Peace on Earth; Goodwill to all mankind (Luke 2:14). This is the essence of the Season and the basis of all the best wishes I am sending out for Christmas and the New Year to all the people of Anguilla at home and abroad.
At this time of year, as we take time off with family and friends, we should also remember those less fortunate — people who have come upon hard times; those who have had a more challenging year than ours; those who have lost loved ones this year. We should also remember and thank those who protect and care for us, including the police, firefighters, nurses, doctors and teachers. Also, the hospitality workers who spend time away from their families caring for our guests to ensure a viable tourism industry.
The message of the Christ child is essentially a message of both sacrifice and hope. ‘For God so loved the world that He sent His only beloved Son’ speaks to both those issues.
And in this life, we are called to be like the Christ child, willing to sacrifice for each other and the community, with the expectation that through this we will all contribute to building a better society. In so doing, we commit to a life of service, with love and compassion, caring for our most vulnerable, the sick, the poor, the hungry, and our elderly, who have served this country, guaranteeing them health care and social security.
It is that sacrifice which gives way to the hope that inspires my current mission as a politician, and the offering of my service to this Nation. It is that hope that assures me that we will increase opportunity for all, raise the standard of living and build a sustainable economy. We the people of Anguilla will do great things in 2020.
Christmas time is also a moment for reflection of the sacrifices we have all made, and the embedded hope that the coming New Year will be better than the last. It is with this hope that we must rekindle the warmth, generosity and goodness for which Anguillians are known. We must find strength in our differences, realizing that we are all in this together. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers.
Christmas is a time for forgiveness. Let us forgive those who have wronged us and seek forgiveness of those we may have wronged, including our young men and women who made mistakes in the past, served their time, and dream of starting over. They should be assured of that opportunity to once again become functional citizens.
As a community and a Nation, we should enjoy the Holiday Season and be prepared for a New Year where endless possibilities abound, once we work hard, stay united and stay determined.
Someone once wrote, and I concur, “God gave His greatest gift to us on that first Christmas Day, and may the wonder of it always guide and light your way”.
May you have the gift of Faith, the blessing of Hope, and the Peace of His love at Christmas and always.
Merry Christmas and a bright, healthy and prosperous New Year.
God bless you, and May God continue to bless Anguilla.
