Walking in the Light this New Year

Today we celebrate the dawn of a new year. As the light of morning shines upon the Nation it is important to take stock of the past year and look forward with hope towards the new one. Light and darkness are ancient themes used by the sages through the centuries to describe the good and the bad of life.


On a date as significant as the first day of the year it is imperative to shine a light on our lives and the events that are happening around us. If we cast our minds back to a time 50 years hence, we see a Nation and a people who knew how to identify good things and persons as light and bad things and evil persons as bad. A phase often used by people of that time was to ‘call a spade a spade’ or in today’s language deal directly with the truth.

Today we see great subterfuge being practiced by all and sundry, from the highest echelons to the lowest beggar on the street. People stirred, tormented and demented by greed, lust and the desire for riches and honour going to any lengths and falling to any level to achieve their aims.

The real danger of this situation is that this demented pursuit and greed is cleverly hidden in hyperbole as an angel of light! Many who practice these dark arts of lying, cheating, stealing , bribery and corruption also speak loudly of religion, values, right living, human rights and loving your neighbour.

We are sending a terrible message to our younger generation. We are telling them that living an immoral and sinful life is all right, as long as you can cover it up with a lot of balderdash spoken and shown to the rest of the world! Light has been overcome by darkness and darkness now masquerades as light!

What is the cost of continuing in this unbridled way? Not only will the next generation accept it as the normal way of life, it will have far greater consequences deep within the psyche of the people. When we break the natural principles of Right Living enshrined in every major religion, it brings disastrous consequences with it. As a person once said "we don't break the commandments but rather we break ourselves against them." Breakdown of Law and Order is the obvious consequence. But unseen within the hearts of people lurk discontentment, loss of self respect and absence of peace.

What is the answer? Let us begin the new year by heeding the call to return to the core values of the major religions of our nation such as the 'Panchasila' and the 'Ten Commandments' that helped to form civilization as we know it.

These proven and unchanging principles will not only restore society but also give us the authentic happiness and fulfillment deep within, which our hearts thirst for. When we truly experience that doing the right thing and doing it the right way and looking out for the welfare of others is a better way to happiness, peace and contentment, it will become a way of life and the model for our next generation. Let us make a new year resolution today to see light as light and darkness as darkness and to walk in the light of right living.

Christmas 2010

During this time, the whole world celebrates Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ. Who is this man and what is His continued influence over a large population of our world? This is the same enigmatic question that was raised by Napoleon Bonaparte at his deathbed, exiled on an island off South America. He said “I raised an army, marched into Russia and dominated most of Europe, but I saw my empire crumble before my eyes, yet He raised no army and did not walk more than 80 kilometres from His home but continues to inspire millions to live and even die for Him, who is this man?”


Jesus Christ whose birth we celebrate today is considered the Son of God and God himself become man by all Christians. He is called the word that God spoke to the world to reveal his true nature and attitude towards humanity. Therefore his birth can be considered a message sent by God to the world.


Interestingly only Jesus Christ had the opportunity of choosing his own parents. By opting to be born to a poor family instead of to a most powerful and influential one, He reveals a secret of God’s heart. For God the purity and motive of the family to which he was born into was more important than their power and affluence. The Bible says that the one intention of His mother was to be obedient to the wishes and desires of God.



This stands in stark contrast to the general attitude popularised by a heavily commercialised Christmas. Many believe it is only uncontrolled spending and wild celebrations that can adequately express our joy at the birth of Jesus Christ our Saviour.

In fact Jesus was born to save us from sin. Sin can be defined as a lie that promises pleasure, security, happiness and a trouble free life, while it actually does the very opposite. It enslaves and makes its victims desperately unhappy.

Jesus the Son of the most powerful God exposes the lie of sin and casts a light on the path that everyone needs to follow to happiness. By consenting to be born a refugee, amongst animals in a manger, he reveals that he was born to bring God’s love and concern for the poorest of the poor. That he came to live for and die for others. In doing so he rose from the dead and continues to live forever.

Similarly he invites us to realise that we were born not just to live for ourselves and to seek our own happiness. He calls us to realise that when we too look beyond our own needs and desires towards those of others, we too join him in his mission on earth. Therefore let us reach out to those who have no voice or power in society, and to those who have no way of ever repaying us for our acts of love and kindness. When we do this we open ourselves to God’s great peace and love that would flood our hearts and minds. Who is this man then? He is truly the Prince of Peace. He invites us to His love however poor and sinful we are and invite us to care for the needs of others as our own path to peace and happiness.