"Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but reflection." These words by Winston Churchill can challenge and inspire us to flavour this Christmas with, according to Agnes Pabro, "the tenderness of the past, the courage of the present, and the hope for the future" with some old time honesty and transparency.
As we celebrate this season of "Love in Action," let this love season our journey of self-determination for the next quarter of this century and beyond. Let this "Love in Action" be a bridge for this journey over the river of time between the present and the future.
This "Love in Action" respects humanity with its diverse national aspirations. It respects the dignity of humans from the lowly, like the Christmas shepherds to the wealthy, like Eastern Wisemen. It guides us to safety like the angel's instruction to Joseph to take Mary and the young child to Egypt to escape murder by King Herod.
"Love in Action" was in the wisdom of our forebears who started our journey of self-determination by lighting the torch of perseverance mingled with their rugged individualism to reclaim their homeland from the hands of the oppressors. We are still marching on this journey reclaiming our homeland from vicissitudes of colonialism. This is the Christmas challenge for 2023 and beyond. The latest "hurdle" which can distract, divert, and destroy our vision of this reclamation is embedded in the CoI recommendations and their offsprings. Our torch lit by the "Love in Action" this Christmas can conquer any host from hell- civic or spiritual-so keep the torch burning brightly with courage from the present and hope for the future. We shall overcome so celebrate "Love in Action," reclaiming your homeland this Christmas and the New Year. See you at those constitutional reclamation meetings in the New Year.
- Dr. Charles H. Wheatley