Save Me!

And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Jesus means “The Lord saves.” Matt 1:21

And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved. Acts 4:12

Great teacher, compelling historical figure, Babylon's invention, take your pick.
As for me, I reflect on one thing this time of year, "He will save his people from their sins". For people only interested in the ethical teachings of Jesus or the political aspects of His life, this might not mean much but for a man who needs saving, this means everything. This man can save me and I need saving. I need to be rescued, not only from danger outside of myself but from the corruption that arises from within.

I am happy that Jesus means " The LORD saves" not man will save. This is comforting and liberating to me for several reasons. If you have ever struggled to be a better person than you are, more unselfish in your actions, more pure in your thoughts and desires but somehow you kept falling short, imperfect still, then this should be comforting. The man, the person Jesus, makes a bold claim, He will save you! 



I am grateful that the message about Jesus is in sharp contrast to other views that tell me my good works will be my salvation.My ideas, the number of my moral actions, the people and places I serve, the funds I give etcetera, will remove the nagging feeling, the true feeling, that I am not intrinsically good and perfect. 

The Truth is, secretly I always knew. I knew whenever I hurt somebody I claimed to love, whenever I was less than honest. Whenever  I felt hostility towards my fellow man.


So, in the midst of the family gatherings, friendly interactions, food and travel,I remember that it is GOD who does the saving. I cannot and couldn't save myself from the pride that caused me to be stubborn or to demean or hurt others by my words and actions. I could not save myself from the "me, myself and I" syndrome. I could not save myself from the multiple dangers to soul and body on the roads this past year, but God gave grace.

I am grateful then, not for a historical figure, or a story or a concept about a GOD who became like one of us, I am grateful that the person, called Jesus is my savior. 

What is the mission of this generation?

The mission of this generation is to build. Build from locally sourced materials. I hope that we don't limit this building I am talking about to infrastructure either. For as much as I want us to build these things, we must work just as hard if not harder to build altars of prayer in our homes and communities.

We must labour long and hard to build strong families and communities. I make no apologies to say that the family I envision is of a man and his wife and his children, adopted or otherwise.

We need to find a way as a people to understand that if all we do is consume but never contribute, never create, we will not make it. Bankers, Venture peeps,get more creative in creating the environment for the creatives to cultivate a better tomorrow for all of us.

Don't forget the poor! Church, Prayer is good, pray much but after we pray, we must plan and then we must get up and work! Don't just decry the state and long for heaven, work to change it.

Sunsets and Canvas Messages

I was doing a bit of reading on the artistic movement  Expressionism recently and came across the quote below by the artist Edvard Munch. 


"I was walking along the road with two friends. The sun set. I felt a tinge of melancholy. Suddenly the sky became a bloody red. I stopped, leaned against the railing, dead tired. And I looked at the flaming clouds that hung like blood and a sword over the blue-black fjord and city. My friends walked on. I stood there, trembling with fright. And I felt a loud, unending scream piercing nature."

The experience above inspired the painting you see to your left (It is titled the scream). I found the quote fascinating  for a number of reasons but especially because of the parallels with Paul's thoughts in Romans 8:19-22

"For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope  that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now"

GOD Speaks in many ways, it is only a matter of who is listening. The sadness expressed in the work by Munch, the contorted individual in the foreground and the somber almost foreboding mood of the surrounds is a fitting picture of the state of mind of many people. It could easily be a poem by Sylvia Plath about her struggles with depression. 

Our separation from GOD has dire consequences for us as humans. We need a bridge to reconnect to purpose and meaning in life. We need a bridge, a better bridge than the one depicted in Munch's painting. A bridge we can't construct, but God can and he did when he sent Jesus. Jesus is the bridge we need to  reconnect with GOD and satisfy our deepest longings. 

Philosophy helped us to formulate the right questions, Psychology provides a framework for understanding our emotions and thoughts. Math, Physics and Engineering help us to build concepts, constructs and buildings to fence out the marauding thoughts of emptiness but in the end, like Munch we are still hearing the scream.

The prince of peace in a gentle voice says, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden and overburdened, and I will cause you to rest".

I have Confidence in GOD,GOD has confidence in Me

I am overwhelmed by the thought that God has confidence in me. God believes in me! He permits me, even positions me to influence (lead) others. Reflecting on who I am, all my imperfections and frailties, I can do nothing else but pray for strength and humbly thank God for even thinking about me.

I am a leader in my home first and foremost, which means he has entrusted me with the privilege & responsibility of leading my wife. He has done this, knowing all He knows about me. If I complain about a kink in my armour, He asks, who makes all things? If I say I am weak, His strength is made perfect in my weakness.

How can I respond to such treatment, I respond by giving thanks. Gratefulness is often a lost art in our day of ultra-speed-living-eating, we don't stop to reflect enough and so we often don't express enough thanks to all the people who matter to us.

At the end of it all, I may never understand a number of the things GOD DOES, but I can confidently  trust WHO GOD IS (even if I am a figure-out-er at heart). This attitude is often the difference between: faith and frustration, confusion and clarity, growth and stagnation and between fruitfulness and busyness.

So today, I pause to say thanks to the LORD for trusting me to be and to do what counts. Thank you Jesus!

Life under the Whip

Through reflection I arrived at this conclusion. I don't need more knowledge, I need more character. People are literally dying because of moral failure. Like any man, I am in desperate need of God. 

It seems, at least for the moment, God's chosen method to form that character in me is discipline. Jesus  himself learnt obedience through suffering so who am I.  I can only join the great community of men and women who are disciplined by God. Not resenting him, but embracing and loving Him, even if I do not enjoy what I am going through.

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,    and chastises every son whom he receives.” (Hebrews 12: 5-14)

Recently, I have had to face some hardship. In fact, it would seem that the simplest of matters brings with it some level of resistance. Nevertheless, I have found great joy in the midst of my challenges. Yes! I know it sounds cliche, it almost seems untrue. How can anyone enjoy hardship? I wouldn't say I am enjoying the hardship as much as I am enjoying God's love and care for me. I see God protecting me from my self.

My challenges have forced me to seek the Lord and to see the Lord. What answers have I received, the first is that I am a son  (accepted in God's family). I am no longer a slave but a son. Even in suffering my identity remains true. God is no longer my enemy; Like Mephibosheth I sit at the table. I am disabled, I don't belong but I am at the table. I am welcomed by the lover  of my soul the one who gave His all.

Secondly, whatever God does to me, arises out of his perfections. He is never unjust in his dealings with us. In addition, he is driven by love. He loves me so much, it may even pain him but he has to flog me to get me in line. He has to align my life to his plans for me.  

Thirdly and finally, I am not alone. God promises to comfort me, he does this first of all by providing me with Clarity.  Clarity is a source of great joy for me at this time. It is the ground on which I build my house of hope for the future. What is my future? I get to share in God's Holiness. That is an enthralling thought for an imperfect man, who has his fare share of wicked ways and evil thoughts!

We tend to think that it is sin, flesh or the devil that is causing our problems. For some, the first thought is  "them Obeah me" or for some of my ultra-spiritual friends, "it must be demonic attack". The truth is sometimes, GOD is the one who is our problem. We need to search the scriptures and prayerfully seek God about what is happening with us. Sometimes, He gives clarity sometimes He doesn't. Whatever He decides to do though, time spent with GOD is never wasted. 

Just remember "as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you" (Duet 8:5)

To Preach or Not to Preach that is the question: 

Should Jamaican public bus Preachers pronounce a Benedict-ion and resign from the practice.

Jamaica Gleaner Photo

The debate continues to rage in Jamaica about preaching on public buses. From those who gladly embrace the ban, imposed by the Jamaica Urban Transit Company Ltd. (JUTC) management, to those who think that their right to free speech is being infringed, the voices are loud on both sides of the fence. 

As for me, I think there is a deeper issue that needs to be considered. That is, the use of public space and the tension between “my space” and what is considered to be “free for all” space. The fact of the matter is, public space is shared space, thus mutual respect is necessary for good relations.

There are many people from very different socio-economic backgrounds and with different cultural mores often defined by family, who use the bus for one reason or another. No single group has a right to the bus more than another, although some people who are "regulars" seem to think they do.There is a general decline in recent years as it relates to the identification and respect for personal space.

This is manifested when the students enter with Cell phones blaring Dancehall or Hip Hop music, sometimes with inappropriate (based on your perspective) lyrics sometimes peppered with expletives. And also when the top of the lungs hell fire preachers (who must bully you into the kingdom of God or collect some rum money in the name of the Lord) or the Selassie Soldier who must chant down Babylon so the whole bus can get a headache. This is all to the chagrin of those who just want a timely ride to their chosen destination. 

This context is ripe for cultural tensions. This phenomenon isn't new, listen to Professor Nuts "Inna the bus" for a history lesson. Now what does this have to with bus preaching? I suggest, that budding preachers be considerate of the audience they which to serve. Consider, that some people have had a tough night or morning  and might not appreciate the loudness of the preaching so reduce the volume somewhat if you must preach. Consider how long is spent as well, I suggest 15 minutes as the maximum time so as not to weary the listeners from which you are seeking support. 

Finally, one can consider not preaching at all, the debate has be raging about preaching, how about reading a scripture and praying some Christ-centred prayers (in short). After all, the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul (Psalm 19:7) That approach might prove to be less disturbing to some of the commuters but still bear fruit for the gospel. We as children of God must love people, love is kind, lets be kind to the ears of our listeners.

Orthodox Christianity as Unorthodox Security

Conservative Christianity as the basis of Family Security

Conservative Christianity emphasizes many things, major on the list is often prayer. Jesus himself spent significant amounts of time in prayer and encouraged his disciples  to "pray and don't lose heart" (St. Luke 18) and Men in particular are encouraged to pray (1 Timothy 2:8).

One of the biggest concerns for many Jamaicans is the security(of life, property & community ). May I propose a security alternative that is a bit unorthodox and unconventional but dear I say, effective. May I suggest that you secure your family inside the burglar bars of prayer and fasting informed by bible reading and study. 

I was challenged today to reflect on the way we live our lives as Jamaicans and as Christians. Especially, as it relates to the way we pursue securing our families. We often think of security in terms of burglar bars, automatic gate opening systems, licensed firearms etc. Wonderful as these physical things are, ultimately they fall short. 

To comprehensively secure our families in Jamaica at this moment in time, our security efforts must be both physical and spiritual. In addition to the physical systems we now have, we also need to build a relationship with GOD through Jesus and nurture that relationship especially in the home. This can be done in many ways, practically this might include: family devotions, bible instruction for life decisions, but chiefly prayer in the family.

Through prayer, we exalt GOD and hide our lives in HIM. Prayer is the way we guard ourselves and our children against not only the malicious or misguided acts of wicked men, but also against the harmful ideas that will ruin our families.

If we fail to "grill up" our homes not house but homes with prayer, our very family members my end up victims by participating or suffering in the next wave of wickedness that sweeps across the land bringing death and destruction. Can we afford to neglect prayer, this very important work? I personally don't think so, what about you?

Here what Jeremiah the Old Testament prophet says,

For death has come up through our windows;
It has entered our palaces
To cut off the children from the streets,
The young men from the town squares 

(Jeremiah 9:21)

Death is sure, how we live determines how we fare against the formidable foe. Relationship with Jesus guarantees victory over death.