Burghers make up the Christian family in Sri Lanka. Hence, Christians in Sri Lanka can play a vital role in promoting national reconciliation across the length and breadth of the country.

Over the years, Christians in sunny Sri Lanka lived in perfect peace and harmony. Since they belong to three different races, they could promote ethnic harmony among all communities in Sri Lanka.

The guiding principle of Christianity is love, the core proclamation of Jesus Christ, that man must not only love God selflessly and do his bidding, but also love his neighbour in equal measure.

As the festive season reaches its peak with the midnight mass in churches all over the world, we must take time off our busy schedules and hectic lifestyles and ponder on the real meaning of Christmas, which has been overshadowed by a torrent of commercialism to the point where most people have more or less forgotten the true significance of this holy day.

The piety of Christmas, at times, is being overtaken by eye-catching illuminations, decorations, Santa Claus, Christmas trees and all-night parties. It is wrongly portrayed as a season of spending lavishly and having a whale of a time.

Certainly, nobody could be faulted in engaging in a festive bash, but at the same time, we should pause for a moment to reflect on the inspiring words of Jesus, who advocated compassion for one and all. Christians must spare a thought for the poor and the downtrodden during the season. As Jesus Christ has taught, Christmas is all about giving, sharing and caring.

The less affluent and underprivileged segments of society should be uppermost in our minds. The countless number of people who had been rendered homeless and those who lost their loved ones due to terrorism and the 2004 tsunami devastation should receive due attention.

The time is also opportune to remember with gratitude the valiant soldiers who had made the supreme sacrifice on our behalf to protect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Moreover, Christmas should be a day of reflection on the need for national reconciliation after the three-decade-old scourge of LTTE terrorism which was eradicated in May 2009. There is a generation in our midst who still recalls the dark days of terrorism before it was vanquished almost four years ago. Youth in the North had been subjected to the LTTE's brutal terrorism. These youth and children should realise that there is a world of opportunity with the dawn of peace due to the indefatigable efforts of the Security Forces under President Mahinda Rajapaksa's political sagacity.

At this point of time, we also remember the thousands of our fellow countrymen who perished in the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami devastation that sent shock waves through the world. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who lost their loved ones due to the tsunami.

Sri Lanka is endowed with the ideals of a multi-religious, multi-racial and multi-cultural society for centuries. Although petty party politics brought about strong divisions in almost every sphere of life and racial conflicts erupted in the '50s, the close ties between Buddhists and Christians have been healthy and productive. Regrettably, petty party politics and those with vested interests have sowed discord amongst most citizens. In addition, the barbaric acts of LTTE terrorism had killed over thousands of people until 2009. A large number of people had either been injured, displaced or suffered mental agony due to the merciless attacks by Velupillai Prabhakaran and his cadres until the Tiger leadership was militarily defeated on May 18, 2009.

Sri Lanka has lost many loyal and patriotic sons due to terrorism and tremendous suffering had been inflicted on their families and loved ones. It is heartening to witness people in the North and the East, who had been once subjected to untold hardships due to LTTE terror, making an active contribution towards national development.

Thousands of Tamils who had been either displaced or suffered in the North and those who had been used as Prabhakaran's human shields, have received a new lease of life. They are our brothers and sisters. For nearly three decades, most of them had lived in a world of fantasy created by Prabhakaran who had projected his terror outfit as the sole representative of the Tamils.

They have only now realised what liberation means. All Sri Lankans must extend their support to the Northern youth. Our thoughts and prayers should always be with those who had made the supreme sacrifice to usher in this peaceful atmosphere.

We also take pride this Christmas as over half a million people who had been liberated from the North and the East are today in their homes with their friends and loved ones. They have been provided every possible assistance to open a new chapter to live in peace and harmony. As we celebrate this festive season, the true sons of our soil still spend many a sleepless night in their camps to ensure that the country's hard-earned peace is protected.

These brave Security Forces personnel sacrificed their joy and happiness to usher in a safer tomorrow. Today we celebrate this festive season with our loved ones due to the utmost dedication and devotion of our courageous soldiers. Hence, we should emblazon the message of love and caring this Christmas.

This would help sink differences among ethnic groups, not only in Sri Lanka but all over the world. Be it Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, Malays or Burghers, all should unite under the Lion flag and mark our Sri Lankan identity on the world map.Gone are the days when the LTTE brainwashed the Tamil youth. Their contribution to the country's growth in future too is equally important, in as much as that of the Sinhalese and other minorities. The country takes precedence over self, irrespective of one's race and religion. The time is now opportune for people in the global village, irrespective of caste, creed or religion, to join hands and unite in peace and harmony to make Christmas more meaningful.