Christmas and New Year 2020 - Greetings by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio
Kohima, 23rd December, 2019
CHRISTMAS 2019 AND NEW YEAR 2020 GREETINGS OF HON’BLE CHIEF MINISTER SHRI NEIPHIU RIO AIRED BY ALL INDIA RADIO
My dear fellow citizens,
I bring greetings to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Christmas is around the corner once again, and it is a time to give thanks to Almighty God for the year that is coming to an end, and for the new year that we are going to enter into in the next few days.
No matter how special the gift you receive this Christmas, no matter how good the food you eat, this day can never measure up to the gift that we received on the first Christmas, when Christ was born.
Christmas would be meaningless if it does not flow from your faith in, and gratitude for, what happened on that first Christmas day.
Not only does the Bible teach us that Jesus us God, it also teaches us that Jesus was human. He was born, He lived, He grew and He died – yet He was resurrected on the third day. It was because of His birth and His death that we received Salvation.
Jesus Christ’s life can be seen in the three Cs – the Cradle, the Cross and the Crown of Thorns which transformed into the Crown of Glory.
Therefore, God’s gift of Christmas to mankind was the Cradle – His only begotten Son; the Cross – His life; and the Crown of Glory – His coming Kingdom which shall be for eternity.
As the Methodist Minister Adam Hamilton says, and I quote, “Our mission at Christmas is not to get stuff for people to open on Christmas morning. It is to be people of hope who let Jesus’ light shine through us, who act as His witnesses so that others see Him in us, who offer hope and help, who pray and work so that our world looks more like the kingdom Jesus proclaimed.”
The words “Fear Not” of the Angel continue to offer us hope for better times ahead.
Nagas are at a very crucial juncture in our history. The tensions, conflicts and seemingly insoluble problems tend to make most people cynical and doubtful, but if we set aside our differences and allow Almighty God to take control of the situation, a solution to the decades old Naga political problem is indeed within our grasp because all things are possible with God.
And therefore, during this Christmas season, we can be assured that Jesus Christ is here. He is here to give us hope, to forgive our sins, and to give us a new song if only we will let Him. Let Christmas be a time of renewed hope – that God will bring order out of chaos.
With these thoughts in mind, I sound a clarion call to all fellow citizens and my Naga brethren that since formal negotiations between the negotiating parties and the Government of India has come to an end on a positive note, all the various Naga groups should come together and unite for the overall interest of the Naga family as the modalities and competencies are being worked out.
Let us plead our way through these crucial times through Almighty God’s way and not our own individual human ways.
Let the living God be the epicenter of all our activities so that divine wisdom and intervention from above will lead the way for the Nagas as we march ahead.
As this year’s curtains come down, I extend best wishes for a Merry and Blessed Christmas 2019 and may the New Year 2020 be purposeful and meaningful for each and every one of us.
Thank you and may God bless Nagaland and its people.
Sd/-
( NEIPHIU RIO )
Issued by:
Media Cell,
Chief Minister's Office,
Government of Nagaland
* This Press Release was sent to e-pao.net by Chief Minister's Office who can be contacted mediacell(DOT)cmo(DOT)ngl(AT)gmail(DOT)com
This Press Release was posted on December 24 2019
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