Article By: Iyo Embong

Christmas time had passed and the arrival of a new year is just around the corner. Wow! Time and tide wait for no man. Another precious year of our life has passed out. Some of us have travelled more, others less on the way to our cherished Home. We should do our utmost to achieve the object before us. And my best wishes are with each one of you.

Rather than wishing, hoping or even praying good things for you and your loved ones, I would like to break tradition and do something a little different. I would like to encourage you to STOP.

• Stop ignoring your dreams and hearts desires.
• Stop working so much that you neglect the most important part of your life, you and your loved ones.
• Stop complaining. When you take a look at the world, we really have so much.
• Stop beating yourself up for past mistakes. It’s in the past. Just move on and apologize if need be or forgive.
• And last but not least. When was the last time you said I love you and really meant it?

The story is told about a judge who asked a defendant: “Where will you go if you tell a lie?” The defendant said: “To hell, your Honor.” Then the judge asked: “And where will you go if you tell the truth?” To which the defendant replied: “To jail, your Honor.”

Problems arise when a person becomes dishonest about himself/herself, and when he/she does not become true to his/her feelings. Worst of all when people tell lies or manipulate people’s love or feelings towards them to satisfy their own needs! Look at history, and see how many dishonest people have hurt so many and caused so much havoc in people’s lives because of their dishonesty, unfaithfulness and deceit!

This year is going out and the New Year will soon be ushered in. The present year is gone old. Let it depart.

Nothing stays the same. Nobody stays in the limelight forever. No one stays young and pretty all the time! It’s a tragedy when you see some people who think otherwise and are only relying on that. The sooner we learn this lesson in life, the better. In our present world where there is so much passion for looks, popularity and power, may we be a reminded that humility and gentleness of heart are virtues that are necessary, important, relevant and lasting. The other lesson we need to learn is our willingness to just fade away.

Think about this: “It’s not the things that we’ve done last Christmas, but the Christmas things we do the whole year through that make Christmas happen again and again.” Please remember, it is never too late, it is never enough when it comes to love. Say little, but loves much is the key! One can learn swimming in water, not on dry land. You have to behave lovingly in all your affairs.

There is so much suffering in the world, and men and women wander in darkness. In such a world let us go about giving love and compassion to all. Let us serve the poor and broken ones, serve our brothers and sisters, serve the birds and beasts and all creation in whom is the breath of life. Let us not waste energy in questions and controversies. This can only be achieved by having right understanding, viz., all mankind is one. The soul in man is the essence of God. We are members of the same family of God. We are all brothers and sisters in God. When we learn that God resides in every heart, then we should have respect and love for all.

We should love all, even the sinners and robbers. We should not chop off the whole tree, but give it a chance to grow up again. We breathe same air, we drink the same water, and we bask in the same sun and live on the same earth. We should live in fellowship with all creatures, with all life. Radiate love to all creation!

Each action has a reaction. As you sow so shall you reap. Let your physical sojourn be sweetly ethical, loving, co-operative and tolerant. We are not perfect. Be steadfast and careful. See beyond your so called intellect, visualizations and inferences as they are all subject to error. Follow, your emotions and heart feelings. Let not your faith give way to your detriment.

Man is a social being, and has to live in some society. The society should live by the law of love, of purity, of simplicity and of loving devotion to God in all. It is no good to renounce the world and retire in a forest. Religion of life is required, which would shine in the deeds, and lives of men. All beauty and glory lie within you.

Man is what he thinks about all day long. One can only live one moment at a time. Emerson said: “There is no moment in eternity more important than this moment.” All real good or evil that may befall him is from himself. If a man lives in a good or bad way in the real present, he will ensure the same in the future. If you have bad thoughts for others, you will harm not them only but yourself as well, as thoughts are very potent. So try to live in the living present, forgetting the past and the future – and fill every moment of your life with simple trust in Him in all loving devotion.

The word ‘religion’ is derived from a Latin word ‘Ligare’ and with its derivative ligamant, which means to bind. ‘Re’ denotes ‘again’, so it denotes to bind back.

As loving advice I give you for this New Year, from this moment let love be your constant companion and trust Him in all things. God is love and love is God, and the way back to God is also through love.

Affectionately yours,

Article By: Iyo Embong