The Guyanese election on March 02, 2020) saw 75-year-old incumbent David Granger, of the People’s National Congress, pitted against 40-year-old Irfaan Ali of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). The PPP won. Trinidad and Tobago recent election saw the PNM winning the mandate to govern the country again, but with Prime Minister Keith Rowley (PhD) saying that this will be his last term in that capacity. Jamaican PM Andrew Holness dissolved Parliament and announced that Jamaicans will go to the polls on Thursday, September 03, 2020; Nomination Day was on Tuesday August 18, 2020. And US Presidential nominee Senator Joe Biden has chosen Jamaica-American Senator Kamala Harris as his VP.
Three words jumped out of these events. They are creativity, change and justice. And what we see now is a reminder to the faith community, and particularly the church that even if our residency is of a different ethic; the Kingdom of God (1 Pet 2:11c, Phil 3:20) we must be willing to be creative change agents who pursue justice.
An example of this approach is recorded in Mark 2:1-12 when Jesus entered Capernaum. Many people gathered at His home until there was no room for anyone to pass. But four men brought a paralytic man for him to heal. Not being able to pass, they removed the roof above where Jesus was and lowered the mat on which the paralytic was lying. And seeing their faith, Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Jesus never complained about the men using the roof as an entrance. And in the search for justice, we must be willing to be creative and be this change. Justice for the paralytic man involved the cooperation, collaboration and the coordination of those both within Jesus’ house and those outside.
Most symbolic is that the men did not pass through a ‘back door.’ Rather, they passed in a place where everyone could have seen them. This represents transparency and accountability. The church is called to lead in this area. It requires some creativity and changed mindsets, along with a dogmatic insistence, that justice must be done, now. If the church holds itself accountable, should not the same church call governments, the business sphere and the marketplace accountable? To accept anything less is to entertain the thief (John 10:10) whose results are always injustices; stealing, killing and destroying.
Rev Vonnie James, Grenada Baptist Association
