Symbolism without effort is just words

THE EDITOR, Madam:

This year re-enacted what was done by Bob Marley at the One Love Peace Concert in 1978, when he joined the hands of then Prime Minister Michael Manley (PNP) and Leader of Opposition Edward Seaga (JLP) at the height of what was dubbed a political civil war between the two leading political parties.

The question of our yearly rites of passage, enshrined in what we do, begs for a deeper examination. My opinion is that these rites are embedded in symbolism. Is symbolism good or bad? Does it address the issues that are prevailing in the nation, yes or no? The word ‘symbolism’, in this context, can be described as ‘the idea that things represent other things’.

Political symbolism is ‘symbolism that is used to represent a political standpoint or party’. With that said, I wish to laud what the Jamaica Umbrella Group of Churches (JUGC) attempted to achieve on January 3, 2024.

Symbolism does not change persons unless you change the heart, and no amount of symbolic gestures will do so unless the Creator, God Almighty, is in the mix. Was there a revisit of any of the policies that kept us bound in 2023 or prior before this outward show? Have we experienced any shift since the commencement of this year?

I am disappointed not because of the Church’s involvement, but because the Church is aware of what is happening in Jamaica, but, like the spiralling of the Jamaican dollar in another era, waited until the stench of crime and violence escalated before this outward show of unification.

Additionally, Prime Minister Andrew Holness stated that it was our year of change, and while I do not want to tie it to the leap year or the year leading up to our next general election, I do wonder. As the chair of the JUGC stated, “In their hands are the responsibility of the nation. They are entrusted to be good stewards of this nation, to lead and to direct under the direction of the Lord Jesus Christ.”And that is what the container symbolises; the unity and the oneness required in Jamaica. I am hopeful, but mindful that symbolism without effort is just words, which would make this another fruitless National Prayer Breakfast.

PRINCESS C-ANNMARIE