by Rev. Fr. Leopold Ratnasekera OMI
OMI Seminary, Ampitiya

Following a chilling economic bankruptcy, an alarming political instability and heavy- laden yet with multiple issues at stake, Sri Lanka enters the celebration of Christmas and its festive season of 2024. Nevertheless, despite the dark clouds of uncertainty and almost bereft of resources and still struggling for survival with the IMF aid, we are reaching out to the silver-lining of an event that instills courage and stirs up hope, freeing us from undue fear and anxiety. We are entering into the spirit of joy and peace as we join nations and continents across the world in the global celebration of the feast of Christmas: the birth of Jesus Christ. Once a marginal Jew from Nazareth in Galilee of northern Palestine of old, he is at the center of this festival and captures the limelight of the season. His unique birth has left an indelible mark on the horizons of humanity as well as in the vast expanse of world history and human civilisation. The world seems not to be the same ever since this first Christmas that graced Bethlehem of old in the Middle-Eastern West Asia, the land of Israel and today’s Palestine. As Sri Lanka lives through very demanding and difficult times, we can look up to this historical figure whose beginnings, life and work were marked by humble circumstances in a carpenter’s home becoming an icon of humanity and an epitome of a reformer who brought in a radical transformation of society. The spiritual movement he launched from west Asia evolving eventually into the religion of Christianity traversed from Palestine, through the great cities of Greece and Rome into the empires of the Byzantium and later expanded through colonial powers of Western Europe like Portugal, Spain, Britain, Germany, France, Holland and Belgium. The Irish migration into the states of America completed the Christian expansion into that continent. South America, Asia and Africa, the regions of the southern hemisphere got in touch with it through colonial channels. As of today, 2.63 billion in the world profess the Christian faith which amounts to nearly 31.6% of the global population (8,19 billion). The saga of the humble Nazarene who began by being an itinerant preacher and healer in his homeland has now come to stay as an epic religious figure through his teachings and his followers across nations, cultures and continents. He is now the Eternal Galilean.

The Nativity Scene

There are some distinctive features that characterise the event of Christmas. On purpose the Bible puts it in a radical context of poverty, for the child Jesus was born in the backyard of an inn on a cold winter’s night and in a city crowded with people, who had converged for a census ordered by Caesar. There was no decent place for a woman pregnant with child and a family expecting their first-born. Expectations were high but conditions were poor. This scene is dramatically created in every crib that comes up in churches, homes and public places. Though devotees may be in their best of festive attire, they will be obliged to venerate the Lord only in the cribs where he lies in a manger of straw with swaddling clothes for warmth. Those who were privileged to be his first guests were the shepherds who were keeping their flocks by night who hastened in joy at the good news from a chorus of angels that rang out in the stillness of the night over the hills of Bethlehem. Shepherds were considered a very low social class and raring of sheep was not much of a high-class profession. They returned to their flocks sharing what they saw as they went along. Even before getting back home, disaster struck the new family, for Herod struck by a rumour that the Messiah of the Jews was born was out to kill him in a carefully crafted mass murder of innocent new-born children in his jurisdiction. The only way of escape for the family was to go into exile fleeing into Egypt and stranded there till Herod was dead. Egypt was a bad memory, for it was there that for nearly 430 years the ancestors of Jesus lived in slavery subjected to the severest forms of oppression under Pharaohs. The journey was treacherous too. Once back in their home-town in Nazareth of Galilee, the child grew up in age, wisdom and grace thought to be the son of a carpenter.

At the age of thirty Jesus decided to take on his task. He left home, gathered a band of disciples chosen from among fishermen and together roamed the cities, the towns and villages, also from time to time heading to Jerusalem for various festivals and for preaching. It is here that he met his final fate by crucifixion due mainly to the fact that he opposed the hypocrisy of the religious authorities as well as his claim to be divine and being falsely accused of refusing allegiance to Caesar. Becoming a bone of contention, there also arose waves of social protests against him. The very moving story of his passion and death contain the graphic details of these fateful events. Yet, a radical change came over when he was seen alive as the Risen Lord which triggered the courage of his disciples to carry his story beyond Jerusalem to the great cities of ancient Roman Empire including Athens, the intellectual and cultural centre and imperial Rome itself, the seat of the Emperor. Thus, Communities of believers sprang up everywhere and Christianity got firmly grounded in various parts of the ancient world.

Impact on the World and History

The story of Jesus of Nazareth who gave us the first-ever Christmas taught respect of human dignity and fostering of brotherhood. He taught the true worship of God leading to love and care of the neighbor. He took sides more with the spirit of the law than its letter. The classic Sermon on the Mount he proclaimed introduces us to his new world that demands a spectrum of values brazenly contravening the spirit of the world where materialism and hedonism sway people into absolutely despicable mind-sets and behaviours-patterns. The poor, those who suffer and struggle for truth and justice are declared blessed. Love of the enemy and limitless sense of charity, compassion and forgiveness are virtues that ennoble social relationships. By freeing people from decease, comforting those who were disturbed and making light the yoke of those who felt weighed down and burdened, he became a source of solace. Often it is mental worries and emotional stress that bring immense suffering to many who would otherwise be comfortable. The spirit of the world also drugs people into consumerism and abuse of freedom that can create social differences and conflicts. We live in a world where libertine thinking has weakened even the moral sense of ethics that ensures good social order. One laments the fact that the moral development as well as the sense of humanity have not kept pace with development in science and technology. This is the crisis of post-modernity that breeds struggles as well as confrontations at times turning complex beyond remedy. Many countries are undergoing a major economic shift from a centrally planned, export-oriented economy to a more market-driven, consumer-focused one, marked by a move towards higher-value manufacturing, technological advancement, and a greater focus on domestic consumption, all the while navigating challenges like a depleting population and the need for structural reforms within its political system.

The spirit of Christmas brings back the great teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It first concerns the dignity of human beings and what it means to be human, a state that he himself embraced. Christmas exalts motherhood and family life together with the duty of parenting which the children having the fundamental right to receive. It places high premium on the sanctity of marriage and the duty inherent in creating a home of love and affection. The family continues to be the basic unit of society. Family clusters are the building blocks of a healthy and robust society where the sense of humanity appears first. It is the school of humanity and the educator of morality where healthy and warm relationships are first experienced and learnt. Christmas recalls the dignity and precious value of labour that provides dignified livelihood. Christmas story carries the tale of a worker-family replete with life’s struggles. In the home of Nazareth, the family of Jesus knew the battle in life to keep the home fires burning. Living in the rural surroundings, they knew the challenges affronting those of a lower middle-class family. They kept faithful to their cultural and religious traditions as any other family. There was no extravagance in their life-style and had to be content with the income of an ordinary working family living in a manner that was thrifty and simple. Living in a border fishing village they saw the work and trying social culture of hard work and toil of fisher-folk. The fact that young Jesus venturing on his task associating with fishermen shows that he was quite alive to the struggles of workers. The family scenario of Nazareth teaches us to avoid a culture of waste. Let Christmas 2024 be one of simple celebration with emphasis on the care of the poor and being aware of their life-struggles. As a debt-ridden and crisis-laden country with people under heavy pressure, we are morally bound to identify with the trials and travail of the majority in our country much deprived of a contented living. Let Christmas 2024 be a harbinger of a determined resolve of all Sri Lankans for rebuilding their motherland.

BY Algi Wijewickrema

I am Ananias and about twelve years old. I am a Jewish shepherd boy looking after sheep in the Shepherds field with my brother Jonathan, who I think, is seventeen years old. I started to come with my brother to look after our sheep after our father died last year.

Last night, was the strangest of all nights I have spent here but is the happiest night for me after I started to come here with my brother and my joy compels me to share this story with all who will read this.

Yesterday was a cold and but clear winter’s day and late in the night I had fallen asleep after having my dinner when suddenly I was roughly awakened by my brother. Though my first thought was that wild animals had come to attack the sheep, as it turned out what my brother said was that our leader, Joseph had said that he was seeing an angel.

When I looked around, I saw Joseph kneeling and looking up at the sky. But I could not see anyone or hear anything said, by him or to him by anyone. So, I brushed aside my brother’s hand and tried to go back to sleep.

That’s when the sky above changed perceptibly. Suddenly the sky was bright, no, not the brightness of daytime for it was well into the night but it looked as if the field was bathed in moonlight although there was no moon in sight that night. The stars could not have given the sky such a glow and I can only describe it as a heavenly glow. I thought I could hear at a distance, a chorus of voices singing praises of God. Though the sound seemed to come from the sky, I could not see anyone. All I could see was the heavenly glow in the sky and hear heavenly voices singing.

This did not last long and after it passed, we all gathered round our leader, Joseph who narrated the strangest but the most exciting story I have heard.

He said that at first an angel with a bright face had appeared and had said to him not to be frightened and that he brought news that would bring great joy to all the people and that a Saviour had been born who is the Messiah, the Saviour and Lord.  The angel had said that this had happened in the town of David and that a sign for us would be that the baby, wrapped in cloths, was lying in a manger in a stable. It was thereafter that he had seen and all of us heard a whole host of angels singing praises of God, giving glory to God.

My mind went back to when my youngest sister was born three years ago. She was fair with rosy cheeks and looked so angelic that I kissed her immediately I saw her. Though my family members laughed at me for kissing the newborn baby, that was how happy I was seeing her beautiful face.

Recalling this, before I could stop myself, words rushed out of my mouth “Let’s go and see the baby.” At first there was a murmur of protest by the others saying that we should not venture out at that time of the night leaving our sheep. But when Joseph said that he wished to go and see, with my brother and I agreeing, others consented. We decided to leave Manaen to look after the sheep and eleven of us started off to the town of Bethlehem, the town of David.

Some took one or two sheep with them. Others simply followed Joseph just looking to satisfy their curiosity. I carried my favourite lamb on my shoulders.

As we wondered how we were going to find a baby born in a manger, Joseph looked up and pointed to a large unusual star and said that such a star had not been seen before and I too could not remember having seen such a bright star in the sky, ever. Perhaps it was a sign said Joseph and as we commenced walking again towards Bethlehem, it looked as if the star was also moving.

This star did move and we simply followed it, that is until it stopped near an inn. The inn itself was in darkness with no sign of any movement. There was however, a path by the inn that seemed to invite us and Joseph walked down the path as if it was the most natural thing to do. We followed him until he stopped at seeing the dim glow of a single lantern which barely lit up a stable which is where the path led to.

As we drew closer, we could see that in addition to a donkey and some cows, there was a tired looking man with a determined face, obviously the father of the child that lay in the manger and husband of the woman who was sitting there. The beautiful young mother was seated on the floor but looked exhausted perhaps from giving birth to the child. She was looking lovingly at the baby who was laid in the manger on top of the hay, wrapped in bits of soft cloth. The baby seemed to be soundly asleep. But what a baby. If three years ago, I thought my sister was the most beautiful baby I had seen, this baby took my breath away with his ethereal beauty and suddenly Joseph (our leader) knelt and worshiped the baby and the rest of us followed suit. If planting a kiss on my sister’s cheek at her birth was my spontaneous reaction, to fall prostrate and worship this baby seemed the most natural thing to do at the time I saw him.

We did not linger there too long but made our way back to the field where our sheep were. James, one of our shepherds, asked Joseph “Why did you worship the baby?” Jospeh’s response was “I really don’t know; I just felt I should. It was as if some force was compelling me to. Perhaps it was the angel’s words, that he was the Messiah or Saviour. In any case I knew I should.”

As for me, I was happy I worshiped that baby and no one had to compel me to. In fact, there was no hiding it, with all of us skipping and jumping around as we walked back with joy written all over our faces.

But I did not understand my own emotions. Why should we be happy or joyous at seeing an unknown baby? Was it because we worshiped that baby or was it simply joy at seeing him who appeared special. Was he the Messiah as the angels had said?

Whether the child is destined to be the Messiah or not is for the future to reveal. For now, I know that I must tell this story and my wish for him was that he would grow in wisdom and stature and in favour with God and man.

by Jehan Perera

The participation of Deputy Minister of National Integration, Muneer Mulaffar, in a conference on “Building a peaceful pluralistic Sri Lanka through Social Cohesion and Coexistence” organized by the Association of War Affected Women (AWAW), together with other peacebuilding organisations, was the highlight of the event.  The Minister spoke eloquently on the government’s commitment to national integration.  The event was attended by more than 150 participants, drawn from clergy of all religions, civil society, the academic community and several embassies.  The Minister’s participation and speech on the occasion gave two important signals to the participants and the country at large.  One message was that the government considered the national reconciliation process to be one that merited its time and effort.  The other message was that the task of civil society and citizens was important for the wellbeing of the country.

The constructive role of civil society, which was evident at the conference on “Building a peaceful pluralistic Sri Lanka through Social Cohesion and Coexistence” is that civil society can prepare the ground for the government to engage in problem solving.  NGOs are able to go to the grassroots and explain to the people the decisions that the government makes in the national interest.  The conference, in which Minister Mulaffar participated, was an example as it sought to build on an initiative taken by senior Buddhist monks to break the deadlock with the Tamil Diaspora on the issue of national reconciliation.  In April 2023, the two sides met in Nepal where they formulated a set of principles, known today as the Himalaya Declaration, on which national reconciliation could be built.

The statement, prepared by the convenors of the Conference and which was handed over to Minister Mulaffar, summarized the sentiments of religious clergy, civil society and the academic community who had participated in consultations that spanned over a year, and across the country, since the Himalaya Declaration had got publicized. The statement, built on the Himalaya Declaration, comprised five sections, namely, political reforms (with a focus on constitutional reforms), transitional justice (dealing with the past), equal protection and equal rights, Malaiyaha Tamils (with a focus on the historical injustices they had been subjected to which continue to this day) and good governance (rule of law and strengthening state institutions) for a better and more just Sri Lanka.

FURTHER CONSULTATIONS

As a follow up, the convening organisations also intend to have consultations with political parties with a view to building cross party (bipartisan) support to implement the reforms that are agreed to.  The long history of failures of successive governments to resolve the ethnic conflict has been due to the negative role that opposition parties have always played to scuttle governmental initiatives to settle the problem.  Therefore, the opposition parties need to be brought on board by the government this time and civil society is ready to assist in this task.

At the recently concluded general elections, the government obtained support from the ethnic and religious minorities, comprising Tamils and Muslims in particular.  This enabled it to win all over the country, including seven out of the eight districts in the North and East in which the ethnic and religious minorities predominate. At the consultations, the view was expressed that the electorate in the North and East had placed their trust in the government to resolve their problems.  This was described by a Jaffna university academic as the people in the North and East wanting the government to solve the problems directly without going through “middlemen”.

However, it is important that Tamils and Muslims should be included in government bodies set up to enact the system change for which the government was elected. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has recently appointed a Presidential Task Force, with the heads of the armed forces and no Tamil or Muslim representation, with the goal “of elevating society to a more advanced status through a social, environmental and ethical awakening”. It consists of 18 members. But absent from the list of members are Muslims or Tamils. Given that Sri Lanka is a multiethnic and multireligious society, their inclusion, too, is necessary so that the task force will get a more rounded view of the problems at hand.

LOOKING FORWARD

The fact that the Tamil and Muslim people want the government to solve their problems without going through intermediaries is due to their loss of faith in the approaches of the traditional Tamil and Muslim political parties.  Their problems still remain and they want them solved.  The situation of the Malaiyaha Tamils is a relevant example.  They were denied their citizenship rights at the dawn of Independence.  The Malaiyaha Tamil people continue to suffer from that act of discrimination.  They continue to live in line rooms and do not have a home on a piece of land to call their own.  The policy decision taken by the previous government to grant them seven perches of land to build their own homes is yet to be operationalized.

The same holds true for the Tamil people of the North and East.  Some of them lost their lands to the military many years ago and have yet to get them back. Some of them have lost their children and do not know where they are or what happened to them, even though some of them were handed over to the military by their parents.  At a more basic level, the Tamil-speaking people continue to receive official communications from the government in the Sinhala language even though Tamil is also an official language in the Constitution. A more recent, and more volatile, issue is that of ancient religious sites where they feel threatened while others feel unfairly treated.

During the consultations, a view was expressed that the Tamil and Muslim people did not ask the government to do big things but to start with small things.  Indeed, the government has given back some private land that was taken over by the military back to their owners.  It opened up a road that was closed for over 30 years.  It gave the Tamil people the right to memorialize (which was already provided for in law) without facing harassment by the police.  President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has also affirmed that the government is laying the legal groundwork for the conduct of Provincial Council elections.  There is a lot to look forward to.  For Sri Lanka to achieve lasting reconciliation, the government needs to ensure that members of all communities are part of its mechanisms that engage in problem solving at all levels of governance.