Yesterday was a special day for Christian families around the country. It was Palm Sunday.
It was a day when children took over proceedings in many of our churches around the country.
We have said this before, it was an opportunity for children to take charge, leading worship and inspiring the masses.
There were messages of hope and motivation, and in churches around the country, there were choreographed items and songs of praise.
Aside from driving the good message, such moments remind us of the impact our children can have on our nation.
It isn’t easy to front up to an audience, to deliver a sermon, sing songs of praise and be part of action chorus tunes. It isn’t easy planning for this either, and in the days leading up to yesterday, a lot of effort went into preparation. Yesterday was when the results were seen, and the message was delivered.
Through all this, families, cell groups and guardians were supportive of their young charges.
It takes courage, confidence and to a large extent, aside from hours of practice, a firm support base to do what they did yesterday.
We as parents, guardians and leaders, however, must set the foundation and stimulate interest among our children to take control of their future. And we have also said this before, that is a critical element in the process of nurturing well rounded adults.
We are reminded about the importance of empowering our children and allowing them to be comfortable in a public space. Perseverance and commitment to ensure the process of learning and appreciation of leadership roles are very important.
In saying that, surely a good grounding at an early age might just be the catalyst our nation needs to grow and develop.
Many of our children read out Bible verses, delivered powerful messages of hope, sang songs of praise, and performed items that moved and inspired their audience.
We hope this is translated to their everyday lives and instils a sense of discipline and appreciation of others around them. Yesterday was also about remembering the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem a week before his death and resurrection. That is another important part of biblical history. Fiji is a nation with diverse religious interests and teachings.
That is one thing that stands us apart from many other countries. We are tolerant of different religious teachings. We have lived together for decades in a multi-racial and multi-religious nation.
There is a great sense of appreciation of our diverse cultural, traditional, and religious links.
We live in a very special country, far removed from the volatile countries of the world where people are killed because of ethnicity.
We reflect on war torn zones in Gaza where the Palestinians and Israel made the headlines, and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine for instance.
We can reflect on how we travel together on buses, watch movies together, eat side by side at restaurants, and walk through the streets of our urban centres. Our differences are far removed and we are people sharing our lives, living our lives and accepting each other for who we really are — human beings!
During events like Palm Sunday, we celebrate the spirit of our faith and our children. They remind us of the need for nurturing young leaders who can assist in charting a path towards a more unified and compassionate future for Fiji. We should embrace this opportunity to inspire our children — not just in their faith, but in every facet of their lives. Perhaps this could be the catalyst our nation needs to thrive.
