By Bishop Duleep de Chickera –
Bishop Duleep de Chickera
Epiphany is the festival of enlightenment. It commemorates the visit of the wise-persons from the east to the Christ child and is observed on the 6th of January. The Orthodox Church broadly known as the Eastern Church celebrates Christmas on Epiphany to affirm that those who search for light are drawn to the divine light born anew in Christ.
The significance of light however goes beyond both Christianity and the religious. Through the ages light has been a universal symbol of truth, life and liberation that dispels deceit, darkness and chaos. Consequently the quest of humans has been to comprehend the light and dispel the darkness within and around.
This year the proximity of epiphany to a very crucial national election may be a coincidence, but it reminds us that the light within us must somehow be harnessed to enlighten our nation. Since all are a mix of light and darkness, a time tested way of doing so is to discern and endorse the greater light and lesser darkness from among those who vie for our vote.
In this task we are to be mindful that;
- At election time, particularly, darkness is cleverly disguised as light.
- Light dispels darkness, so our endorsement must affirm the greater potential to eradicate corruption, deceit, intimidation, and the abuse of power.
- Light spreads over all without discrimination, so our endorsement must enhance greater possibilities of freedom, dignity, fulfilment and hope for each and all.
- Light and darkness rise and fall in rhythm, so there will be other elections and other champions of the light as there will be stretches of darkness.
- Those who therefore long for sustained national enlightenment have no rest. They are to remain ever watchful for emerging signs of darkness and sound warning bells so that the darkness will be inevitably overcome by the light.
Epiphany like other festivals of light comes once a year. There is great wisdom in this cycle. It brings the immeasurable gift of a periodic review of the state of darkness and light within our-selves and our nation. From here it calls for the consistent endorsement of a shared and enlightened journey, flavoured with ceaseless vigilance.
Such is the sacred price to be paid by a sovereign people. It is a far more rewarding privilege than contesting elections.
With Peace and Blessings to all
Maghribi / January 6, 2015
‘Enlighten’ nation is a myth or real will be known on the 9th Jan 2015. As an optimist, the Ruling Dick will take power by every means possible from the so called ‘Enlighten’ nation. All those who defected weeks ago will crawl back for their perks.
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Email / January 6, 2015
No, no. no.
What the good bishop means is enlightenement of moving away from the political movement the syphilitic Henry VIII started.
Get it? He is crying out loud.
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Amarasiri / January 6, 2015
RE:Towards An Enlightened Nation: An Epiphany Reflection
Bishop Duleep de Chickera –
Enlightenment Day Jan 8, 2015, as predicted by the Presidential The Astrologers.
Blowing in the wind….
Best Case Average Case Worst Case For MaRa
2010 2015 2015
56% 45% 33% Rajapaksa
42% 53% 65% Sirisena
2% 2% 2% Others
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K.A Sumanasekera / January 6, 2015
Has the LTTE proxy GTF which is now affiliated with the TNA, brought an early “Epiphany” to Rev Chikera’s Bishop in Kurunagala ?….
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Moda Putha / January 6, 2015
The well articulated msg of Bishop Chickera both this and his Xmas msg are full of significance and advocates change in the politest form, thanks for the article.
I know I am digressing from Bishop Chikera’s msg but will like to draw attention to the article that Bishop of Kurunagela Shantha Francis is to resign. Well it is long overdue as this person has brought discredit to the clergy in general and the Anglican church in particular.
Shanta Francis is a fraud, whilst being the bishop of Kurunagala, for many years he has been falsifying his dead mother-in-law’s signature and has been claiming her pension. It was exposed recently and the court case is to come up shortly.
In addition, by virtue of him being the Bishop of Kurunagala, he holds an important position in the Board of Trinity College Kandy. He fraudulently opened an account in the name of the school body with him being the sole signatory and was siphoning off donations given by parents to favour their kids get admission.
Respectable people like Archbishop Dhilo Canagasabai and distinguished old trinitians persuaded him to relinquish his post as he was bring disrepute but he stubbornly refused. Finally the matter was even referred to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Shantha Francis’ story of him being hunted by the diaspora and therefore he is resigning is a load of bs – figment of his imagination. Things are hotting up and he is trying to resign to avoid publicity. He has never made any political statement supporting or otherwise of any group in SL. Frankly enlisting his support for any cause will be totally counterproductive as – unlike Dhilo Canagasabai, Chickera, Nesiah etal,- this man has no moral voice.
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thondamannar / January 6, 2015
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P.R. / January 6, 2015
‘Epiphany is the festival of enlightenment’..so says the good Bishop. But for us Srilankans that happened when the virulent terrorism was removed by the effort of the President. Do we need any other light, including mythical and fictitious religious lights, to light our way to a prosperous future? The uninitiated and the uneducated may find solace in all these ‘other lights’ to light their way. But for us the light that emanated from destroying terrorism is more tha ample to guide us in the future. Thank you Bishop for educating us sinners.
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