President: Emulate Christ's love this Christmas

PRESIDENT Christine Kangaloo urged the population to remember the poor and the bereaved at this festive time, and in their own lives to try to emulate the love of Jesus Christ.

Christmas is generally a time of joy and merriment, she said, as people come together to partake of food and song, to unwind, and to put aside their worries and troubles.

"But Christmas can also be an extraordinarily difficult time for those who have suffered loss and tragedy.

"The tragic loss of lives to crime, to road accidents, to fires, and to industrial accidents has made this year’s Christmas extremely difficult for many of our fellow citizens."

She warned that the festivities in which people engage can serve as cruel reminders of loss and loneliness to bereaved individuals.

"This Christmas, we would do well, amidst our joy and celebration, to pause and think of those who are in pain and who are suffering."

Kangaloo asked all to think of the poor this Christmas.

"There are those who exist on income which is not even near to that...required to keep their heads above the proverbial water – to keep food on their tables and to enable them to send their children to school.

"This Christmas, as we partake of the food and the fare that is often more plentiful at this time of year, we would do well also to remember their suffering and their pain."

She said Christmas allows people a unique opportunity to reach beyond their own individual circumstances and to support those in greater need than they are, whether it is material or emotional support. While urging people to continue their delightful observances, customs and traditions, she urged that Christmas also be a time to reflect on the circumstances of citizens in need and to lend them a helping hand.

"This Christmas, let us ponder how blessed we all are to have the chance to draw from the Christmas narrative of hope, comfort and joy as we seek to navigate the difficulties and challenges of life and to guide us into the year ahead."

She said for Christians, the essence of Christmas was stated in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Kangaloo urged people to apply these values in their own lives and in the lives of others.

"If only we, too, could so love the world that we would give unto others our most precious gifts, what a caring, compassionate and kind country we would build.

"This Christmas, let us allow the light of the Divine to shine brightly in our hearts and actions."

Kangaloo urged people to show more love, joyfully embrace the chance to serve others, give back, and uplift others by acts of kindness, compassion and generosity, like Christ.

"Let us, in so doing, help build a stronger, more connected and more compassionate nation, of which we could all be proud.

"My husband and I extend our warmest wishes to each and every citizen of our beloved nation for a happy, safe and blessed Christmas 2024."