Easter Greeting Rt. Hon. Hubert A. Ingraham Prime Minister 5 April 2012

My Fellow Bahamians: On behalf of my wife Delores and my family, my colleagues in Government, and on my own behalf, I wish you a Happy Easter. Easter is a season of renewal. It is a time of rebirth and new beginnings. At the heart of the Easter message are among the great mysteries and lessons of life.

We are taught by the Gospels of Jesus Christ that out of death can come abundant life. We are guided by Matthew that in order “To find your life you must lose it.” And we know from the wisdom of the ages and from our own life experience, that to give is to receive.

Easter is a special time to renew bonds of faith, family and friendship, as well as those of citizenship and community. We may do so through generosity of spirit and action towards our families, neighbours and the wider community. This Easter I am especially reminded of the children of The Bahamas. At the beginning of the year I travelled to a number of primary schools throughout the country. I especially remember the children in Red Bays, in Andros, in Alice Town, Bimini, at Cabbage Hill in Crooked Island and here in Nassau at T. G. Glover and at Anatol Rodgers.

And often at my office or in Rawson or Parliament Square I see groups of school children. No matter the demands of the time or the day, no matter the pressing issues -- to see the simple joy and curiosity in the eyes of our children often refreshes my spirit and restores my energy.

Like you, I see in them great promise and the circle of life. In the eyes of our children is a message to all of us of how precious are the hours, days and years that we have been granted. Time is a gift from God. What we do with that time is our gift back to God. In this spirit, perhaps this Easter, you might renew a New Year’s resolution which has fallen by the wayside.

Perhaps this Easter, you can renew an offer of volunteering previously made, but that you have been unable to fulfil. Perhaps this Easter, we can all renew our sense of gratitude. For despite the tough global economic downturn and an unacceptable level of crime, we have much for which to be grateful as a people and as a country. Fellow Bahamians: As we gather in worship and praise, and with family, friends and neighbours let us do so in a spirit of peace. For many, this will be the beginning of the beach-going season. Beaches will be especially packed on Easter Monday. While we enjoy ourselves let us do so safely and in an orderly manner.

While at the beach or around pools, please ensure that all children are watched at all times. In the spirit of neighbourliness and community please provide an extra pair of eyes on those children who may not be yours. We are, after all, our neighbour’s keepers.

Considerable work has been done to improve a number of beaches. Let us show our appreciation to those who have worked to create our beach parks by leaving them clean, green and pristine at the end of the day. Please take precautions in driving. Do not speed. Please buckle up and do not drink and drive. Motorcyclists should wear helmets. Children and young people should sit inside trucks or if in the back they should sit down within the body of the truck. Let us all work to avoid accidents, injury and possible heartache. And walk away from any potential altercations which may lead to further problems. I advise that the Royal Bahamas Police Force will be highly vigilant in terms of general security and in terms of vehicular traffic. Still, we all need to be safety-conscious and vigilant.

Please adhere to the new traffic laws as the Police will be especially attentive. These laws are designed for your personal safety, that of your family and of the general public.

We owe a great thanks to those law enforcement officials, medical personnel and other public servants who are over the holiday period working on our behalf across the country including on the high seas. In closing, I again wish you a Happy Easter. May the Lord in whose memory we celebrate this day continue to guide, bless and protect our Bahamas.