A celebration of faith

TODAY is a special day for Christians around the world. They celebrate Palm Sunday. Today is also when children take over proceedings in many of our churches around the country.

It is an opportunity for children to take charge, leading worship and inspiring the masses.

There will be messages of hope and motivation, and in churches around the country, there will be choreographed items and songs of praise.

Aside from driving the good messages, 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 over the weeks and days leading up to today, a lot of effort has gone into preparation.

Today is when the results are seen, and the message is delivered.

Through all this, families, cell groups and guardians have been 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 are doing today.

Then there is the bit about instilling confidence in individuals and nurturing a sense of purpose.

Our children will have a say in our future.

We as parents, guardians and leaders, however, must set the foundation and stimulate interest among our children to take control of their future.

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 ongoing, are very important.

Surely a good grounding at an early age might just be the catalyst our nation needs to grow and develop.

Many of our children will read out Bible verses, deliver powerful messages of hope, sing songs of praise, and perform items that will move their audience.

We hope this is translated to their everyday lives and instils a sense of discipline and appreciation of others around them.

So today will be about remembering the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem the week before his death and resurrection.

Fiji is a nation with diverse religious interests and leanings.

That is one thing that stands us apart from many other countries.

We are a multiracial and multi-religious nation, and one of the most important factors is there is a great sense of appreciation of our diverse cultural, traditional, and religious links.

We live in a very special country. So, let us celebrate this special day – a day of faith, remembrance, and with the promise of a brighter future.

We wish all the participating children and their mentors a blessed and memorable Palm Sunday!