"When The Saints Go Marching In"

Featured in The Fiji Times as
"Of the Wall - with Padre James Bhagwan" Wednesday, November 05, 2008, p7

I recently had the opportunity to travel to the region of Tuscany in Italy. The flight from London to Pisa took just a little bit longer than it would take to fly from Nadi to Taveuni. My hosts were kind enough to show me around two beautiful towns, Pisa and Lucca.

Lucca is famous for an ancient Roman wall which surrounds the old part of the town. There are many beautiful buildings and churches which attract locals and tourists alike. Pisa is home to the "Miracle Square" within which are a baptistery, cathedral, cemetery (where many prominent sons and daughters of Tuscany and Italy - such as Pope Gregory XIII and Cavour - are buried) and, of course, the world-famous "Leaning Tower".

The designs of the buildings and the artwork, both within and without - in paint, stone and wood, were the products of some of the most famous artists in history. However, this letter is not meant to be a lesson in history or art.

As I recovered from this slight overdose of beautiful art, I also realised that I was, for once, part of a Christian minority: a Protestant very near to the centre of the Catholic world. As I explained my vocation, what type of Protestant and the origins of Methodism, including the fact that both John and Charles Wesley were Anglican (Church of England) priests even unto death, to my hosts, I began to think about how we in Fiji view each other's religion and, for Christians, other denominations.

It is true that I am a member of the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma. It is the way through which I choose to express my spirituality and live my faith. My commitment to this "method" of spirituality has seen me enter the Ordained Ministry, albeit currently on probation.

Yet I am an ecumenical Christian; I am a person who is a firm believer in the whole Church as the Body of Christ. I am someone who celebrates the visible unity of the Body of Christ through the recognition of the sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist (Holy Communion) and of the common Ministry of the worldwide Church. So much so that my sole academic and theological qualification is a Bachelor of Divinity in Ecumenical Studies and that my family live ecumenically with my wife a committed Catholic and my children baptised members of the Anglican Church. Rather than cause difficulties or conflicts, our diverse religious life has been enriched by experiencing and understanding the different traditions of the church and through that understanding our common bond in Christ.

Over the last weekend the Christian calendar has commemorated All Saints Day and All Souls Day.

It was interesting to read both articles and comments in the local news media in Fiji and how these events are perceived by the public as just a Roman Catholic feast day, rather than a tradition of the worldwide Church.

I found an interesting article in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal which I feel may put things into perspective:

"All Saints' Day traces its beginnings to the early Christian practice of honouring martyrs. On the anniversary of the martyr's death, a "hallowed eve", Christians kept night-time vigil over the tomb then celebrated Communion the following morning. The list of martyrs and their feast days grew so over the years that they began outstripping those dedicated to Christ.

"That's when reformers broke with the practice," said the Reverend Rick Brooks, pastor of St. Luke United Methodist Church. He added, however, that in the 1980s some mainline Protestant churches began reconsidering the value of ancient, liturgical feasts.

"Perhaps we'd thrown out the baby with the bath water," said Brooks. In fact, he's recently discovered that All Saints' Day was a favourite of Methodism's founder, John Wesley.

"Wesley's journals indicate this," said Brooks, adding that Wesley retained that appreciation from his time spent as an Anglican minister during which he used the 1662 Book of Common Prayer.

Today, most churches that follow the liturgical calendar, such as the Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist and some Presbyterian churches observe All Saints' Day in some manner."

The first tune that I ever learned to play on the harmonica was, "When the saints go marching in". I came in handy when I tried to impress my then-girlfriend-now-wife, who had attended St. Thomas High School where that was one of the school's songs.

A friend of mine recently sent me a message on Facebook (the virtual/internet version of sitting around the tanoa) to the effect that she didn't understand why my son, Francisco-Xavier was named after a Catholic saint. Another friend of mine seeing this message, almost worked himself into an electronic frenzy at the apparent ignorance of Christian saints by someone. As a member of the Christian community, I find myself bemused whenever I find references made to "Catholic Saints".

The Wikipedia on-line encyclopaedia (consulted as a matter of expediency rather than preference) has the following entry under the term "Saint":

"A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated) a high level of holiness and sanctity in an exemplary life of virtuous behaviour. A saint is therefore not simply a believer but one who has been transformed by virtue and presents an example (often providing guidance) to other human beings striving to conform their lives to God. Such a person is often (but not always) recognised after their death by other human beings as someone who lived a divine life and who is in the Divine presence even in death. Saints are sometimes formally honoured by fellow believers after their death being given the title of Saint before their name. Examples are the Apostles, martyrs, and doctors of the Church.

Saints are not exclusive to Christianity. In most religious cultures, there are people who have been recognised as having fulfiled the highest aspirations of religious teaching and have realised God's will in their actions. In the mystical traditions of the world's religions one who has reached the uppermost level of purity and wisdom are also referred to as a saint."

Obviously there is some difference in who qualifies to be an officially recognised saint and who we see as saints in our lives. A short time ago I watched the film, "A Guide to Recognising Your Saints", which stars Robert Downey Jr and Shia LaBeouf. In this movie, the central character Dito, played by both Downey Jr. and LaBeouf begins to believe that he has been saved from his friends' fate by his saints with the further realisation that his saints were his friends and family.

In our busy lives, with so many pressing personal issues to deal with, how often do we stop to look and see, to recognise and acknowledge the saints in our lives - parents, siblings, teachers, friends, colleagues, strangers - those whose advice, actions and support have helped us in our life's journey?

Regardless of our how we express our faith in the divine, we can all express our thanks for those who have had faith in us and those who have been there for us, whether we understood it at the time or not. Let us learn to recognise the saints in our lives. Perhaps in doing so, we can also recognise the unconditional divine love that is manifested through them.

May the rest of your week be blessed with love, light and peace.

* Reverend James Bhagwan is an award-winning radio and television producer and writer. He is currently on leave from the Methodist Davuilevu Theological College where he is a member of the Faculty. All opinions expressed in this article are personal and do not necessarily reflect the opinion and policies of the Methodist Church in Fiji or any organisation that Mr Bhagwan is affiliated with. Email: padrejamesgmail.com

VIOLENT REVOLUTION OR DEMOCRATIC EVOLUTION?

This makes for interesting reading.....

TAKEN FROM THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE:

http://www.afn.org/~afn54735/revolution1.html

My assessment is that (1), there is more than a negligible chance this nation could be in a pre-revolutionary period and (2), every possible means should be explored to effect necessary social change other than through revolution. It is based for the most part on the following:

If we look to the past, of the last four major revolutions, only one resulted in a democratic form of government--ours --and all the rest resulted in anything but ideal worlds:

The 1789 French Revolution, considered by many as the great "stereotypical revolution", resulted in wars all over Europe for many years. The 1917 Bolshevik Revolution resulted in a cruel and unsuccessful form of government, the effects of which are still being played out in Russian politics. 1933 Germany was not technically an armed revolution but it saw many of the same forces bringing democratic institutions into disrepute that we are witnessing today in America; and it brought 12 years of hardship and disaster for the German people as well as many others.

We can also identify a number of elements that have characterized various past revolutions:

1. They have been generally unpredictable as to when they occur but slightly less unpredictable that they are in the making.

2. In the pre-revolutionary period, government is abandoned by the intellectuals.

3. In the pre-revolutionary period, the seriousness of affairs is not generally recognized until the forces of revolution are irreversible and peaceful change is no longer an option.

4. Those who control state and police powers tend to rely too heavily on those powers and are too slow to effect the social changes necessary to defuse revolutionary fervor.

5. Revolutions tend to be initiated by small tightly knit organizations not necessarily representative of the political or social perspectives of the majority.

6. Government's response to the first and successive armed confrontations is bungling.

7. Government military and revolutionary fighting elements come out of the same class of people so that government forces defect, refuse to enter combat, half-hartedly carry out orders, etc., seriously crippling government's response.

8. As revolutionary psychology gains strength and government becomes increasingly vulnerable, previously suppressed abuses by government surface at an accelerating pace increasing the inertia of the revolutionary cause.

9. During the course of the revolution, power shifts from one group to another making it impossible to determine the resulting character of any subsequent government that may emerge from it until it is over.

Terrorist or revolutionary activity and sentiment is of course by its nature difficult to track or know the extent of. The following articles give an overview of current militia, terrorist and revolutionary activity as presented in the media. As the most recent article states, the problem is growing increasingly serious.

1. December 29, 1997, U.S. News and World Report. Terrorism Threats at Home

2. Link to an overview of the U.S. militia movement.

3. Link to an overview of the U.S. militia movement.

4. Link to an overview of U.S. terrorist activity.

5. Link to an article on the militia movement in Florida.

6. Link to the kind of incident that could touch off a revolution.

A good reference on the common elements precipitating revolution is The Anatomy of Revolution by Crane Brinton.

---

This is a page in the Web site entitled Legal Reform Through Transforming the Discipline of Law into a Science.

Sarah Palin duped by prank call

Mrs Palin discussed politics, Carla Bruni and a possible joint hunting trip

(So sad...but funny when you look back..)

US vice-presidential hopeful Sarah Palin has become the victim of a prank phone call by a Canadian comedian posing as the French president.

Marc Antoine Audette convinced Alaska's governor she was speaking to Nicolas Sarkozy during a six-minute chat aired on a Montreal radio programme.

Topics discussed ranged from the beauty of Mr Sarkozy's wife, Carla Bruni, to the prospect of a joint hunting trip.

A spokesperson for Mrs Palin said she was "mildly amused" by the prank.

At one point during the phone call, aired three days before the US election, Mr Audette told Mrs Palin he could see her as president one day.

Laughingly, the Republican candidate replied: "Maybe in eight years."

Masked Avengers

Mr Audette said he would be keen to join her on a helicopter hunting trip.

"I just love killing those animals. Mmm, mmm, take away life, that is so fun," he said in an exaggerated French accent.

"I'd really love to go, so long as we don't bring along Vice-President [Dick] Cheney."

In 2006, Mr Cheney infamously shot and injured a hunting partner while quail-hunting in Texas.

Mrs Palin responded: "I'll be a careful shot."

Mr Audette told the BBC he had wanted to see whether Mrs Palin was right when she talked about being "treated unfairly by a lot of principal medias" in the US.

"We tried to speak with her a little bit about foreign affairs, and well, it gave the result that you can air," he said.

Mr Audette and fellow comedian Sebastien Trudel present a programme on the radio station CKOI Montreal.

Calling themselves the Masked Avengers, the duo have in the past duped Nicolas Sarkozy himself, former French President Jacques Chirac, and the music star Britney Spears with prank phone calls.

from BBC World Service Website
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/us_elections_2008/7704666.stm

Jesus Saves

Another great illustration from the mind of Albert Rolls, my ne-phew... his blog is
http://www.awesomecake.blogspot.com/

“Let Your Light Shine”

Published in the Fiji Times as, "OFF THE WALL with Padre James Bhagwan," 29^th October, 2008, page 7

Happy Day-after Diwali!

The smoke has cleared from the sparklers, rockets and other legal firecrackers from last night. The last sweet is digested or leftovers shared for morning tea this morning.

For many of our Fijian brothers and sisters that are Hindu, yesterday was especially significant. For the rest of us, the sweets, lights, and the fireworks were are bonus to the public holiday.

For me, with a heritage that includes relatives who are Hindu, Muslim and of many other religious backgrounds as well as Christian denominations, the fact that Fiji recognises the special days of all its people is one of the positive features of our country.

I remember co-producing a short documentary on Diwali during my days with the Ministry of Information's Film and Television Unit a decade ago. We filmed the preparations and rituals in the days leading up to Diwali and the actual day and night of Diwali. During this period I met and filmed people from many different ethnicities and even religions celebrating and commemorating this day and what it means from their respective points of view.

In particular, I remember filming a special Mass in the Hindi language at the Sacred Heart Cathedral, in which Indian cultural adaptations were used. That service and many others that I have attended and participated in during this particular time of the year in the Methodist Church's Indian Division focus on the Christian perspective of celebrating light, particularly Christ as the Light of the World. Incidentally, the Indian Division often uses the diya (a small earthenware lamp) as its symbol to symbolise the Christ-light.

For those of us who are not Hindu and have enjoyed the revelry and delicacies of this festival, it would do us some good to reflect on the need for light in our lives and in the life of our nation.

During a sermon I preached at Dudley Church in Suva, some time ago, I said to the congregation that while we like to have light to help us see, to illuminate our path or work, sometimes we find light uncomfortable. One of the reasons why we find light uncomfortable is when we have been in the dark for so long that we are no longer used to the light and when it is given to us, it hurts our eyes. Even though we have been stumbling around in the dark we cover our eyes when the light is turned on or shined on us. It takes time for those who have been in the dark to get used to the light.

Another reason why we can find the light uncomfortable is that the light sometimes illuminates that which we would prefer be kept in the dark. Things, actions and thoughts which we wish to hide from others, and sometimes even from ourselves.

If feel that this is a reflection that can take place on a number of different levels: personally, in one's relationships with others and also, given our country's political and social crisis, what this means at a national level.

Perhaps, Monday's Political Forum was a start of the political leaders of Fiji to get used to seeing the light together. However, the light is a gift to all and as such must be shared with all. That means that our leaders – elected, appointed, ordained and those who have taken the reins of leadership or had leadership thrust upon them must not let those whom they lead be left in the dark. That is one of the responsibilities of the person who bears the torch. They must hold it high enough to be seen and so that others can see.

For Hindu's, special prayers offered to the Goddess Lakshmi last night were for wealth and prosperity. On another level, as the world reels from the global economic crisis, Diwali is just as significant for it give us an opportunity to shine the light on what we value.

A friend of mine recently shared his thoughts on the economic crisis. His view was that while everyone will be affected by the crisis, those hit the hardest or to put it in his words, “those with the most to lose” were those whose investment was in 'virtual' wealth as opposed to 'physical' wealth. I am not a economist, in fact matters of finance are often well beyond me. But what I gathered from his statement was that a lot of people had based their future on a finances that were only on paper. Those whose wealth is in the land, livestock – physical stocks will be deeply affected but not as much as those who placed all their bets on speculated stock increases.

I'm not sure if I understood him correctly, or if he was a hundred percent right on his analysis, but he did make a point for me. Or rather he made me ask myself, what is it we value? The Anglican priest at my nearest church said, this Sunday, that those who valued themselves only by their monetary value were now founding out just how poor they were.

This global economic recession will only add to our national and personal financial struggles. Many people who work for multi-national or trans-national companies may find their wages cut, or worse find themselves out of a job. The spin-off this crisis will go all the way down the line as people have less money to spend on essentials, let alone luxuries.

But of Fiji and the Pacific are rich. Not just because we have, natural resources or small cottage industries which often flourish during these financially trying times as we have seen in the past. We are rich because we value so much more. We value relationships – our extended family, our community, our friends, our neighbours. We value goodwill, something often undervalued by economists, in other parts of the world at least. We understand and practice reciprocity. We value human dignity, despite our weaknesses which often lead us into discrimination.

The light has the potential to shine through the shadows of ignorance which keep us apart, shining its beams on our commonalities. Our common humanity, our common struggles, and our common future.

So despite the dark clouds; despite the shadows; despite the night – the light prevails, shining through, to give us hope. Hope for a brighter day. Hope for the truth to be revealed. Hope for better tomorrow. Hope for us to see the future together.

Perhaps this is a Diwali message for all of us, regardless of our religious, cultural or social background.

May the rest of your week be bless with peace, love, hope and light!

Reverend James Bhagwan is an award-winning radio and television producer and writer. He is currently on leave from the Methodist Davuilevu Theological College where he is a member of the Faculty. All opinions expressed in this article are personal and do not necessarily reflect the opinion and policies of the Methodist Church in Fiji or any organization that Rev. Bhagwan is affiliated with. Email: padrejames@gmail.com

“Father to Son”

Published in the Fiji times as, "OFF THE WALL with Padre James Bhagwan", 22/10/08 page 7


Warm Greetings from 'chilly' Scotland!

Today my son Francisco-Xavier turns four years old. It is the first time that he will not have his father with him on his birthday. Many may say, “well he is four years old and there are many birthdays to come.” This is understandable from the perspective of an adult who has seen birthdays come and go. However for someone who is only completing four years of existence, this is quite a hard concept to grasp. As a father who has, until now, never been away from his children for more than three weeks, this is also a difficult time. Especially when my “Little Einstein” 'borrows' his mother's mobile-phone and sends me an SMS text message which reads, “Dear Daddy, all I want for my birthday is for you to come home. I loooove you (obviously to emphasise how much) and I am a good boy. Please come home soon. Love Francisco.”

It is on days like this that I understand the sacrifice many men and women make when, as military, police or civilian peacekeepers and observers, they leave their loved ones in order to serve the greater good. To miss birthdays, wedding anniversaries, births and deaths even Christmas is not easy when you are in a group that can be a surrogate family is hard enough. There are many who endure on their own, with their only consolation being the eventual end of their tour of duty and the fact that they are serving humanity.

As I read the most recent message from my son with the follow up comment from his patient (slightly eroding patience these days) mother, my thoughts flashed back to the day he was born with great pomp and ceremony (from me), much huffing and puffing and the odd scream and obscenity (from his mother) and serenity (the wonderful midwives at the CWM maternity unit).

I remember the moment he entered the world, how my heart skipped a beat as I waited for the midwives to inform me that this bloody mass that had just been delivered was alive and well. The joy when I saw him draw his first breath and heard his first cry. How afraid I was to carry him in case I dropped this fragile new being. The realisation that my life had changed forever.

My son is fortunate to be loved by his parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and even on occasion by his little sister. How many children grow up yearning for the love, or even acknowledgement of their parents and family members? My son wants his daddy home for his birthday. How many children want to see their mummy or daddy even just once? I think of those who collect for Christmas presents for the children of prisoners. I think of those who struggle to provide a loving environment for the children at Veilomani, Dilkusha, St. Christopher's and other homes for abandoned children. I think of those in prison who are ostracised by their families, when the one thing they need is love and hope.

My son and my daughter are fortunate indeed. They are loved and this love is expressed in a way in which they can understand and share. They belong to a family which celebrates love: the love of God, the love of each other, the love of neighbour, the love of life and all God's creation. They belong to a family which believes and practices service before self. They belong to a family which holds respect, truth, justice and mercy as immutable values. With God's grace, they will grow up with these values and virtues as an integral part of who they are.

Yet I pray that they will not have to grow up too soon. That they will be able to enjoy their childhood and their youth. That they will not have the responsibility of providing for a family thrust on them so early, like many children in Fiji and around the world do: searching for work, for food when they should be playing hide and seek or going to school.

I often wonder what the future holds for my children and the children of their generation growing up in Fiji. Will they grow up believing that 'might is right' and as such (to borrow a line from the film, “The Mission”) that 'love has no place in the world?' Will they see soldiers on parade as a source of admiration or on the street as a source of fear? Will they learn that hard work, ethics and a thirst for justice, peace and integrity is what makes a leader, or will they see that power is to be gained by any means possible? Will they learn to love their country, or will they learn to look for the best way out? Will they learn to serve others, or will they learn to serve themselves? Will they learn to recognise and acknowledge differences in culture, religion and race while celebrating the common bonds of nationality and humanity, or will they only know discrimination?

I started to write a birthday card for my son, before realising that I might see him before he receives it. I once wrote a letter to my late father, when he was contemplating whether or not to join the 2000 interim government's constitution review commission. The Fiji Times was kind enough to publish that letter from a son to his father. I hope they will be kind enough to publish this letter from a father to his son:

Dear Francisco-Xavier,

I am sorry that I can't be with you on your birthday. I want you to know that I am thinking of you today and wish you a very happy birthday. Do you know that there are many boys and girls who also do not get to be with their parents on their birthdays? So you are not alone. But some of these children may never see their mummies or daddies again. You have your mummy and sister and grandma and big family very close to you. And soon you will have your daddy with you.

You will get many presents and maybe even have a party for your birthday. Some children never get any presents or have even a cake for their birthday. So you are a very fortunate boy. I hope you have a lot of fun on your birthday but please remember all the little boys and girls in the world who do not have any fun on their birthday.

My son, on this day I want to hold you and hug you and kiss you. I would very much like to play with you and help you open your presents and blow your birthday cake. I promise you that, if God allows me, next year I will be there.

For your birthday:
I pray that all your dreams will come true;
That every time your heart is broken, it will grow twice as much;
That the world will be as kind to you as you are to it;
That love and courage will grow abundantly in you;
That God will always guide and protect you;
And that mummy and I will be there to see you grow into a man.

I love you very much. Have a Happy Birthday!
See you soon.
Love from Daddy.

May your week be blessed with love, light, peace, hope and joy!

Reverend James Bhagwan is an award-winning radio and television producer and writer. He is currently on leave from the Methodist Davuilevu Theological College where he is a member of the Faculty. All opinions expressed in this article are personal and do not necessarily reflect the opinion and policies of the Methodist Church in Fiji or any organization that Rev. Bhagwan is affiliated with. padrejames@gmail.com

“Reflections and Resolutions”

Published in the Fiji Times as "Off the Wall with Padre James Bhagwan" Wednesday 15th October, 2008, p7

Greetings from 'Merry Olde' England!

I've never been the kind of person to make New Year's resolutions. I have always preferred to make birthday resolutions because I see that as the beginning of my year. This can be somewhat confusing to people who only make resolutions between December 31^st and January 1^st and then struggle to maintain them for between twenty-four hours to three hundred and sixty five days. I've always considered my birthday as my “New Year” and it is the day I choose to reflect on the year past and the year to come. You may call it a moment of personal praxis.

It goes without saying, though, that before, during and even after this rather deep, and one hopes, meaningful moment, there is a cause for celebration. One has survived another year on planet earth with all its challenges.

So many of us found time amidst our daily struggles of nation-building, power-grabbing, roadside protesting, riding out the storm of the global economic crisis or just trying to put food on the table and a roof over the head to remember out national day. For some it was a day of parades; some an excuse for a pool party; others a day to sleep in. Some spent time with their families, some spent time in jail. Some prayed and fasted, while some feasted.

In the United Kingdom, so I have informed, Fiji Day celebrations began as early as the weekend before, while some are yet to happen, scheduled for this weekend. We had a wonderful Fiji Day reception at the Fiji High Commission in London, with High Commissioner Pio Bosco Tikoisuva and the High Commission staff the consummate hosts. Guest ranged from members of the Diplomatic Corps, former Harlequins rugby players and former Fijian citizens and residents to Fijian men and women serving in the British Army and some of us who have found ourselves here for work, study and play.

There was some small talk of the situation at home, particularly the recent High Court ruling on the legality of the President's actions in December 2006 and the interim government. Some were of the view that now all those who have been sitting on the sidelines, using the question of the interim government's legality as an excuse would have to do more talk. Some just said, “Taki!” or led boisterous renditions of “Bula Malaya” and “Lomaloma”.

For many though, it was a time to catch up with fellow Fijians. Old friends, new friends and even long lost relatives. The Fiji Way was quite evident on Fiji Day.

However, once the celebrations faded and as I travelled through the countryside, enjoying the somewhat rare sunshine and warmth for this time of year (so I have been informed), my thoughts returned to the contemplation of our nation's future.

Our President, in his Fiji Day address, highlighted the imperative for the “leaders in the Church, the Vanua and the Government” to work together, speak and listen to each other for the sake of not just the nation-state, but the sake of all who call Fiji home.

The significance of the High Court ruling on the eve of the commemoration of our Independence should not be ignored. I understand that many of my brother and sister Fijians are disappointed and bitter by the outcome. I understand that many of us consider the President's call for unity and cooperation merely more of the same annually spouted rhetoric.

Yet I firmly believe that every time we come to a fork in the road; every time we are at a crossroads or watershed in our lives or the life of our nation – there is a choice that must be made and a direction that is travelled. We chose which path we walk along. We can continue to walk the road which we believe is our own, the path we have always walked; or we can take a look at the signpost and try to figure out if this new path, this new opportunity will take us closer to our destination.

The road travelled together is never an easy journey. Our leaders must take care to lead their people to a safe haven, not merely to their best friend's house. They must be prepared for people not to want to go in the direction they want them to go, acknowledging that there might be another way, a better way, not necessarily the 'high-way'. Above all our leaders must remember the golden rule of travelling in a group: 'you can only go as fast as the slowest member of the group.'

I would like to share with you a little prayer that I was fortunate to offer at our gathering in London. It is a simple prayer, as prayers at big functions usually are. It is brief, yet for me it shares many of our common hopes and desires:

“Almighty God, Creator of the Universe:

As we gather here on this day to celebrate, to remember and join in fellowship as sons, daughters and friends of Fiji;

We pray for your continued blessing on our beloved nation.

We thank You for the times of triumph despite the ongoing challenges we face as a nation, knowing You have been with us always.

Give us the grace to grow in love, service and obedience to Your laws, by what ever mean we come to know them.

Have mercy for our failures Lord and make us into a people who will not forget You.

We pray for the Vanua: the land, the sea and the sky and all that is within it. We pray for your protection as we face the effects of climate change...rising seas, more intense cyclones, drought and flood. Help us to keep our covenant as good stewards of the land, to use the resources you have given us for the greater good as well as ourselves.

We pray for our nation - strengthen and defend us in our daily struggles to be a land of freedom and of hope. Continue to give us the courage to endure whatever may befall. Let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

We pray for the spirit of reconciliation, tolerance and understanding to fill our people, O Lord; that we may grow united in love and appreciation for who we are as Fijians.

May we extend a hand to each other in selfless giving even when we feel we are the ones in need. Teach us to choose our leaders well.

We pray for our leaders: national, religious and within the community - give them Your heart and wisdom to govern humbly and justly. Make them worthy examples for the youth to emulate.

We pray for those who serve the cause of peace – as peace makers and peace keepers. We pray for our nation to be a place where mercy and peace – the fruits of unconditional love will thrive in abundance.

Loving God, as we thank you for the last 38 years of independence, we ask you to help us be a people who are interdependent... who can rely on each other as brothers and sisters , who can work together to truly build a better Fiji.”

May the rest of your week be blessed with love, light and peace.

Reverend James Bhagwan is an award-winning radio and television producer and writer. He is currently on leave from the Methodist Davuilevu Theological College where he is a member of the Faculty. All opinions expressed in this article are personal and do not necessarily reflect the opinion and policies of the Methodist Church in Fiji or any organization that Rev. Bhagwan is affiliated with. padrejames@gmail.com