Warmest festive greetings

Happy holidays, dear friends 

On the first Sunday of Advent, I was asked to give a sermon at Víðistaðakirkja, which I did with a smile on my face and gratitude in my heart. Now, on Christmas Eve, I would like to share this sermon with you, as I send you my warmest Christmas greetings.

A Reflection in Advent

There are a few words that are particularly dear to me at the moment. Both because it is December and another year is about to draw to a close, and because of the community I have had the pleasure of getting to know here in Hafnarfjörður since I started my job as the town mayor. The words are gratitude, respect, collaboration and individual initiative. I would like to take a moment to consider these meaningful words and share my thoughts with you.

Gratitude

Being grateful for life and existence not only brings happiness and a certain inner peace, but also security. Life is not a game of endless fun and happiness, but when all is said and done, happiness is closer than many realise, and the game lies in finding it in the right place, namely within oneself. As the Mayor of Hafnarfjörður, I am grateful for quite a lot in life. Personally, I am grateful to be in fairly good health, grateful for my wife and family and for the happy moments they bring me. I have enjoyed the privilege of undertaking work and projects in life that fall within my areas of interest, most recently, projects involving managing the operations of a municipality with nearly 29,000 residents, almost 1,500 businesses of all sizes and types, and nearly 1,800 employees. I am grateful for my work today and what it gives me. For all the people I meet every day who, through their conversations, information and guidance, have helped me to understand the fabric of the community here in Hafnarfjörður, the community spirit and the atmosphere that prevails in the municipality. I am very grateful for my colleagues at the town hall, for the skills and knowledge they have shared with me, and for the pride and diligence they bring to their work. Together, we strive to be exemplary in every respect and to provide residents and businesses with the exemplary service for which we want to be known. We can always do better, and changing circumstances and positions within the municipality are opening up new opportunities and arrangements that are intended to benefit the residents and businesses of the municipality. With that sentiment, we bid farewell to the year and cheerfully sail into the new year, full of gratitude. Being grateful has a positive effect on our lives and our outlook on life. At the same time, gratitude opens up opportunities and possibilities that would otherwise have been less visible.

Respect

Respect is another meaningful word and a good asset in life. We should all respect ourselves and the people around us, appreciate ourselves and others, and believe in the good in everyone. The community here in Hafnarfjörður, and indeed society as a whole, is made up of people who are different in their nature and behaviour, and it is precisely this that makes our community vibrant, diverse and full of challenges. Parenting, environment, experience, events and knowledge are all factors that leave their mark on people, and the strength of that mark depends on the individual's resilience and how profound its impact will be on their feelings, behaviour and thoughts. In many places, there is unrest with no end in sight, a multitude of people are on the run across the globe, a large group of people who have nothing to eat, and many who suffer from various forms of distress and illness. There is much that is broken in our society, and many who, unfortunately, suffer from want and are in pain. There is also much that is done well in our society, and groups of people who are very well off and content with their lot. We need to respect all social groups, the different situations individuals find themselves in, and do our utmost to assist and help those who are less fortunate. Sometimes, these individuals just need guidance and encouragement in life, to experience gratitude for their contribution and respect simply for being. In my work, I meet all sorts of social groups who have their own perspectives, priorities and opinions, and who want to make their voices heard. It is my role to respect the opinions of all groups and find ways to navigate a course that is most likely to be accessible to the greatest number of people, and in keeping with the priorities set by the local authority. We must help one another, help the most vulnerable, and assure them that their worth and dignity are no less or of any lesser value than those of anyone else.

Collaboration

We are privileged to live in a country that possesses precious natural resources, is peaceful, and beautiful, and it is exciting that an increasing number of tourists are starting to visit. We must take good care of our land and treat it and the environment with respect and foresight. This also applies to Hafnarfjörður. Our fjord has great potential, which we must collectively safeguard and chart a course towards the opportunities most likely to benefit the community as a whole. We want to preserve our history and culture, our homely character, and thus the friendly town in the Lava Fields, which enjoys the unique privilege of having both a charming harbour area and a vibrant town centre that other local authorities look upon with envy. Together, we must make decisions about the future, work to keep our town clean and tidy, and ensure through our community framework that residents and businesses live and operate in Hafnarfjörður for the long term, and that new people and businesses are ready to come to us. The community as a whole, and its residents and businesses, should take part in the development of the council's infrastructure, voice their opinions, attend meetings and discussions about what matters to them in the borough, and thus be socially responsible and engaged with their environment. Our community's greatest asset lies there – in the people themselves.

The Individual Initiative

The contribution of each individual can hardly be put a price on. We are fortunate here in Hafnarfjörður that the community is home to and host to a number of people who care about their local environment and wish to take part in its development out of pure interest and vision. I am fully confident that we, as one, want to see the City of Hafnarfjörður grow and prosper like never before, and become a fine example to other municipalities in various fields. This will be achieved through our collective effort, positivity, and by looking at our local community with new opportunities and possibilities in mind. The initiative of each and every individual is of immense importance, and I would like to take this opportunity to praise all the wonderful people who, through their voluntary work and drive, have brought incredible projects to fruition, to the great credit of the town. I look to the future with great optimism and will sail into the new year with anticipation, ready to take on old and new challenges and projects. May the new year bring me and my good colleagues more conversations with enthusiastic residents who have new ideas and see opportunities and possibilities in their local area, visits to as many businesses here in Hafnarfjörður as possible to learn about their operations and future plans, interesting and enjoyable projects and, above all, cheerful residents who care about their local community and their neighbours.
I send my heartfelt festive greetings to family and friends, residents and staff, with the hope of pleasant times over the festive season. I thank you for the good times this past year and look forward with anticipation to the challenges the new year will bring for me, my family, and the staff of the City of Hafnarfjörður.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!