- 24 DEC 2024
Prime Minister’s Christmas Message 2024
Message to the nation from Dr the Honourable Keith Rowley Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on the occasion of Christmas Day 2024.
Fellow citizens,
On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, my family and myself as Prime Minister, I extend warm, heartfelt Christmas Greetings to you all throughout the entire country.
I feel compelled to add, with much pleasure, my observation that the sacredness of the Christmas celebrations, once celebrated exclusively by members of the Christian faith continues to be revered and shared by many citizens of other faiths.
This tells us much of the essence of the message of Jesus Christ, its commonality with other teachings, its universal appeal, and also the orientation and maturity of our citizenry.
We are living today in an era which, many see as a major shift in the global paradigm, with social, cultural, political, economic differences and violent conflicts tearing us apart, some say worse than ever.
At Christmas time, there is always that special moment, when we all move away from the daily anxieties of our lives. That moment is special because we go beyond life’s challenges and suffering to search and pray for new, hopeful solutions and meanings within the fabric of both of our individual and collective lives.
When we do turn to the wider world we see its nightmares, its dysfunctionalities, crime, social disorders, war, and genocide. Our minds later return, thankfully, to a balanced moment, to the beauty of nature, our country and the mysteries of God.
At this point, we may realise how blessed we are, living here in this land, where, in comparison, there are still institutions of stability, daily expressions of tolerance for each other, and genuine attempts at peaceful coexistence.
It may be the spark that helps to fully understand the line, “Life may be accidental, but living should not be, without some sense of direction,” which could be one of the lessons to be learnt at Christmas time, intending to prevent our lives from “just drifting aimlessly across the desert of life.”
Jesus, seen through many eyes, is the Saviour, the Life-Giver, the Mediator, the Transformer, and other things. In simple terms, his birth, which we celebrate today and his later life, were about asking us to transform ourselves, to have hope and to care for each other.
Our Christmas celebrations today should not be seen as just a grand celebration, but as part of the continuing search of each one of us to find the spirit of Jesus, which resides within us. It calls to us to remind us that we are capable of much more than we already are.
Merry Christmas 2024. Let us, in our own way, continue our search, spreading Peace, Love, and Joy throughout our families, our communities and indeed the world.
