A joyous celebration

Christmas comes but once a year. But this Christmas is very special for all Sri Lankans, not just Christians. This is the first Christmas that we are celebrating in a country sans terrorism, after 30 long years. There is no fear or suspicion in the air. Today, the whole country is one, with no ethnic and religious divisions. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." - (Psalms 133:1)

Christians can now freely pay homage to the Madhu Shrine after 15 years. The A9 road is open to all, thus uniting the North and the South. Peace has finally dawned on our blessed isle. Peace is the message of God and Jesus Christ, whose birthday forms the basis of the Christmas celebration. "Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." - (Psalm 34:14)

Christmas is an ideal time for pursuing the twin goals of peace and reconciliation. We should reach out to our fellow human beings regardless of their ethnicity and religion to make Christmas a truly unifying occasion. Love for one another is the way forward for our nation, which has been torn asunder for three decades by the ravages of war. "For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." - (John 3:11)

But have moral values and concepts such peace and love been swept away by the torrent of commercialism sweeping the country? Sadly, Christmas has become a huge commercial event in most countries including Sri Lanka, at the expense of its spiritual aspect. Amidst the colourful illuminations, hoardings, Christmas decorations and marathon sales, the message of Christ gets only a little attention. We give into our temptation for all things material, forgetting these very words: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever." - (Matthew 6:13)

This Christmas, we must make an honest effort to focus on the spiritual side of this great event. We cannot often 'see' the good things in life and are deceived by glamour and glitter. But this is the wrong approach. "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." - (Corinthians 4:18)

Shedding evil thoughts from our minds and seeing inner beauty is essential if we are to lead pious lives. We accumulate evil thoughts including jealousy, hatred and envy in the relentless pursuit of money and material gains. We engage in Deadly Sins, contravening the teachings of the Great Masters including Jesus Christ. This Christmas should be a day for contemplating on the never-ending 'rat race' of life and guiding our lives in a new direction, sans wrongdoings and sins. Peace and compassion shall begin in our hearts and homes and then spread outwards.

Compassion is in short supply in our society. Fellow human beings deserve compassion, regardless of their social standing. This Christmas, the Internally Displaced People and the poor among us should be in our prayers. There is every possibility that the former would be resettled in their original abodes by January 31, 2010. These innocents who suffered immensely under the tyranny of terrorism are now seeing a brighter future for the first time. The poor too should be in our hearts. "If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand to your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and generously lend him sufficient for his need in whatever he lacks." - (Deut. 15:7.)

Christmas is a time for giving - and for forgiving. This too, should start from home. Sharing gifts among each other and forgiving each other for the mistakes we have made are vital to ensure a joyous Christmas. As a compassionate Nation, we have forgiven even the misguided youth who took up arms against the State. They are now being rehabilitated to become useful, law-abiding citizens. "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." - (Colossians 3:13)

Forgetting the past and engaging in acts of forgiveness are essential to move forward as one nation, one people. The year ahead is a challenging one for all Sri Lankans as we rise anew from the ashes of war. As the saying goes, the past is another country. We should now confidently look toward to the future. We must forget all differences to confront the Herculean task of rebuilding our Nation. The Word of God offers encouragement and inspiration for this noble endeavour. We need to be merciful, righteous and peaceful in our thoughts and actions in this journey. "Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven." - (Psalms 85:10-11)