Fellow Citizens and Residents of St. Kitts and Nevis:
It gladdens my heart on this extremely special day of December 25, 2015, to bring you warmest greetings for a very Blessed and Holy Christmas. This is a particularly humbling experience for me: it is the first time since assuming office as Prime Minister in February 2015 that I am privileged to officially greet you on Christmas Day. I join Kittitians and Nevisians both here and abroad in acknowledging and joyfully celebrating the anniversary of the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ – which is, by far, the most notable solemnity in all of Christendom. Our Independence Constitution proudly declares that the Nation of St Kitts and Nevis is established on the belief in Almighty God.
In Chapter two of St. Luke’s gospel, we are told that shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem were the first persons to whom the angel of the Lord proclaimed the good news of the Saviour’s birth. The text states that:
“…the angel said, ‘Do not be afraid. Look, I bring you news of great joy, a joy to be shared by the whole people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord’…And all at once with the angel there was a great throng of the hosts of heaven, praising God with the words: ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace for those he favours.’
(Luke 2: 10-11 & 13-14)
As it was with the simple shepherds on the plains of Bethlehem, so it was with the crude and humble circumstances into which Christ was born in a stable and had a manger for a bed. God becoming flesh was no small feat – in fact, it was the single greatest miracle manifested to humanity as His priceless gift to us, to redeem a lost and dying world. Over 20 centuries later, ours is still very much a world in desperate need of the Saviour. We need a savior to soften hardened hearts, to turn despair into hope, hate into love, sadness into joy, war into peace, and poverty into prosperity. Every one of us in St. Kitts and Nevis is in need of hope, love, joy, peace and prosperity, which God and God alone can supply. Our Christmas celebrations are meant to ignite in us an innate need to be kinder, more humble and decent individuals who must be focused on living our lives in service to others.
As we continue to partake of the merriment, music, parties and feasting that have come to characterize the Christmas (and national carnival) season in St. Kitts and Nevis, let us take time to remember why there is a Christmas celebration. Let us never forget that Christmas is a time of reflection on the ultimate gift of love we received – without merit - from the Trinitarian God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, in sending His Son to die for the sins of mankind. Such sacrifice will forever be unmatched in this universe.
As a Christian people living in a Christian Nation we are called to love; to give without counting the cost; to peacefully co-exist with each other; and to treat others the way in which we would like to be treated. I agree that this is a simplistic and well-worn admonition but it is never out of style. Ours is a Nation that for many, many years has been fractured by deep political polarization, fueled in large measure by generational traditions and allegiances. Thankfully Team Unity was formed, creating an alliance across the party divide. It embraces the People’s Labour Party (PLP), People’s Action Movement (PAM), and the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) in a new ethos of Unity, good governance and people’s empowerment. As per our Constitution, we are committed to achieve national objectives with a Unity of purpose. I feel moved to commend those individuals who led their respective parties to this new dispensation of love beyond party and put “Country Above Self”.
Transformation at the individual level is therefore a critical pre-requisite if we expect to realise a rebirth, and an improved maturity and tolerance among our people at the community and national levels. In other words, the turnaround of our Nation starts with us. Transformation can only come when we first acknowledge the Christ behind our Christmas, and then follow His example in healing hurts, building bridges, mending fences, and forgiving transgressions. There must also be a firm resolve to execute such spiritual works inside and outside of the Christmas season if transformation is to be real and lasting.
I had the pleasure of visiting the in-patients and out-patients at our hospitals as the Ministry of Health brought Christmas cheer and comfort to them. The contrast was very telling between the respective situations of these patients- being beneficiaries of Institutional care - and the humble circumstances of Christ’s miraculous birth where no such luxuries existed.I am delighted that in 2016 we will provide extensive refurbishment at Mary Charles Hospital; an oncology centre for our cancer patients; a mental health day treatment centre; greater inter-connectivity among our health entities, and even more.It pleases me to know that these positive developments are happening under a Team Unity Government.
Fellow Citizens and Residents: As I close this Christmas message, I call on all of us to be ever mindful of the need to be our brother’s keeper. Our historic Team Unity Government has been bestowed with a sacred trust to lead the mission of our Federation’s transformation over the next decade and beyond. It is undeniable that our 2015 Elections victory was won in the realm of spiritual warfare. As such, we still need to pilot the ship of state with a rudder of faith in God, and an anchor of earnest, fervent prayer for direction, wisdom and understanding. That being said, we need to be a Christmas people who embody the spirit of Christmas every day of the year - for the good of every man, woman and child in our Federation. Then, and only then, can we say with the angel at the birth of Christ that there is ‘peace on earth and goodwill toward men’.
On behalf of our Team Unity Government, I again extend best wishes to all for a joyous Christmas season and a prosperous New Year 2016.
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