Having a whale of a time, Nineveh to Negril
Published:Thursday | October 6, 2022 | 12:07 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
Well, goodness knows that God really watches over all creatures. Is it possible that a Jonah may be marching on our coastlands issuing warnings to our islanders? The whale could have been reluctant, as Jonah was, but (had) to go to Jamaica nonetheless, among other things boosting visitor arrival in this 60th anniversary of Independence !
Is this a sign of God’s grace? Then may we in Jamaica, like the residents of Nineveh, repent of all our evil? Surely let us hear the word of the Lord. This even as we wail justifiably for loss of human life, reduced standards of living and other ‘minuses’.
Whatever the tale and your take, it is a beautiful story of the wide variety of tourist attractions to Jamaican resorts. A whale guided to safety by God’s hands and all those trained response teams. A proud epic historical Jamaica day! Excellent learning opportunity for our children to see veterinarian, Jamaica Defence Force, police and other relevant interest groups in coordinated teamwork.
But you can’t blame the whale. With all the tourist advertisements, the creature must at some time have heard all the great Jamaican reggae (music) beckoning a trip? Whale visiting for a dream weekend? Florida was now out of the question at the time for vacation, so Negril was a welcomed option?
This miraculous nature event is a sign of God’s mercy.
Everlasting forgiveness when we deliberately break the laws. In the catastrophic storms, we often lose our bearing and get trapped out of our depth. “Fi true, it rough out deh.” A tough ocean floor with the bones of our ancestors crossing every sad middle passage. Flung by forces stronger than ourselves, the hand of God still protects. Whale, you survived the odds in the turbulent weather. You must have had some mystical connection in your journey with our DNA.
The whale gave us a whale of a good time but, like all visitors, there is no place like your own home. For the whale, the very depths of the beautiful ocean. What would be dangerous for the greatest Olympian swimmer is your terrain. Hey whale, thanks for blessing our shores!
P.S. Tell them all Jamaica was really good to you, ... expert turnings ... great massages.
HELEN-ANN ELIZABETH