During the last two weeks of December, our country was beset by tragedy. Families have been stricken with grief due to the sudden passing of their loved ones. At a time when we normally celebrate, with joy, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our joy was replaced with shock, sadness and tears. As a nation, we join with the families in mourning the deaths of Kareem Bradley, Ramon Antonio Castillo Rijo, Teacher Janice Connor, Simon “Ernest” Crawford, Stanford Harrigan, Reverend Joseph Lloyd — and any others who I may have inadvertently omitted. In their own way, all of the deceased made a positive impact on their families, friends, communities — and Anguilla as a whole. They were loved and admired by many, and their passing will leave a void in the hearts and minds of those who loved them dearly.
While any death due to any circumstance is tragic, I believe that most will agree that the alleged hit and run which resulted in the death of Ramon Castillo Rijo, and the killing of Simon “Ernest” Crawford in the sanctity of his own home, really struck a nerve in the Anguillian community. Both of these acts are a demonstration of how cold and cruel we have become as a society. While I do not personally know Mr Castillo Rijo, to think that having struck him with a motor vehicle, the driver lacked sufficient compassion to stop and try to save his life is beyond comprehension. How can a person be so heartless and self-centred that he/she just leaves someone to die on the street? Furthermore, the fact that someone can enter a man’s home where he lives with his wife, children and grandchildren, and gun him down so callously, speaks volumes about the evil that lurks in our society. It is heart-rending to think that a humble, hardworking man like Mr Crawford, who lived peaceably with everyone — and was a devoted husband and father — would meet such a violent and despicable end. I pray that every effort is made to bring the perpetrators of these heinous acts to justice and that we, as a society, give the Royal Anguilla Police Force the assistance that they need to bring these cases to a satisfactory conclusion.
Though our hearts are broken, and our minds perplexed by this series of tragic deaths — as a predominantly Christian society the Christmas season gives us hope that better days are ahead. The Christmas season is a demonstration that there is hope for redemption from the moral rot that is pervading our society; there is hope for reconciliation of the differences that seem to divide us and cause us to hate one another; there is hope for relief from the pain of grief and loss.
However, the things that we hope for can only be achieved if we adopt the Christmas message of Love, Joy and Peace — all year round. We cannot only live by these virtues for a few days each year. We must live them daily. In other words, we must celebrate Christmas every day — not with lights and decorations, but with our hearts, minds and actions. Our treatment of others should always embody the Christmas message. Our homes, schools, churches and communities must be places of love, joy and peace. This is the only way our broken society will be healed and morality and basic human decency restored.
While Jesus himself wept when his friend Lazarus died, the Holy Scriptures teach us that our grief is temporary. As we reach out to those in our communities who are going through their season of bereavement, we are comforted by the fact that even though the days, weeks, months and, perhaps, years ahead may be difficult, joy comes in the morning.
