The Tribune

By Rev. Canon S. Sebastian Campbell

Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil (Is. 5:20).
Woe to you blind guides… (Math. 23:16).
Woe to you chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida… (Math. 11:21)

In every time and every clime a litany of woes must go up; a prophetic voice is always in demand. Society should always be challenged to straighten up and fly right so that God might be the greater glorified. We must have the intestinal fortitude to bellow out the litany of woes that are besetting us; the time comes when we must take a stand.

A man is prosecuted for selling guineps without a license. The state refuses to prosecute someone implicated on murder charges. Serious offences involving firearms can find acquittal in our long and extended delays in the justice system. Statutory rape is common place without appropriate punishment being meted out. It’s disgracefully fashionable to celebrate immoral behaviour that gives rise to illegitimate births at an unacceptable increasing number. It’s tragic, when our leaders are compromised and cannot address this plague in our national soul. Does it strike us that we have no minimum standard, of ethical and moral behaviour for public offices and elected officials. We imitate America a whole lot, except on this count. America hounds down compromised leaders exposing and even driving them out or away from public office. Remember Former President Richard Nixon or even now Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey.

The mighty string, status and connections are cherished routes when one finds oneself between a rock and a hard place. The muck-a-mucks live high on it, while the commoner has no such passport to soar to higher heights. Ever wonder why so many Bahamians worship at the feet of power. They are simply striving to survive in an ocean of unfair competition where the tide always seems to wash against them. When are we ever going to reverse a tragic but true concept of national survival, “It ain’t what you know, but who you know.” “Blue-eye-boyism” has never been more rife than now. This mentality reduces persons to little worth; the reality is, you feel no self worth and therefore the need to “suck-up” to one’s perceived “saviour” who then plays you like a puppet, using and mashing you up. This is slavery in its most dehumanizing form.

Yes we’ve heard of sexual favours for promotions, social status, or simply for employment to get a mere piece of bread. It is true that we flip-flop in our politics, always hoping that we are on the right side of the fence so as to scrap up the crumbs from the table of political powers. Stalwart PLP’s can instantly convert to FNM-ism and the same vice a versa so as to have the “correct-political-address.” Consciously or unconsciously we strive on political persecution; it’s an inherent mind set that has society all screwed up. It’s the only diet the political pundits ever eat. Many are our Bahamians who are intimidated and consequently afraid to express an opinion as they try to protect their behind from victimization or from diminishing the hope of ever getting that which is theirs by birth, intelligence or hard work. If we are to achieve our national or personal ambitions this enslaved mind set must be emancipated.

The powerful must be merciful and use power in service. This is Jesus’ understanding of power, “I am among you as one who serves.” Leaders at all levels and fields of endeavour seem perched on elevated thrones, with halos, almost visible, around about their heads, seeking boot-lickers to come and worship. It is near impossible to have one of the lords’ of the cabinet to return a telephone call. Most persons in power strut their stuff so much that the ordinary man loses all hope of having that moment with them, who supposedly have been set aside, to listen and ease burdens and ultimately to serve. Servant leadership is the Christian standard, out of this realisation we become like Jesus who washed the feet of those he led.

It’s repugnant to our lord and master, who says that our authority comes only through service, to have spiritual leaders having so much of an air about them. There is a negative attitude among many in such roles whose feet are not anchored and give the notion that they are the sole expositors of sense. Some are marked by a short temper and a haughty spirit and are less than tolerant of the mistakes and shortcomings of mere mortals.

Our double standard as a people must be checked. We can become terribly unforgiving, while setting a high standard for our leaders, especially spiritual leaders, while we ourselves can justify corruption in our lives simply on the grounds that we are not leaders. For there to be hope we must be consistent in expectations and standards and be cognizant of the fact that in one capacity or the other that we are all leaders. For example, the average person might be a father or mother. Christian, humble leadership is a must.

For there to be hope we must deal with our hypocrisies without simultaneously creating new ones. Prayers for a humble and contrite spirit must always be on our prayer agenda. Most importantly, for us to move forward we must agree to disagree and strive for genuine unity in the midst of our diversity. There is always every reason to be positive. Hope must be kept alive and it is in this hope we live and uphold even in the midst of all our woes; for there is still God on his throne.