 |
| Jubilee - faith, hope, celebration! |
Jean Lowrie-Chin| Jamaica Observer | Monday, July 09, 2012
We are in the one-month run-up to Jamaica's Golden Jubilee, a year
that could finally see a more unified, productive Jamaica - if we walk
all this glorious talk! Indeed, we have now entered the Holy Ground of
our national celebrations where we should refrain from negative
behaviour, reach out in love to our neighbour and do our part to right
the wrongs in family, community, parish and country.
"And you shall consecrate the 50th year, and proclaim liberty throughout
the land to all its inhabitants," declares Leviticus 25:10. "It shall
be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and
each of you shall return to his clan." In ancient times, slaves were
freed in jubilee celebrations - in our case we should be freeing
ourselves from old politics and prejudice. Love more and judge less!
In response to my column on the historic African apology for slavery
recently given by the Archbishop of Accra Most Rev Charles Palmer
Buckle, Lifeline Expedition representative David Pott wrote: "I was
deeply moved to read your recent article in the Jamaica Observer. It was
sent to me by my friend Joseph Zintseme who is the main leader and
African representative of the Lifeline Expedition. I'm sure you'll be
very interested to know that the Lifeline Expedition has been bringing
an apology for slavery around the North Atlantic world since 2000. This
has definitely included the African apology often given by Joseph
Zintseme."
Then he gave us some wonderful news. "The Lifeline Expedition will be
coming to Jamaica between July 25 and August 8... We pray that our visit
will continue to build on the good work that the Archbishop from Ghana
has begun and that this will be an amazing Jubilee time in Jamaica."
Please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X35cb4a7gg to see how the
white folks on this expedition parade through communities in yokes and
chains asking for the forgiveness of those whose ancestors were
enslaved.
Just a few years ago, former Australian Prime Minister David Rudd made
an emotional apology on behalf of his government to citizens who had
been stolen from their aboriginal families and raised in white families.
I had suggested then an apology that our leaders should offer the
terrorised people in certain communities of Jamaica who are still
enslaved by gang warfare.
These gangs were said to have had political links but we are now
hearing that this is no longer the case. We dearly hope this is so and
we hope our leaders and those who provided the means will offer this
apology: "We apologise for our complicity with thugs who have inflicted
profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Jamaicans. For
the pain, suffering and hurt of these victims, their descendants and for
their families left behind, we say sorry. For our divisive strategies,
pitting parent against child, brother against sister, for the breaking
up of families and communities, we say sorry."
But we cannot blame the politicians alone. We the people are the far
greater majority than the 63 in Gordon House and the 226 in the parish
councils. We who do not experience the terror of inner-city gang
warfare, and others who through education have migrated from the
clutches of the "area leader" are also accountable.
 |
| Enjoying Hope Gardens |
This Golden Jubilee requires us to become a part of the healing. There
are myriad opportunities in your churches, and various community groups.
Last Saturday, several corporate donors sponsored inner-city children
at a Hope Zoo Fun Day in aid of Food for the Poor. Some had never been
to Hope Gardens before and rolled around happily on the grassy lawns of
the beautifully restored zoo.
It made us wonder - do their parents know admission to Hope Gardens
is free? Are their parents around at all? So here is a simple thing we
can do - take a few disadvantaged children to Hope Gardens. A wise
person once said, "People do not care how much you know until they know
how much you care."
We have been hearing the complaints regarding trade imbalance with
Caricom and the rest of the world. One can imagine that some of these
complaints are being made at fancy dinners featuring imported
delicacies. My friend Audrey Grant said one day while she was shopping
she suddenly decided to seek out Jamaican-made products. "I stopped and
examined the stuff in my trolley," she said, "and ended up putting back
over 80 per cent of what I had, substituting Jamaican products with
little price difference." Now that is something we can all do. Indeed,
if we substitute fresh instead of imported canned food, we will save
money, our health and our economy.
Our superior tourism product
 |
| Sandals Whitehouse |
A recent visit to Sandals Whitehouse reminded us of the superiority of
Jamaica's tourism product. The service was outstanding, our tasty local
food was heavily featured on the menus, and the weather was great. A US
visitor commented that she was relieved to leave the over 100ยบ
temperatures in Virginia and enjoy Jamaica's lower temperatures, with
the sea never too far away for a cooling dip!
Tourism Minister Wykeham McNeil is right to say that this may very well
be the mainstay of our economy. However, he said there was a reduction
in the numbers projected for Canadian visitors in the coming winter
season. Let's say it straight: our headlines are not pretty, especially
to folks from a peaceful and respectful environment like Canada.
We are a tiny rock of fewer than three million souls - let's fix our
headlines by healing our communities. The government and the security
forces cannot do it alone. The church and its people must develop some
"Jesus-muscles" - increasing our work with the most marginalised,
rebuking the tribalists and making this a Jubilee renaissance for a
hopeful, waiting Jamaica.
No comments:
Post a Comment