The Tribune

By Rev Canon S

Sebastian Campbell

THERE is no denying we are in “the silly season”. Any object that can be used as missile will be hurled into flight, for one reason and one reason alone: to hurt and thus score political brownie points.

Many objects are being hurled in a senseless manner in a bid to win or hold on to power. And after we have destroyed characters and torn asunder the fabric of our national life, who will put “Humpty Dumpty” together again?

How far are we to carry this stupidity? Well let’s add to a chorus that is being sung:

Where the VAT money gone? Let add to this chorus the following:

• Where the custom duty money gone?

• Where the real property tax money gone?

• Where the vehicle licensing money gone?

• Where the immigration money gone?

• Where stamp tax money gone?

Need we go on?

When the last ballot is counted and some semblance of common sense has returned to our country we will need intestinal fortitude to address the following:

• Spiritual drought

• Juvenile delinquency

• Misguided children

• Broken-up relationships; messed up homes

• Unemployment, underemployment and the unemployable

• Family Island underdevelopment

• Stupid crime wave

• Mistrust and corruption at all levels of national life

• Unabated alcoholism

• Drug wave, despite with our greatest efforts to eradicate it

• Out of control illegal immigration with economic refugees

• Seventy-five per cent illegitimacy rate

• Squalor conditions

Will the marches continue even after the last ballot is counted? We have a country to salvage. Thank God we have shoulders on which to stand, great examples from our history. From them we must learn to build hand-in-hand together.

Whoever the personalities in office, they will be Bahamians around whom we must throw a protective shield and who we must cheer on, knowing that, “we can do all things through Christ Jesus,” the Lord of the Bahamas.

Again, I call on the Church to lead the way and stop getting in the way of national progress, and thus play a leading role in holding the fabric of our society together, more so now during election time.

Even from pulpits tantrums have and continue to be thrown, but to what avail? Let us take the high road and give pastoral care, on the sidelines, in our offices, on the phone, but always being cognizant of the fact that all politicians should come under the protective shields of the pastors of the flock of God.

Politicians are real people with real needs and short-comings. Most of them look for divine guidance. The Church must not be so compromised and guilty of “throwing stones” that it becomes suspect and fails to be “a shelter in the time of storm”.

Our Bahamas is blessed and has been over these past 50 years of Majority Rule. We are the beneficiaries of some of the greatest leaders ever to govern in this entire region. Our continuous governance over these decades transcends any and all in the Caribbean. We are the recipients of three of the best prime ministers in the British Commonwealth (Pindling, Ingraham and Christie). Because of their leadership we are the envy of the region. The ‘crazy’ among us who complain the most will not walk or fly away from this great treasure.

My Bahamian people must by necessity learn to celebrate life so that we can be less stressed and depressed. Talk show hosts need to raise the bar and set higher standards, especially for chronic callers, or should we say perpetual rowers and hate-mongers. Even now they are gearing up with more vengeance to spew out on our Christian society where true love ought always be to in evidence.

Who will win this election?

Well, the same as those who will lose – Bahamians. Don’t we proclaim in our pledge, “One people united in love and service.” Anyone or group that threatens this unity must be condemned.

Door-to-door campaigning is now in full swing. Let us welcome them all into our homes and chart sensible, broad-based conversations. Let our questions be centered on the ongoing development of our country. Let us avoid character assassination, pulling people’s bag down, backstabbing and the like.

Let us hold the winners of the election to their promises for the ongoing development of our nation and building on what is in place. Pray we never again stand idly by and not speak out against victimisation of our people and that the “stop, review and cancel” syndrome will never again rear its ugly head. Then, when the election is over, pray we have less wounds to heal and that the campaign generals will be converted into Evangelists for their churches, still knocking on doors, but now trying to win souls for the Lord with a platform of Christian charity.