Does one sin in the eyes of God or just those of the Maltese Church? That’s the million dollar question the majority of the Maltese people answered on May 28. Now that the referendum frenzy is over and the result has clearly shown that the feeling of the Maltese people is in favour of the introduction of a responsible divorce law, the next and final step is to pass this civil right through Parliament and enact it as a law.
Those who voted in favour had no fear whatsoever but only a heart packed with tolerance. But those who voted no (and it was something that fell within their rights) did have a degree of fear, even if they never will admit it in a million years. It was fear of sinning against their Church and, so they thought, against God. But last time I checked God is not fear but love. And what greater gift can we all give to one another if not the gift of love and a chance of happiness to those who were unfortunate enough to lose it the first time?
Yes, I was one of the 122,547 sinners who voted in favour. Proud? Of course I am. Guilty? Not even for a second. But if those who made it seem as if a yes vote falls under the category of a sin want to insist that I am one then I am proud to be called a sinner knowing full well that my so-called “damned vote” will be helping, at least, one couple to achieve their second chance of happiness. Happiness is no sin, my dear friends. It is actually a very positive sensation that has the power to heal all the wounds of misery.
The No camp did one fatal mistake in the eyes of the people. It based its arguments mainly on a negative feeling. Negativity never yields positive results. The people are comfortable in voting in favour when they are aware that they will be doing something good rather than to prevent something that was described as “wrong”. It’s in the nature of the human being. This because wrong deeds are happening all the time in this world, so the best weapon against this malevolence is to inject an abundant quantity of positive deeds. The more positive deeds we inject, the better this world will become. By just repeating the words of the Bible, the world will not be saved. It can only be saved by good deeds. Positive action.
In fact, today, the world has become the harmful place it is due to the self-seeking sentiment of those who want to acquire their share of wealth in all possible ways and means. Does that mean the good guys are dead? Of course, not. Actually, they are regaining their strength and growing in numbers for it is now clear that spiritual freedom is managing to bring nations closer together rather than push them apart.
Together we can make this country a better place to live in. Malta belongs to the Maltese people. It neither belongs to politicians nor to the Maltese Church. Religion and politics have their own well-deserved space, as it should be, but they may no longer occupy the spaces of others. If this referendum proved something really crucial it was that the Maltese are much more united when the cause in question is one that threatens to stop their progress towards a better life. We have seen this happen during the integration referendum of 1956, in the EU referendum of 2003 and the one on divorce in 2011. The Maltese people have proved not to be a unique race but just an outstanding nation.
Our abundant abilities, our numerous talents and also our overzealous behaviour exposed during village feasts represent our desire to live and fuel our country’s heritage into a changing world. Does this make us different from the rest of the civilised world? Different yes, unique no.
This result has achieved much more than it was initially thought it would have. This result has managed to expose who the Maltese people want to be and where they wish to go… and, rest assured, that place is most definitely not hell.
For Malta, 2011 will be remembered as the year of the sinners. This will happen for very good reasons, which, ironically, has nothing to do with sin.
A year that has yet not passed but one that, halfway through, has been packed with political controversies, weeping Madonnas, mediaeval arguments, backfiring billboards and irreparable damage caused to the Maltese Church. The Maltese people have shown that fear will never again diminish the light in their days. They have outgrown that sentiment and have successfully progressed into a new day… the day of a new Malta.