A happy and holy Christmas season

Christians around the world will this Friday mark one of the most important dates on the religious calendar, December 25, Christmas Day.

This being the last edition of SEARCHLIGHT before Christmas, the board of directors, management and staff of Interactive Media Ltd would like to thank our readers, advertisers and vendors for their support during the past year, which, despite many challenges, has overall been a fairly good one.{{more}}

This year, according to the most recent readership survey, SEARCHLIGHT increased its percentage of newspaper readership (both print and online) by eight percentage points, compared with the survey of 2014. We assure you that we do not take this climb in our readership for granted. We thank our readers and advertisers for continuing to choose SEARCHLIGHT and our contributors and staff for their hard work and commitment.

This Christmas comes at the end of a long, bruising election season and should allow for a much need respite for most Vincentians. The holidays hopefully will also provide our citizens with the opportunity to reflect on the things in life that are truly important and give them a break from the hostility and vitriol that have unfortunately become a normal part of life in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Despite the divisions that were created or deepened among our people over the past few months, it is our hope that the joy of Christmas will be felt by every individual in some way this season. Let us reach out and share the genuine love of Christ with each other. Let us blot out any hostility, jealousy, resentment and all the other negatives that tend to sour our personal relations and could put a damper on the celebration. Let us not forget to love.

It was God’s love for mankind that led to the Incarnation. John 3:16 reminds us that. God sent his only Son to earth, in the form of a man, to live and die so that we might have everlasting life.

Let us remember to truly love each other this season, and in the years to come. Let us practise true love as described to us in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. “Love is patient, love, is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

SEARCHLIGHT again wishes one and all a happy and holy Christmas season.