Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas everyone [1]
Wednesday, December 28, 2005 - 15:30. Updated on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 - 12:23.
Dear Editor
It is that time of the year where we are reminded of the birth of Christ more than two thousand years ago. Certainly the day has been overshadowed by the commercial promotions of the business community and most, if not all, are focusing on parties, food and clothes but I believe it is very important for us to reflect on the spirituality of the day.
1. Human Purity
Non-believers will always argue that it is just not possible for a virgin to give birth after being told so by an angel. To Christians, everything is possible in God's eyes. Mary is the symbol of purity and thus picked to give birth to the Saviour of the world. Tonga is in a day and age where morality is fast declining and society is fast changing economically, politically and technologically. To cope with this ever-changing world, we need future generations of Tongan Saviours. It is therefore our responsibility as parents to take time during this Festive Season to reflect upon our Christian values and what they mean and stand for. I believe parents ought to ensure the purity of the daughters and sons of Tonga to serve God, Tonga and the world.
In the last twenty years, "fakasuva" or affairs was like a swear word in Tonga. Today, it is so widespread in the country that society is slowly accepting it as the thingy of the day. In NZ nowadays, young people prefer to live as partners. The bible is very clear on labelling this kind of life as sinful and we ought to ask for forgiveness and to right our wrongs. For instance, in the late 80's in Tonga, the then Deputy PM told a very senior civil servant that he should marry his partner as he was not setting a good model for the rest of the civil service.
2. Give and take
It is a season of celebration and there is always too much to eat and drink. It is also a time to give away presents to loved ones. The bible has reminded us that our body is the temple of God and it must not be abused. Excessive alcohol drinking is not right and it is worst when mixed with driving or involves family disputes. On the other hand, eating too much pork and the fatty KFC is bad for the health. A mix of seafood, veggies, greens and top it up with a glass of water and to iron it off with a little bit of exercise will do wonders to the temple of God.
But as we give away presents, let us be reminded of the disadvantaged. There are those at Alonga, Hu'atolitoli, Vaiola and the elderlies who need our help. And as we give away, let us be reminded of God's love 'ofa tu'unga'a, lakunoa pea 'ikai sio tu'unga. And for those who receive, let us receive gifts with a heart of appreciation and to continue the cycle of give and take so as to bring a smile to the face of others.
3. Love
Christmas is a symbol of love the love of God to mankind. It is the birth of the Son of God who will take away our sins. Koe fungani 'o e me'a kotoa ko 'Ofa pea 'oku mahulu atu pe 'a 'Ofa. For Love is blind and sees no boundaries.
When there is no love, taufehi'a rules. For love leads to peace and prosperity. Taufehi'a works to the opposite and leads to a cycle of unrests and wastes. There will always be differing opinions but peace will prevail when we learn to respect each other's views. That is what democracy is all about! When we use taufehi'a as a tool against those with alternative views then we are just creating an endless cycle of problems for our children and their children. Sadly though, we don't hear enough voices condemning the languages of taufehi'a that we see in the Tongan media targeting the King, the royal family, nobles, ministers, heads of departments and now church leaders.
For instance, when the king spoke of the billion dollar investments in the closing of parliament, a key political figure spoke to the foreign media saying that the king must be stupid and mad. I would expect my own 80+ old father to have the same kind of misunderstanding but I won't describe my father to the world as stupid and mad. What about: "the king/my father may have misunderstood something somewhere" or "old age may be taking its toll on the king/my father", or "the king/my father should be properly briefed and updated", etc. ...
Editor, I salute you for your continued firm stand for media freedom and the ethics of fair and professional journalism in Tonga and in the region. Here's Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas to you and your staff, all the MT readers / contributors and not forgetting Joshua - my No. 1 MT fan.
'Ai mai ke fonu to‘ua pea ka faingamalie pea ke heka mai ai!!!
'Ofa atu
Sailosi Finau, Auckland, NZ
sailosifinau [at] yahoo [dot] com [dot] au