DIWALI, FESTIVAL OF LIGHT

Diwali is the festival of lights celebrated by Hindus all over the world.   This year the President of Suriname declared it as a national holiday which was highly anticipated and most welcomed by the Hindu communities.   The festival is dedicated to Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth knowledge, and prosperity.  It also symbolizes the victor of light over darkness by honoring the gods who fought and won over evil to establish good.  The day is marked by prayers, feasts, exchanging gifts and sweets, wearing new clothes, visiting relatives and the lighting of diyas (small clay pots filled with oil in which a wick is immersed and lit).  A few days before Diwali, Hindus clean their houses and make all the necessary preparation to welcome the Goddess in their home.  It is also believed that the Goddess of Wealth would enter a clean and cheerful home.  In the evening, inside and outside of the homes are decorated with lights and lighted diyas to illuminate the path by removing the darkness for the Goddess Lakshmi to visit their homes of the worshippers and bring blessings and prosperity.  The tradition of people wearing new cloth is significant especially in Diwali festival. They believe that wearing new cloth is the symbol of healthy souls in healthy bodies. 

As I reflect on light and darkness, my mind goes back to the ONE TRUE LIGHT who has dispelled the darkness from my soul and brought me into His marvelous kingdom as a son of light.  This true light is JESUS CHRIST who said in His own words, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (Jn 8:12).  To experience the True Light and Victory, one must turn from darkness and trust in Christ to be released from the penalty of sin and become a child of God.

TRUST IN JESUS, THE LIGHT.  “Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light” (Jn 12:36).

WALK IN THE LIGHT. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin 1 Jn 1:7). 

LIVE AS CHILDREN OF LIGHT.  “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (Eph 5:8).

UNIE CONFERENCE 2010

It was a joy to see the Association of Churches that we affiliate with worked together to plan and host a conference on October 21-23.  Each evening about 200 believers from about 14 churches came together to be challenged and encouraged.  The guest speaker was from Holland.  The message was spoken in Dutch and then translated in Sranan Tongo, the trade language, for the tribal leaders and Bush Negroes leaders to understand.

There were church leaders from the Amerindian church in the interior who came to the conference.  It was encouraging to see church leaders and believers from the villages of Lawa, Apetina, Pelemeu, Tapu, and Kwamula. The Association of Churches helped with the cost of getting the interior church leaders to attend the conference in the city and they provided lodging and transportation for them. This will no doubt encourage the tribal leaders to see that they have not been forgotten.

The Bush Negroes church from Nieuve Wakapoe from French Guiana also attended the conference.  Pastor Bhago and a group of believers came to join the fellowship.

There were also Guyanese churches, Creole churches, Javanese Churches, Bush Negroes Churches, Trio and Wayana Churches, and a Spanish church that were represented.  On Sunday morning about 400 believers from all of these churches gathered together for a celebration in singing worshiping, and hearing from God's Word.  Different group had the opportunity to go up the platform and sing and worship in their mother tongue.  There were songs in Dutch Sranan Tongo, French, English, Javanese, Wayana, Trio, and Spanish.  It was a great experience to hear and see the people worship the Lord in different languages.  It is a little foretaste of what it would be like when the redeemed from the nations of the world would gather before the throne of God to bow down and worship the Lamb of God.