The Tribune

By MALCOLM STRACHAN

THIS past week, the nation was overcome with widespread fear and anxiety of the potentially catastrophic landfall of Hurricane Irma. As we watched forecasts showing the storm increase in power in the days leading up to its first impact on the Leeward Islands, and the destruction it left in its wake afterwards on its way to Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Haiti, we prayed for a miracle to happen.

The Bahamas, no stranger to its abundance of hurricane season miracles, has suffered massive damage to the southern and northern islands in previous years, but nowhere near to the destruction we’ve seen taking place in other countries. People from Anguilla, Barbuda and the other countries affected, no longer have places to call home. The regularity of what was once their lives, is no more. These people have suffered – for most Bahamians – what would be unimaginable losses.

Yet, somehow, we delude ourselves into believing that this is what should be. We mislead ourselves greatly by thinking this is normal. We believe that because we pray so hard that God keeps us safe from the massive terrors that people from other countries experience – as if they are pagans or don’t know God as well as we do.

When it all boils down, we must reflect and ask: “Do we truly conduct ourselves as a nation of God-fearing people when so much is wrong in our society?” Truthfully, as much as I love my country, if ignorance were a disease, maybe 90% of our population would be on their deathbeds. Sadly, we don’t have to look much further than how we act towards one another for evidence that the innate love that bounded us together is no longer as prevalent as it used to be.

Last year during Hurricane Matthew, Bahamians had an opportunity to respond to a tragedy in a manner which was greater than ourselves. We had a chance to unite and be galvanised as a nation – something that the lack thereof has eroded the very fabric of who we are as a society. Far gone from a people that was comprised of communities, we have - and with good reason to - grown more and more distrustful of one another and have become individualistic.

However, in tragic events, people are ideally supposed to come together as brothers and sisters to aid in their time of need. When destruction causes the things that separate us as human beings – material wealth, social status, etc. - to cease to exist, and we all are faced with the need to survive, we realise a singularity of our collective being that we otherwise wouldn’t experience.

This may have lasted for a short time after Matthew. But it wasn’t long after the storm had passed that people forgot how vulnerable they felt. They forgot what it felt like to be gripped by fear, knowing that it was only God who could protect them.

The criminals knew that loading their guns that they use to kill and rob their brothers and sisters to protect them from the storm would be fruitless. The crooked politicians knew that no amount of money stolen from the people could have prevented the imminent destruction. The false prophets knew that God would not hear their vain prayers.

They all seemed to have forgotten that making it through another storm would only be possible if protected in the loving hands of God.

As videos of people looting a Chinese business’ vehicle circulated through social media, you begin to realise just how far from God we really are, and why calling ourselves a “Christian Nation” couldn’t be more blasphemous.

We have some real godless, ignorant and arrogant people living among us. We are surrounded by those who dare to expect God to protect them throughout a storm that has taken lives and destroyed the ones it spared but live thanklessly. They don’t see it as a blessing from a merciful and loving God. They see it as what is supposed to happen – all signs of a people that do not have the fitness to endure true tragedy, as they are quite confused about who God is.

Are you one of those people among us that – for your own sins - is going to cause suffering to the people who truly are overcome with emotion and thanksgiving at God’s goodness?

It is truly disheartening to see the way some Bahamians behaved during this week.

Shamelessly, the criminals exploited the opportunity to enrich themselves through looting and also to violently settle scores with enemies.

One must wonder, have we lost all humanity?

Sinking to an even lower level of disgrace, the embarrassment that the Johnson family has placed on our nation is stomach-turning. Claiming to seek refuge from Hurricane Irma in Canada and going as far as to set up a GoFundMe account to swindle caring people out of their hard-earned money is a clear sign that we live among people who do not fear God.

We also have to look within. We clamour to Facebook and WhatsApp as we would a church seeking refuge, counsel, connections and belonging. Is this the new world we want - text messaging, memes, vines and videos designed specifically to exploit one person or another? We have become so cynical and desensitised - simply tweeting or texting our distaste for others without considering its piercing effects. After all, most of these tragedies aren’t personal, right? I mean, it didn’t happen to you - so you say your piece on Facebook, emotionally disconnect and go back to your regular life. And then that moment comes – when the terror hits so close to home that it feels like time stops and you look up to the heavens and say, ‘Why me God’. Yet, some are never are able to grasp the concept that our distance from each other also distances us from the One who created us.

We will all face hard truths, and without a doubt, hardships. Will any of these numerous so-called friends spread across these social outlets save you? It’s a question of reality, and knowing what is escapism, what is distraction and knowing what is truly real.

We have become so jaded and numbed by social media that we are now only moved by the most grotesque, vicious and ill-natured of human behaviour, and we look only to comment on them, to criticise and judge others. Some of us within our own circles have become prophets and priests preaching from a larger pulpit to a greater and hungrier congregation. But we are false prophets, hiding behind our profile names or aliases – spineless and weak. Jesus, the archetype for whom all should aspire to be like in a truly Christian nation, spoke to a crowd from a hilltop. He was not faceless.

All things considered, how can we truly refer to ourselves as a Christian nation? We are plagued by violence, corruption, ignorance, jealousy, wickedness and a dangerously false sense of entitlement.

Indeed, we are on a dangerous path brothers and sisters; one I fear that will end in a tragedy that will shock the world. Families will be displaced. Lives will be lost. Wrongs will be righted because vengeance is the Lord’s and we have certainly abused his loving kindness.

Nonetheless, we are truly a blessed nation to have been living outside of God for as long as we have been and for as ungrateful as we have been. The Bible tells us that many nations have fallen for turning away from God, yet we ignore this doctrine for the promotion of our own selfish desires. The Bible also speaks of the time that we are living in as well – where brother will turn against brother and the world would see some of the most terrifying natural calamities known to man. If some of us are willing to remove our blinders, we would see it as well.

Rest assured Bahamas, something is coming. We may not know the year, month nor the hour, but it surely is coming. And when it does, the blame will fall squarely upon us.

Hopefully then, if we are able to find our way back to each other, we will also be able to find our way back to God.

• What do you think? Send comments to insight@tribunemedia.net