Easter Renaissance

By N. Tirant
Source: Seychelles Today 4-9-12

From the summit of Trois Freres the Cross of Redemption stands watch

From its lofty setting at the top of Trois Frères the emblematic mountain that dominates the skyline and looks down protectively on our tiny capital Victoria, the Cross has withstood the passage of time. That the Cross was carried to the top of Trois Frères by our forefathers is itself a sign of the country's engagement to the spiritual values of Christianity and the ideals represented by it. That engagement was renewed in the 1993 Constitution when the People of Seychelles expressed gratitude to Almighty God that we inhabit one of the most beautiful countries in the world and invoked his blessings.

And this Easter we have once again been reminded that the Cross, which before the Resurrection of Jesus, was known only as an instrument of degradation, torture and horrible death, has today, because of His resurrection, become a symbol of hope and a reminder of God's love for us. A replica of it is proudly worn by many Christians as a symbol of their faith.

If the Cross is the centre of time and of Eternity then the symbolism of the Cross on Trois Frères
has even greater significance for the Christian Seychellois. It is a rallying point for the moral renaissance which everyone agree is needed urgently if our society is to survive and emerge Victorious and united from the hard time we are facing.

Just by acknowledging that there is a need for moral renaissance, we admit that we have lost our morality and our way. The loss of human and spiritual values explains the many ills our society finds itself in today.

Everyone is in agreement that hard drugs have become a scourge affecting so many families, from the richest to the poorest, from the educated to the lesser educated. At one end of the spectrum are those who make drugs available and build wealth and riches on the misfortunes and bad choices of others. At the other end are those who struggle with an addiction; the result of the wrong paths taken in their lives and the inability to wear it off.

Whether or not drugs are the cause of it, there are serious problems in our homes. Families are affected by inﬁdelity that brings with it instability; physical and moral hardship, disease and sometimes even death. In some homes children are abused physically and emotionally perpetuating violence as a natural way of life and depriving those children of their innocence.

Crime continues to mount in ﬁgures, in complexity and even in the levels of violence. That a son should kill his mother in cold blood as part of a pre-determined plan, is a sign of how violent our society has become.

Our houses are broken into by the day and our worldly goods are stolen from us. The violation of the sanctity of our homes creates profound fear and distrust and leaves us exposed and unsafe.

We live closer together in our new society with facilities we may not have had before. Yet we often live selﬁshly as if we are the only person that matters and do whatever we want. Loud music has reached pandemic levels in our society where it has invaded the peace and tranquility of our homes. Who hasn't experienced that quiet evening utterly destroyed by the neighbour’s loud music played from instruments of torture that should be sold under licence only? Who hasn't felt that anger and frustration that in some cases develops into aggression
when the neighbor ignores your plea to turn the volume down?

Alcohol continues to play a major role in the degradation of society. It is everywhere, accessible and all too present. Too often people associate having a good time with getting utterly drunk but a drunk cannot think straight, cannot behave properly, cannot show respect to others and in fact, on too many occasions can become dangerous and aggressive.

All these are signs of the many things that are wrong in our society - the result of values that we
have lost. To find those values we will need to go back along the path we came. We may have to go back up that Trois Frère mountain to where we placed that Cross to find the values we left behind on our way down.

Moral renaissance can only occur when morality is established. Whether moral values are based on religion and spirituality or just plain humanity, the fact remains that until the human being can understand that respect and love for his neighbor is the greatest commandment that Jesus Christ left us, we will remain at the bottom of the hill and never get back up to the Cross.

For the pot of gold is not at the end of the rainbow but at the foot of the Cross. Find it if you will.

And a Happy and Blessed Easter to All!