Next Thursday, September 3rd, 2020, on Election Day, Jamaicans will either vote in the same government, or vote them out, and put in place in a new one. As in the case with many other democratic countries across the world, national debates, involving, in our context, the two main parties, precede the holding of elections. We have had two so far; Social Issues and Finance and The Economy. And a third one, on leadership, featuring the heads of the two parties, is scheduled for tonight. Even now, the discussions about who won the first two, held earlier this week, continue. And also which party is poised, according to the polls, and people’s perceptions, to become the next government of the Jamaica.
But as for me, “ and hopefully my people in the church”, the issue of leadership is uppermost in my mind. What does it look like in this Corona Pandemic – the worse crisis that not just Jamaica, but the “ entire human race’, has faced since World War 11, almost 80 years ago, and the “Spanish Flu”, in 1918?
What does it look like in a country, which over the past 50 years, since the 1970’s, on account of murder, and murder most foul, seems to be at war with itself?
What does leadership look like in nation where the level of indiscipline is best described by a hashtag #unruly, associated with the dancehall artiste, Popcaan, whose music has “arrived” on President Barack Obama’s playlist for the summer?
Last night this phenomenon was in full view on the highway, when loads of cars and bikes, bearing party colors, entered from a slip road. Promptly blocked the entire road for a minute before good sense prevailed; and then they “occupied” one lane, apparently awaiting additional “troops”. Then, the madness went to another level. For coming towards me, in the middle of the road, I saw a motorcyclist in full flight, ignoring the rules of the road, in the same fashion that protocols were discarded. Thus forcing me to take evasive action. Where he was going, only God he knows? A metaphor no doubt for this country, which like the ancient city Nineveh, doesn’t seem to know it right hand from its left. And has no idea where it is going!
In this context, the talking point, “ What has happened to “ Five in four” – the level of economic growth promised by the government, and who won the two debates so far, and who will win tonight, and other issues which have dominated the discussion thus far, in a sense, when compared to the almost existential issues raised above, pale into insignificance. For yes, we need to grow our economy, and yes we need to diversify our economy and earn more money from non tourism related activities, and yes we need to restructure our economy so that more people can benefit and rise out of poverty and privation rather than depending on “ bruking outta brukness “ with Lotto. And yes, we need to correct a whole lot of social ills, which admittedly are all interrelated. But unless we get a handle on this Corona Virus, this Sword of Damocles #Murder hanging over our heads, literally, and organize a more disciplined society, a national malady now on full display in the midst of #Covid-19 and #Election20, and born of with many and varied “ parents”, our corner is dark indeed.
In the midst of this angst and a deep sense of concern about the future of my country, the Lord sent a meditation/prayer written by a Pastor of yure, Peter Marshall ; an immigrant from Scotland, who rose to become Chaplain of the United States Senate. He wrote this prayer as the USA grappled with the call from the UK and Europe, for it to enter into the war with them against Hitler. A decision that took some time, according to the historians, and much agonizing. And although the prayer was sent up for those in the USA, and is very apropos to that situation now, in the midst of the Pandemic, for reasons that we know only too well, including over 180,000 people who have died so far, I believe it is a prayer sent for us here in Jamaica. For, from a Christian point of view, until we as nation, under God, as our National Anthem and National Pledge declare, come to an understanding that, without Him, we just cannot manage, then Michigan and Smiley’s “ dangerous diseases” will continue to devastate our nation. And wicked men, armed with Nine’s and Sixteen’s, with “ bullet bullet” as they cry in the dancehall, and “ marrow fly” as the lyrics inform us, will continue to cause mayhem and grief in our country, while we debate the issues. I hope we will all read what the Rev. “ A man called Peter” ( the title of a movie) Peter Marshall recommends. From the grave!
FOR GOD’S GRACE IN OUR HELPLESSNESS
PETER MARSHALL
JUDGES 7:2 “ The Lord said to Gideon, ‘You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into your hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people……”
We know, our Father, that at this desperate hour in world affairs, we need thee. We need they strength, thy guidance, thy wisdom.
There are problems far greater than any wisdom of man can solve. What shall our leaders do in such an hour?
May thy wisdom and thy power come upon the President of these United States, the Senators, and Congressmen, to whom have been entrusted leadership. May the responsibility lie heavily in their hearts, until they are easy to acknowledge their helplessness and turn to thee. Give to them the honesty, the courage, and the moral integrity to confess that they don’t know what to do. Only then can they lead us as a nation beyond human wisdom to thee, who alone hast the answer.
Lead us in this high adventure. Remind us that a “ mighty fortress is our God” – not a hiding place where we can escape for an easy life, but rather an arsenal of courage and strength – the mightiest of all, who will march beside us into the battle for righteousness and world brotherhood. O our God, may we never recover from this feeling of helplessness and our need of thee! In the strong name of Jesus, our Lord, we pray, Amen. In addition this week, I was inspired to write emails to my church. They, in retrospect, contribute to this discussion on leadership.
ONE OF THE EMAILS – YESTERDAY
A strange thing happened this morning. Actually it began last night when I read Psalm 32, after 91, during my late night devotions, before going to bed.
Verse 10, had impressed me for a couple of nights, and so I went back to read it, and ended up reading the entire Psalm:
Verse 10:
“ Many are the woes of the wicked but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him.”
A truly wonderful word from God, as we put ourselves entirely at his mercy during our hours of sleep; what the late Bishop Herman Spence termed “a little death”. In this context, we offer Mable and the family, our deepest condolences on the passing of their beloved Horace recently.
But the verse before intrigued me, especially in the context of the indiscipline in our society and the surge in the Pandemic in Jamaica, which has placed the lives of many, including health care workers, at risk.
Verse 9:
“ Do not be like the horse or mule, which have no understanding ( like the city of Nineveh/Jamaica whose people did not know their right hand from their left hand) but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you ( will not repent, as Psalm 32 like Psalm 51, is a repentance Psalm).
A Word from the Lord which really made me wonder about the level of indiscipline and disobedience abroad in our society; spiritually as well as morally and socially.
Then this morning, on opening my Classic Devotional Bible, looking for the Jacob Boehme prayers, I found this prophetic Word. I would suggest that you too, read it carefully, and see whether or not you can locate the COVID-19 Pandemic in it!
THE WORD OF GOD
“See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants— it will be the same for priest as for people, for the master as for his servant, for the mistress as for her servant, for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor.
The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The Lord has spoken this word. The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the heavens languish with the earth.
The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt.
Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left. The new wine dries up and the vine withers; all the merrymakers groan. The joyful timbrels are stilled, the noise of the revelers has stopped, the joyful harp is silent.”
Isaiah 24:1-8 NIV
One of the sad things about this terrible pestilence that has been visited on the entire earth, is that the church of the Living God, in whom the Holy Spirit resides, has not collectively, to date, and to my knowledge, shared a Word of discernment with the nations. For, to be part of the desperate rush to produce a vaccine, which is a good thing, without having an understanding of why would a Sovereign God, “ lay waste to the earth”, and affect ‘the priest and the people’, the good and the wicked, in this act of “defilement”, is to miss the calling by this God to a world to repent. For we have “disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant”. Haven’t we not! And therefore “ bit and bridle “ have been applied to nations. Not just Jamaica. The whole human race!
I did not search for this Word. It came from God Himself. And so in obedience I share. Perhaps there are nuances which need “ more and better particulars” as the lawyers would say. But this is the essence of the message. Repentance for the entire world. Another thought that struck me. After how many years of a world being affected by HIV/AIDS, have we found a vaccine as yet? Serious question isn’t it?
This “ bit and bridle “ story is not one which is open to policy directives from the party that wins next week; and which can then be applied to a Popcaan #unruly people. In Cherry Gardens as well as in Majestic Gardens! For let us not make the fatal mistake that disobedience to the protocols, is either the only issue at stake here, or that such disobedience resides only in the minds of the people who live in inner cities. For the Word of God, comes primarily to the Church first, and then to “ many of the woes of the wicked”.
I truly believe that the Word from Isaiah, spoken to the “ early church”, and the whole world, is the same Word which the Pandemic speaks, perhaps in a different language, to the church, first and foremost, today, and then to the wicked. Those who don’t trust in the Lord, in politics, in the community, doctors and nurses, sellers and buyers, dancehall people and soca people, straight and gay the whole lot.
I close with a word from a Jesuit school in Florida, where the Principal issued this charge to its incoming students for the new term. The charge is long, but this extract touched my very soul.
BELEN
“Gentlemen, don’t think of your education here at Belen simply as a means for self-aggrandizement. No, your education here at Belen is for the purpose of preparing yourself for the sanctification of the world. You heard correctly. You few, you happy few, you band of brothers have been called by Christ to be the ones who will help sanctify the world; to take the message of Jesus Christ as far as humanly possible, to the ends of the earth.”
And so, in these desperate times when the wards are under great pressure in the hospitals, when stressed out doctors write letters, appealing for help, and when, despite promises, the green and orange people are still jumping around together and apart, to the beat of the dub plates and other songs, may God have mercy on our country. Starting with the church! “ This band of brothers and sisters, we few, we the remnant, called by Christ to be the ones who will help to sanctify the world”.
Lord renew thy church, through repentance, so that we will not have to be brought to you by “ bit and bridle” ; Lord renew thy church that the renewed church may renew the nation(s) where “ the merry-makers groan, and the noise of the revelers has stopped’ and people live in the shadow of death.