Peace, Love and Hope at Christmas

From: Her Excellency Dame Susan Dougan, Gcmg, Obe
Governor General Of St. Vincent And The Grenadines

My fellow Vincentians, as we celebrate another Christmas season, I am delighted to extend warm greetings to all Vincentians at home and in the diaspora. I also extend a warm welcome to all visitors to St. Vincent and the Grenadines and I encourage you to spend some time enjoying the cultural festivities and the natural beauty of the island.

As we celebrate the season, however, let us remain mindful of the real significance of Christmas and keep at the forefront of our minds, the fact that it is celebrated in remembrance of the birth of our saviour, Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace and the Light of the world. As a nation steeped in the Christian faith, Christmas serves as a time of spiritual reflection, when we acknowledge the immeasurable love of God in giving us his only begotten Son. It is God’s desire that we love one another as He loves us. This is the true spirit of Christmas. It also behoves us to not only remember Jesus Christ at Christmas, but to carry the true spirit of Christmas with us always. We have an obligation to obey the call to love our fellow men at all times by demonstrating always, a spirit of caring and sharing and looking out for the less fortunate among us.

Since 2020, the extraordinary challenging circumstances faced by our small nation have been many and multi-faceted but despite these challenges, we have managed to pull through and are the stronger for it. It is imperative that we move forward with determination and optimism, appreciating our many blessings both in our personal lives and the blessings that spread across the nation as a whole. We must find strength in our differences, appreciating the fact that individual differences do not necessarily divide a nation but importantly, it is how we are able to manage our differences and find unified strength in these differences. We must always celebrate our achievements because doing so reminds us that we have what it takes to push this nation forward. We must also use adversity and disappointment as springboards for renewal. We must also ensure that the peace, love and hope that come with the celebration of the birth of our Savior throughout these turbulent times remain steadfast.

The last two years have forced us to make several changes in our routines and our lives. This period of severe challenges has brought new recognition of the importance of family, friends, community, neighbours, as well as an appreciation of the natural elements over which we have no control. At this special time, my thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost loved ones during this trying period. Also, to those who seem to have little or no regard for human life, I implore you to reconsider your ways and use this season of celebrating Jesus’ birth to come to an understanding of the high value that must be placed on all human life. During the Christmas season, we must acknowledge the individual and collective responsibility of all Vincentians to contribute to national development and security. We all have a duty, no matter our means, to look out for our country and for our fellow men.

Fellow Vincentians, let this Christmas season be one of reflection, peace, love, forgiveness and reconciliation as we celebrate the birth of our savior, Jesus Christ.

As we usher in the New Year, let 2023 be a year of civility, tolerance and respect, where all Vincentians from all walks of life, are willing to work together with pride and dignity and are able to exercise hearts and minds for the greater good of all.

My family and I wish the nation a Happy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.