 |
| Google had only four religious themes (of 388 other themes) on Christmas. |
I hesitated before deciding to publish this article written by Ranjit Singh in the aftermath of the Speight Coup in 2000. I think he is far too sweeping in his condemnation of the Methodist Church and the Great Council of Chiefs, and I know some readers will be upset with what he wrote, but there is sufficient truth in the accusations to warrant their publication, and perhaps we all need to be upset about how far away from the Christmas message our words and actions have sometimes taken us.
Postings will be sporadic until after the New Year. Meanwhile, I wish all readers, whatever their political or religious beliefs, a Happy Christmas and New Year.
EDITORIAL –Fiji Daily Post – 24th December, 2000
A
Christmas message from the past: Baby in the manger and homeless people
Below is the Editorial that I wrote for
Fiji’s Daily Post newspaper when I was its Publisher in 2000 after the George
Speight coup and the atrocities on Indo-Fijian displaced cane farmers that were encouraged by
the hatred preached by the Methodist Church in Fiji from their pulpits. The Church in
Fiji in 2000 had been a source of shame on Christianity, as it involved itself
in politics and spread politics of hatred and religious superiority.
 |
| Three wise men |
Tomorrow
(25 December) we will celebrate what
Christians regard as the birth of the Saviour, Lord Jesus Christ.
Apart
from praising the Lord and singing in His honour, Christmas is also a time for
reflection.
Joseph
and Mary were virtually homeless in Bethlehem, as all the inns were full. They
had to seek refuge in a manger with animals. Just as Jesus did not become an
animal or a horse by being delivered in a manger, similarly those Christians in
Fiji who are born to Christian parents or in Christian homes do not simply
become Christians. Christianity is more than an accident of birth and baptism.
It is a way of life.
 |
| Baby Jesus in the manger with three wise men |
Fiji
has gone through a lot in the last seven months. Tomorrow, or from midnight
tonight as Churches throughout the country fill up with those who proclaim to
be Christians to praise the lord, we wish to remind many of them about their
behaviour and conduct during the crisis facing the country.
How
many of them can honestly emulate the goodwill, compassion, forgiveness and
neighbourly love that Lord Jesus has been preaching as a simple person born in
a manger to a carpenter father? Christianity is not about shouting at the top
of your voices in loud speakers without trying to understand Christ and his
teachings. Neither is it about causing misery to other people six days of the
week only to come to Church on Sundays to ask for Lord’s forgiveness.
Our
reports in the papers give tear jerking situation of displaced farmers and
other tenants who have nowhere to go or call a home. This Christmas they will
be as homeless and in as hostile atmosphere as Mary and Joseph were on the day
the Lord was born.
 |
| A displaced Indo-Fijian cane farmer wiping his tears in front of his burnt house during racially-inspired 2000 coup [Photo Courtesy of Rajendra Prasad, Author TEARS IN PARADISE-Suffering and Struggles of Indians in Fiji 1879-2004] |
This
Christmas as those who call themselves Christians pray to the lord, please
reflect on the misery that you may have knowingly or inadvertently inflicted on
others in the name of one cause or the other. Please also reflect whether your
conduct has been a pride to the religion that was founded around a very simple
person with no worldly possession whose biggest virtue was love for His fellow
beings.
When
one reflects on the recent events springing up from 1987 and repeated since May
[2000] this year, one of the biggest casualties of those events have been
Christianity and Churches which have not entirely been used as the medium to
spread the Lord’s message. There has been immense loss of goodwill from people
of other beliefs when the teachings and deeds and actions of their followers
went in complete opposite directions.
 |
| Another Indo Fijian victim of racially-inspired coup of 2000 supported by Christians, Methodist Church and Great Council of Chiefs.[Photo Courtesy of Rajendra Prasad, Author TEARS IN PARADISE-Suffering and Struggles of Indians in Fiji 1879-2004] |
The
custodians and guardians of the Churches need to reflect on the actions of
their flock and indulge in damage control to redeem the Churches and the
religion from any wrongdoing.
Christianity
is about behaving like Christians. Tomorrow when the Churches fill up, please
spare a moment for the victims of hatred, envy and racism that have taken root
in this country. Please pray to Lord to spare all of us from the evils that we
have in us.
 |
| Hope love and respect preached by Christianity and Christmas theme is shared amongst us. |
Only
when the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ becomes a way of life for all those who
call themselves Christians can we say that we are honestly in a position to
merrily celebrate His birth and praise His glory.
http://fijipundit.blogspot.co.nz/2012/12/a-christmas-message-baby-in-manger-and.html
2 comments:
Croz - With regard to the Santa Claus answers, I would guess:
(1) that a lot of people have a sense of humour
(2) that a lot of people are sick of answering silly questions from silly surveys
Anon ... I hope you're right. Best wishes, Croz
Post a Comment