Bishop Danny Elizabeth’s New Year message |31 December 2025
Rising in faith: A call to renewal for 2026
“Many a times, our hopes are shattered, requiring us to get back up and face the adversity again. Through life's challenges, our hearts are being purified, our faith is being reinforced, and strengthening us to overcome what lies ahead. There is greater glory in the person who stumbles 10 times and gets back up on the 11th. This New Year is not only the beginning of a new year, but most importantly, it is a new day in which God permits us to breathe afresh his lifegiving spirit.
“The beginning of a new year is not a human invention. God permits us to start a new year so that the previous year becomes a learning experience. With irony, Joshua presented the alternatives that are offered if the people reject the Lord. It is the choice between worldly power and the divine. As the people decided, Joshua boldly declared, ‘But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD’ (Joshua 24:15). What is your decision for 2026?
“Seychelles will celebrate 50 years of independence on June 29, 2026. This is a monumental occasion. We will celebrate the diversity of our society as one nation. The true meaning of patriotism is rooted in the belief that everyone is of value to the well-being of society. A journey down memory lane will expose our limitations, our faults, our failures, and our disappointments. The road to prosperity demands wisdom. The Holy Scripture reminds us that, ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight’ (Proverbs 9:10). Will we recognise the power of the Almighty God in 2026?
“A New Year necessitates deep reflection and having the audacity to step out of our comfort zone, having lived in it for a long time in previous years. Our principles, morality and ethics will need to be redefined if we are to be better when we greet the year 2027. We may reflect along these lines; ‘Is there room for retaliation, prejudice and exclusion?’ God has placed us in a world of space and time, and through the events of our lives, He calls us to rejoice in his creative power. The power to forgive, to heal and to reconcile. This is a new beginning. God lives outside of time and resides in the imperishable moment. Let us seek the blessing of this New Year as his gift to us. May our resolution for 2026 bring us closer to the sovereign character of God.
“Happy New Year to everyone.”
Anglican Bishop Danny Elizabeth