KINGSTON, Jamaica – One of the amazing things about Christmas is that it never grows old and we never grow too old for it.
Each year it comes and goes and we look forward to its return next year.
Christmas has a special meaning for each of us, whether young or old, rich or poor.
For some, it is a time for fun and entertainment and, as usual, there are parties, dances, shows and excursions. If that is your choosing, I urge you to be careful especially on our roads and, please, look out for our children.
For others, it is an occasion for bonding, for spending quality time with family and friends. Many Jamaicans who live abroad are home to spend Christmas with their families. To them, we say welcome home. And to those who are not able to make it home for Christmas – we miss you but even if you are far away, even if your Christmas is covered in snow, try to have as Jamaican a Christmas as you can wherever you are.
For many Jamaicans here and abroad, this Christmas will be dampened by the economic turmoil unfolding all across the world and the fear of what next year will bring.
It is timely for us to remind ourselves of the true meaning of Christmas. For us Jamaicans, Christmas, above everything else, is our thanksgiving – a time to give God thanks for the gift of His Son whose birthday we celebrate and who is the symbol of God’s undying, uncompromising love for us.
And we must give thanks for His continuing goodness and mercy because despite the difficulties we face, there is much for us to be thankful for.
Let us remember especially those for whom Christmas may be more of a burden than a joy – the poor, the bed-ridden, the abandoned children who have never experienced the love of a family, those families that have lost loved ones during the year and who are filled with painful memories especially at this time.
Christmas is a time for sharing, not just with family and loved ones with whom we are accustomed to sharing, but with those in need whose needs far exceed their expectations, who have nothing and nothing to give in return.
Let each of us try to share something with someone this Christmas. It may be a small gift or a meal or a helping hand.
It may be none of those. It may be only a visit or a simple telephone call or it may be just a smile that warms one heart with the warmth of the other.
Let us give love and share love this Christmas, for love comes from a fountain deep in our hearts that no matter how we draw from it, it never runs dry.
To my fellow Jamaicans here and everywhere, I extend my sincere wishes for a Christmas filled with peace and love and thanksgiving.
Merry Christmas Jamaica!
Prime Minister, Hon. Bruce Golding, MP
