Peace on Earth, Goodwill Toward Men

This is a joyous time of the year when goodwill is distributed in hefty proportions. Christmas lights strung generously throughout the city bring out the awe and wonder in each of us. Families will forgive the grievances and harsh words from loved ones and gather together to share meals and swap presents.

There truly is something absolutely wonderful about this time of the year. It has an almost magical quality that unites the staunchest foes and helps the weariest souls. With this magical feeling in the air, with its light and heady sensation, it becomes so easy to see how all Guyanese could come together in unity as well.

In my column last Sunday, I made a very simple call for a teamwork approach in building a unified Guyana . It was not an original thought, but was simply an echo of many voices of Guyanese everywhere who know that a united Guyana has the potential to be a force in this region and in the world.

This particular column has drawn the attention of those who seem to want to continue to divide Guyana to fit their own agenda. However, I will not be discouraged and will continue to echo the call for a unified Guyana . In the spirit of the season, this is the perfect time for us to consider the benefits of coming together as one people for the future of our nation.

Jesus is quoted as saying in Luke 11:17 that “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls” (NKJV). When we look out of our windows, we see a Guyana that has been brought to desolation especially in light of the potential that we all know lies within these borders.

It is clear that Guyana is still a “house divided”, and every Guyanese knows what the outcome will be because we have our past as a reminder. My aim has been and will remain a call for unity, not further division as some would like to assume. There is no reason to assign another motive to this aspiration when I am being very open about what it is I wish to see – unity.

Mahatma Ghandi led a revolution in his country to bring unity in India and to gain its independence. His revolution of course was a non-violent one, but was very effective in uniting India and changing the mentality of its people to believe they could be a strong nation if they united – and he was right.

As we pray for peace on Earth this holiday season, perhaps we should start by praying for peace in Guyana . Surely this weary nation deserves a break from the fear that comes from crime and corruption. Surely we deserve an end to the decades of division that stirs violence and hatred.

Goodwill starts at home and, although we are quick to gather money to send to the victims of the Tsunami or of an earthquake, we seldom see that same goodwill being shared among our own countrymen and women. There is certainly nothing wrong with opening our hearts to our neighbours so we can all share some of our own Peace and Goodwill.

The love and joy that surrounds us during this time of year can bring us together, can help us forgive the past, and help us believe for a better future. However, it is up to us to make this feeling last beyond the holiday season to create a lasting movement of unity.

This truly is the most wonderful time of the year and, if we can look into our own hearts and make the necessary adjustments, we can make the entire next year wonderful too, and the year after that, and the year after that. It really is just a matter of believing there is something better than what we currently have, and moving forward to achieve it.

As you sit around the table with your friends and family this season, gathered in love with joy bubbling over and children smiling, remember the rest of your country and try to wish them some love, joy and peace too.

This world already has plenty of cynics. Guyana has its share of jaded misanthropists, too. In fact, it has more than its share of these types of people, along with plenty of divisive rabble-rousers who seek their own interests and agendas over the good of the nation.

We could use a healthy dose of peace and goodwill to counteract the evil and selfishness. Unity always comes with a price. That price is always the same – compromise. It does not make a person weak to give a little here and there for the sake of goodwill. In fact, it makes us all stronger and unites us all when we compromise.

When we set aside our own agendas for the greater good, it is a clear demonstration that we love something else more than ourselves. In this case, it would be Guyana . The more Guyanese who can share their goodwill through the holiday season and into the next year, the stronger our nation becomes.

In the end, the sacrifice we make to compromise our own agenda is worth the effort if it means we create a unified nation that is ready to transform its political landscape so that it can transform its economic landscape.

The magic of this season creates an almost tangible awareness of peace and goodwill. That is the beauty of faith and hope. But this magic does not have to stop on December 26; it can – and should - be taken right into the New Year. The faith and hope can live on if we allow ourselves to believe.

I don't have visions of sugar-plum dancing in my head right now; instead I have a clear vision of a unified people standing together, not as a third force, but as The Force that will bring long-lasting peace and goodwill to our nation.