Friday, August 8, 2014

Singapore National Day, Saturday. 09-08-14

Isaiah 63:7-9 / Colossians 3:12-17 / Luke 12:22-31

Today our country celebrates 49 years of independence and we call it National Day and the highlight of the day will be the National Day Parade that will be held at The Float at Marina Bay.

The theme for the National Day celebrations is "Our People, Our Home".

In the run up to the National Day celebration, the national flag is hung at homes, flats, schools and other buildings throughout the country.

The national flag is a symbol of who we are as Singaporeans, our values and as well as our ideals.

The national flag of Singapore was first adopted in 1959, the year Singapore became self-governing within the British Empire. It was reconfirmed as the national flag when the Republic gained independence on 9 August 1965.

The design is a horizontal bicolour of red above white, charged in the canton by a white crescent moon facing, toward the fly, a pentagon of five small white five-pointed stars. The elements of the flag denote a young nation on the ascendant, universal brotherhood and equality, and national ideals.

The red symbolises "universal brotherhood and equality of man", and white, "pervading and everlasting purity and virtue". The waxing crescent moon "represents a young nation on the ascendant". The five stars "stand for the nation's ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality".

It is in the national flag that we see all Singaporeans as "Our People" and it is also in the national flag that we see our country as "Our Home".

As the Church in Singapore celebrates National Day, let us as loyal citizens pray that God will continue to watch over our country, guide our leaders and bless our country so that we see our fellow Singaporeans as our people and Singapore as our home.