My friend Pastor Fitzroy Wilson has informed me of a growing movement of people leaving institutional church called ‘Dunners’ (i.e done with church). It appears he is referring to fall out from the American Evangelical apostasy, but there is an equally strong exodus from the Catholic church as well, now going through serious existential crisis.
As I travel throughout Jamaica however, I am struck how many persons with a God connection see the church as totally unnecessary if not inconvenient to their life of faith. The church thing is there, but either does not connect with their reality….or negatively imposes on it.
Take Juliet who I met in St Thomas on Monday. Married 13 years. Claims to never have cheated on him once, nor he, as far as she knows, on her. Husband is her best friend. Raised 3 boys now adults (except the last one) whom they are very proud of, (first two in the military, all three play the piano) neither parent hit (beat) them once in raising them; they clearly have a parent / child love relationship (the two elder ones told both parents when they started having sex, and talk about everything,) she prays every day (talks and listens to God) but when asked about church – she responded with the typically Jamaican “Mi nuh ready”.
Flabbergasted, I asked her what could possibly be impeding her at this stage of life with a good marriage and family life and no social vices? It turns out that what she really meant was “mi nuh tink the church ready fi mi.” Church, for her, is associated with un-reality….and she supported that thesis anecdotally with fairly typical stories about Jamaican church people’s highfalutin ways .
Or Chevelle, who served me in a bar. A stranger had shown me kindness and in return I bought him a drink (more about that in a later blog). Entering the bar, I was singing, “Holy Spirit you are welcome here.” under my breath. Chevelle is still in sixth form so I’m sure she was standing in for the bartender. She’s unafraid of anything or anybody. She does attend a Pentecostal church from time to time, but it does not seem to be the major grounding of her spiritual life.
She talks to God everyday…and has heard externally audible responses. We had a rich spiritual exchange….along with the men outside amidst rum, spliff and cigarettes, focused on the ways of Justice and Truth that represent the Way of the Almighty. We had ‘church’ without the pulpit.
A majority of Jamaicans apparently operate outside of, or on the periphery of institutionalized church. An inundation of Spiritual revival and restoration throughout Jamaica land we love might not at all then be confined to church activities – worship services, crusades, prophetic conferences and the like.
People magnifying God in their conversations, being moved by synchronicity, sharing ‘God’ in every place where people gather, experiencing spontaneous acts of kindness and miracles through prayer may have much stronger effect. – A God who knows the name, genealogy and life-story of every Jamaican citizen just moving through every day people to REMEMBER, HEAL and RESTORE.
Such a movement might not have a name, nor even distinguishing religious doctrines (Uh oh! Now here come the church police…)….but it might promise to restore righteousness to our community life and hope to our country.
See also Strengthening that which remains
YeKengalé 