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There is something profoundly important in the fact that our lives continue to be governed and influenced by the life of Jesus Christ.

Why, 2000 years on, does Jesus continue to light the world with his example and his words?

I believe it is because the values Jesus embodied, and the courage he showed in holding to them, laid down a path that, in the following, enables all of us to live good and honourable lives; to live in a manner that helps us live together in peace and harmony and, indeed, with real love in our hearts.

We know this to be true, but all of us, being human, struggle to follow his path.

In the Book of Proverbs there is a saying:

"Lean not unto thy own understanding but in all thy ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path."

At first blush, it is easy to see this proverb as a denial of the value of one's own ability and experience.

But on reflection, I see this not as a denial of life's experience but as a call to anchor one's actions and decisions - indeed to anchor one's life - in values and beliefs that assure goodness in all things.

Fellow Bermudians, our beautiful island home is going through a troubling time; when young men are shooting each other dead in the streets, when people fear for their safety - a time when families are struggling to make ends meet and when our schools are failing to equip our children with the skills to succeed in the world that awaits them.

The uncertainties in Bermuda today are real and persistent and they challenge each of us in ways that test our courage, our understandings and our character to do the right thing.

Daily we face decisions and pressures, and the way we respond to them can lead us down a path that is either the right one for ourselves and those around us or the wrong one, no matter how alluring it seems, no matter how easy or profitable it appears.

I believe each of us knows instinctively when we make the right decision or the wrong decision. But I also know that the difference in these decisions is not always clear cut, that the flood of details and influences in any given day can cloud and complicate one's thinking.

WE ARE ALL FALLIBLE

We are, all of us, fallible. We make mistakes. We take wrong turns.

But what makes us worthy is our ability to change our ways to do better. This ability to know and understand, to know the difference between right and wrong is the key to our personal salvation and, indeed, to a better life for our country.

So it is more important than ever for all of us to recognize that there is a path before us that, in the commitment to it, guarantees a better life for ourselves, our families and friends, our neighbours and fellow citizens.

My colleagues and I have spent a lot of time thinking about how to improve the health of our society; wherein there is respect for the law, respect and understanding for the hard work needed to make things better and, most importantly, respect for fellow Bermudians and the tolerance for the differences that can separate us.

It is our view that Bermuda can move toward an accommodation with itself if each of us commits to values that assure goodness in all things.

For us, these values are:

* Selflessness, wherein our decisions are made solely on the basis of the public interest;

* Objectivity, in which our decision-making is open-minded and unbiased;

* Openness, in which the true reasons for our decisions and actions are explained;

* Honesty, where we avoid words that dissemble and prevaricate and where we declare any outside interest that may interfere with our service to the public interest;

* Integrity, wherein we adhere to a code that assures good conduct in the performance of our public duties; and

* Accountability - the value in which our commitment to an open system of scrutiny holds us responsible for the decisions and actions we take.

Our core values as politicians may be different from the values an individual commits to, though I don't think much different.

Whatever the difference, the key for each of us is to commit to a path grounded in goodness.

For those looking to find that good path, I encourage you to take your direction from the Book of Proverbs, which reminds us that there is a light that still burns brightly some 2000 years on.

And so this Christmas season, beyond the beauty of the Christmas story itself, I believe the great value of the holiday is the reminder of that good path all of us can take to a better, more righteous life, in which we live in peace and harmony and with goodwill toward all men.

It is there before us. It begins with a step. We can walk it together. God bless you all and, on behalf of my colleagues in the United Bermuda Party, may you all have a safe and happy Christmas.[[In-content Ad]]

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