CHRISTMAS MESSAGE: Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados – CTUSAB
As tradition has it, the Christmas season is the time of year when billions of people around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The annual celebration which dates back some 4000 years is known to be both a religious and cultural festival. It is to be acknowledged that this is a high point of the year where the focus is placed on sharing, and the expression of peace and good will.
The celebration of Christmas is a timely reminder that the end of another calendar year approaches. In the midst of the celebration, the opportunity presents itself for the world to stop and to reflect on the past year.
As it stands, the world has been faced with continuous and numerous challenges. The down turn of world economies have impacted severely on the lives of many working class people. Many as a result have become unemployed and fallen further into poverty, while others have had their hopes, dreams, aspirations and ambitions all dashed.
Amidst all this, the world has increasingly become a less caring society.
Selfishness and greed are increasingly obvious. Love has seemingly given way to hatred, while peace is being overtaken by acts of violence and aggression upon people and nations.
This Christmas, Barbadians are encouraged to take a moment to reflect on the many negatives developments within their own backyard, which threaten to undermine the peace and goodwill that the spirit of the season is intended to infuse in our daily lives.
Let us, like others around the world, also take time to spare a thought and to pray for fellow Christians and other religious minorities suffering persecution in the Middle East; notably at the hands of the Jihadist Islamic State (IS) group.
We should remember those who are suffering as a result of the war in Syria and the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Our thoughts and prays should also be with our brothers and sisters in northern Nigeria who remain subject to the terror of the Islamic fundamentalist.
As the face of the world changes as a consequence of the turmoil occasioned by acts of terrorism, and the many other challenges attributed to economic, social and political issues, let us not see the celebration of Christmas as merely a time for merriment, but come to grips to the fact that as a collective, we as a people must work together to make the world a better place.
Dennis de Peiza (IN TIE), General Secretary, CTUSAB
The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) urges that we reflect on the Christmas Eve Prayer which was offered by Frank Borman, of the Apollo 8 space mission, 1968.
“Give us, O God, the vision which can see your love in the world in spite of human failure.
Give us the faith to trust your goodness in spite of our ignorance and weakness.
Give us the knowledge that we may continue to pray with understanding hearts.
And show us what each one of us can do to set forward the coming of the day of universal peace.”
The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados extends best wishes to all Barbadians and peoples of the Caribbean region, for a blessed Christmas 2015.
