The metaphysical foundations of the church were laid in a crucial conversation between Jesus and Peter. At the heart of this conversation were three questions. Two were stated explicitly and the third implied: If we can recognize that the human drama in its entirety is the mission to define self, (whether that self be individual … More Language and Identity
In human terms, the ability to choose and the experience or exercise of power are so intertwined as to be virtually synonymous. By definition, powerlessness is the absence of the capacity to choose. Power exists therefore only in the presence of choice, and effective or meaningful power is the ability to align choice with intention … More Reflections on Peace, Power and Pain
In pre-independent Jamaica, government, for the most part, was instrument of exploitation; while church was, in the main, nurturer of society, catalyst of change and defender of the people… or so goes one narrative among others seeking to provide leadership in our emerging Caribbean civilization. That perspective that sees church and school ideally as chief … More Pools of Knowledge, Pillars of Power: Coming in from the cold
“The settlement of Jamaica was not financed by any joint-stock company as in New England or Virginia; or by any lord proprietor offering venture capital, as in some Southern colonies in the USA; or by the Crown as in some other colonies. Some early Jamaicans brought their wealth from Barbados and Nevis. Others acquired wealth … More Resilience or Reliance: The courage to embrace brave old ways
I really would love to wish everybody a happy new year, but even if one is possible, I am not seeing how we in the region are preparing ourselves to receive it. I recommend the following two somber but solid speeches below from CARICOM chairman, Mia Motley and the Caribbean’s most senior statesman, Prime Minister … More Jamaica land we love -The stories we tell
The tension between a fundamentalist approach and an ecumenical approach to Christian faith constantly manifests itself in our ability to conduct and maintain constructive, productive and supportive relationships within the church, which best facilitates the harnessing of our collective pool of resources and creates the broadest platform of leadership that Caribbean Civilization so desperately needs, … More Dissociation, Disconnection, Dissonance
May the refreshing of joy, the renewal of hope, and the invitation to peace that is associated with every celebration of Christ (Missa Christus or Christ Mass) be your portion in this season. One of the attendant features of Theophany is an increase in the phenomenon of dreams and visions. This is certainly true of … More Mine eyes have seen the Glory
Being still fixated on describing the Beloved Community, my ‘Hephzibah’, (one generally does not deliberately arrive at a destiny that has not first been identified and articulated) … and this generation no longer resonates with the dreams of their ancestors, whether Garvey or M.L. King, Isaiah or St Augustine, no longer having an appreciation of … More The Healing Community
I had two significant conversations this week that clarified certain matters for me. Firstly, my brother was home from Atlanta and we had an intimate conversation about The Church and Sexuality. I shared with him my encounters with the late Ambassador Peter King, perhaps Jamaica’s most notorious homosexual. I rarely share those stories to avoid … More Public Advocacy vs. Christian Evangelism
In my previous blog, A Futile conversation, my aim was to provoke interest as well as reflection on how and why we do the conversation thing, whether publicly or privately. I think its a remarkable sign of the times that political and religious conversations are marked by a spirit of pride as opposed to one … More Shared Understanding
