The Requirements of Good Christian Living

Merry Christmas Dominica… to all our nature island brothers and sisters, the "sons and daughters of this gem beyond compare", we wish you God's guidance and upliftment in celebration of the wonderful peace on earth good will to men message that accompanied the Christ child to Bethlehem 2,020 years ago.

Regardless of the challenges and difficulties in our social and economic circumstances, Christmas remains a favorite time of the year for the Nature Island people of Dominica. This year, under the cloud of the deadly covid 19 pandemic, we embrace the precious gift of the Holidays – spending time with family, friends and loved ones with all the joy that characterizes the season. But especially this year, we must do so responsibly, observing all the hygiene, personal protection and social distancing protocols that have kept us relatively safe so far from the ravages of a global public health crisis that has sent millions to their graves.

As we close yet another year in the struggle to build an ideal, nature island society and a sustainable nature island economy, we join the millions of Christians of good conscience around the world to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We reflect on his story from that Holy Night and his everlasting message of endless love, abiding faith, compassion and hope.

In humble adoration, we reflect on guidelines for joyous nature island living that have emerged from His teachings:

"Rivers do not drink their own water; trees do not eat their own fruits; the sun does not shine for itself and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves. Living for others is a rule of nature. We were born to help each other".

This Christmas, let us all appreciate that the priorities of Mathew 25 are not about deliberately creating poverty as a strategy to build dependence and then feeding, with public funds, those forced to hunger in poverty and dependence in exchange for their votes.

This Christmas let us accept that good Christian living requires us to treat one another with love and compassion; care for the sick; feed the hungry; look out for the poor; and stand up for the victims of injustice and persecution. For it is these acts of human kindness that will allow us to bind together as God's beloved soldiers in the advancement of global civilization.

This Christmas, let us also accept collective Christian responsibility to ensure removal of billions of dollars of passport money belonging to the people from illegal private control in overseas accounts and the placement of those public moneys into the people's Consolidated Fund for the benefit of all the people.

The Christmas story guarantees the Christian people of good conscience in this Isle of Beauty that God will implement his plan for change, not by force from the outside but from His spirit that dwells within us all. The more we do His goodwill, the more he abides with us and the more He will move to perform His wonders driven by the pace of our interest and commitment.

Let this be the Christmas season in which we make doubly sure the alignment of our inner selves with the forces of good in the universe dedicated to pulling down evil, driving change and transforming yesterday's darkness into tomorrow's marvelous light.

Let's look forward to the New Year, resolved to fully commit ourselves to the values that matter and the standards that count in our Christian responsibility to secure the greatest good for the greatest number. God Bless You Dominica… Happy Holidays!

Lennox Linton