The Tribune

THROUGHOUT his ministry, Jesus demonstrated intestinal fortitude. He challenged a ruler of his time, Herod, calling him a fox, a sly sneaky animal. This is probably equal to Bahamians calling you “a dog”.

Remember the oft misinterpreted, “If someone slaps you on one cheek then turn to him the other”. One can only do all this from a position of strength. No weakling can stand up to ridicule, humanly speaking we retort or get more equal when attacked; we return evil for evil and literally mash our perceived enemies in the dust.

Fighting fire with fire to the shortsighted seems more effective. Give your enemy your jacket if he asks for your shirt; if someone asks you to travel one mile, go two – these are all challenges to summon intestinal fortitude, to stand up against overwhelming circumstances. Bahamians will translate intestinal fortitudeas having muscle and guts.

As a society we lack self-esteem, self-worth and the will power to stand by our convictions.

Regardless of the prevailing winds, we must live by convictions. Believe that one person can make a difference, go down fighting and let your life be a testimony to fortitude. We hear all time of cowards who bitch and bark behind closed doors, but when it is time to “bell the cat” everyone scampers. It happens in politics, the church and on our jobs; we have so much mouth behind the boss’ back, but to his face our tongues are amputated.

Many unhappy, unpleasant and dehumanising situations can be changed if only we would take courage in our hands and stand up when and where it counts. Slackness in our family life with spouses and children, failure to challenge our children for their suddenly discovered wealth, unwillingness to bring the family to God and the church all fit so well into this area of concern.

What does it mean to you when you sing so lustily, “Stand up, Stand up for Jesus… ye that are men now serve Him amongst unnumbered foes, let courage rise with danger and strength to strength oppose”.

I was serving as a sacristan of St Barnabas Chapel at Codington College, when in my most challenged and depressed moment I told the principal I was about to resign. His immediate response was, “What happened, have you been deballed? If they are all still there and in place show’em off.”

This was among my greatest moments in learning. Throughout my teaching career at St John’s College, Simms and Millertons All Age Schools and St Annes, C C Sweeting, S C McPherson, Programme SURE, I was ever so cognizant that education is useless without muscle and guts to give it currency.

Academics alone cannot propel this country forward; we must have muscle and guts to go with it.

I have seen many spineless, highly qualified bootlickers. Bahamians are always looking over their shoulders, frightened even of their very shadows. We always worry about what people are saying about us and therefore imaginary or real people are always dictating our agenda.

God gave us this life. Let’s live it as a gift from God and not as one from some busybody or a gossip monger. I concede, too, many Bahamians are news carriers, almost always dragging people they don’t like down to the dust; they report them, back bite, thinking God has placed them here to referee life situations. Hypocrites! They need to hear Jesus say, go and take the two by four out of your own eyes and stop looking at the toothpick in others eyes.

Regrettably, too many are trying to get something at any cost even if it means kissing someone’s feet to secure it.

Too many among us worship power and prefer to stay secure and poor rather than venture out into uncharted seas hand-in-hand with a great, powerful and adventurous God who promises to be with us and take care of our needs. Stand on the promises!

Teachers must teach our children how to stand for something, otherwise academia makes no sense. I assert that too many of our children are being miseducated, as too many of them are being taught by teachers who themselves lack self-esteem.

Some educators are poor examples of muscles and guts as they fold up even when approaching their principal on the simplest matter.

One thousand teenagers in our schools becoming pregnant in one year is testimony to the lack of self-esteem and self-worth, but what more is there to expect when many are being taught by unwed mothers?

Our ministry of education must have an intentional programme to address this cancerous matter; it continues to grind us down further below the ethical and moral surface. Our girls who are receiving or have received a good education must not allow themselves to be sex objects and end up having children before marriage. Many of our men, “dirty old” men especially, have a serious problem that is not being addressed and therefore they remain the chief perpetrators of this damnable occurrence.

If we are to progress we must defend a person’s right to dissent; we must agree to disagree in every facet and institution in society.

All our leaders must create a healthy atmosphere and protect and promote the rights of their subordinates to freedom of expression and the God given right to differ. Only a warped, colonial hangover can be responsible for this not being in place here in the Bahamas 40 plus years after independence.

Isn’t it unbelievably amazing that in a supposed post-colonial era black Bahamian leaders are equally or more so tyrannical and belittling than the white colonial masters during the dark ages of colonialism?

Bahamian leaders fail us where they are incapable of change, imitate the colonial masters and fail to mobilise persons to reach a new frontier. Enough is not being done by this generation of local leaders in liberating the minds and lives of our people. Many of us don’t ever create opportunities so as to listen, except in our little cliques. A former prime minster started out in office to meet with people one-on-one. Indeed this is commendable for all leaders, how unfortunate he allowed this to phase out.

Life on a whole in the Bahamas is riddled with fear and suspicion. All our leaders must frankly teach our people the indispensableness of our disagreeing with one another; it will always happen in both church and state.

We must teach that we are not trying to achieve uniformity nor conformity in matters, but rather we aim at the higher ground of unity within or diversity. It is untrue to believe that only in the political realm there is a problem with this; it is so stronger in religious circles. We are hardly tolerant of opposing views. A Bahamian normally folds up and expresses no opinion when he sees himself being ignored or trampled on and consequently uses the weapon of avoidance as he “cools out” while the “Hitler” leader wonders why he is not being supported.

Leaders today, especially in the church and state, must allow more, much more open dialogue with those with whom they work and share leadership, remembering that they are not the only persons endowed with wisdom.

We must assist our people to open up, help them realise their own self-worth and importance, and consequently we all will benefit and be the stronger for it.

Love and respect are twins of a productive environment. Mistrust prevails when we fail to give birth to them; they are born only in a healthy relationship which can only come into being through dialogue and social intercourse. We must feel so secure that we can allow others, even dissenters, into our bosoms without fear. Leadership must not make us only erudite, but approachable and humble as well. This way we would be just like Jesus, the epitome of humility. Hear him say to us, “I did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life a ransom for many.”