A call to social action and social justice

Calling all preachers, deacons, theological students, lay and ordained ministers, and all who would speak a prophetic word in our time! Preaching in Jamaican Seasons by the Reverend Dr Devon Dick, pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church (in St Andrew, Jamaica) is a text for your inspiration and enlightened study.

This enlightening collection of sermons met the objective of being prophetic, therapeutic, and educational. It is most fitting at a time when many self-appointed folks prance around under the title of ‘prophet’ while causing harm through much drama and abuse of power. A prophetic word is, however, one that is applicable in terms of a particular people, time, and place.

Early in the text, I wondered what was in store as I read, “In addition to a knowledge of the local heritage and history, the Jamaican preacher needs an understanding of global trends – the thinking behind a new definition of gender which is now determined by the idea of ‘who I feel I want to be’; a common belief that one should not be restricted in sharing erotic love with whoever; the position that certain criticisms, though not libellous, can be classified as hate speech…” Since gender is much more than what one “feels that one wants to be” then I wondered if the reader would be in for some anti-human rights sentiments.

It was refreshing to read the flow of a theologically liberating engagement of the human condition in our Jamaican seasons, and in the light of holy scripture. In a 2020 sermon, Start a Moral Revolution, the preacher notes, “We need a moral revolution to tackle issues of hunger, hardship and scandal. And what would a moral revolution look like? We must be aware of the enablers of evil, we must advocate on behalf of persons who are exploited and, finally we must be active in the fight for equality.”

Jamaica needs this message now! “The moral revolution requires us to treat all people with dignity and civility. Serve people compassionately and personally. We do not scorn anyone. We do not stigmatise anyone. We support people who are weak. If there is one place where we ‘guard each person’s dignity and save each person’s pride’, it must be in the community of faith, the church.” Just imagine if we really took to heart the preacher’s admonition. “Everybody else may see colour, creed, class, disease or status. But in here, we observe equality, and we outdo one another in showing honour. We must first see their humanity and their need. Let us help especially those who are neglected by the State.”

The consistent theme of advocacy for the oppressed is welcome as is the call for affirmation of human dignity. In another sermon, Living in Partnership, preached at the Jamaica Baptist Union Assembly opening service in 2018, Devon Dick noted, “Dignity is a gift from God to each one of us. No one has more dignity than another person. It is a sacred divine endowment granted by our having been created in the image of God. Therein lies the sanctity of human dignity upon which rests the immeasurable worth of every single human being, barring none. All humans are equal in dignity. The implications of this are vast.”

If we are honest about a society that is comfortable with classism, we immediately get the wisdom and inspiration informing the writer’s profound message in service of humanity and to the glory of God. Is the church ready though for messages that challenge the status quo and disturb our treasured places of privilege and prejudice? Sadly, the space off church has also been one of pain for many who felt the stigma and discrimination due to their address or station in life. Too many Jamaicans will readily identify with reasons for these words. “It is wicked to label, stereotype, classify and categorize people in order to demean God’s creations.”

It is an encouraging read, to see a Jamaican pastor advancing an appreciation for an egalitarian society. The Cambridge Dictionary defines ‘egalitarian’ as, “believing that all people are equally important and should have the same rights and opportunities in life”. The writer unequivocally states, “The outworking of embracing community living will be a lifetime of commitment to ecumenism, evangelism and an egalitarian society. It is to affirm a community of equals and to respect our diversity. It is to embrace our interdependence and interrelatedness.”

Jamaica needs this affirmation of “living in partnership through humility, dignity, civility and community”.

This pertinent text for Jamaica explores what a moral agenda would entail, while presenting seven principles that we should depend on. The collective church is invited to engage for the common good and all this awaits the reader with a quest for critical thinking from the space of church. This is a celebration of community and country as the gospel is preached in word and action. It is a call to social action and social justice.

“We must be emancipation loving, justice seeking believers, based on the value of equality of all and justice for all. We need to declare a message of liberation. This means we have to engage in advocacy. We need to advocate on behalf of persons who are lost, left out, left behind and considered losers, and become the voice of the voiceless.”

Then there is the sermon for the funeral of the oldest woman in the world, the sermon for the funeral of a teenager, and the sermon for the funeral of a child. All significant moments across the lifespan which impact the heart and soul of a nation where many children are lost in tragic circumstances. The preacher in pastoral mode declares the word from Psalm 34:18, “The Lord is close to the broken-hearted.”

Many of us ask this question too in challenging times, “How can we find happiness in this dark world of heartbreak?” The preacher then invites us on a journey that includes an acknowledgement that there is no guarantee that we will never have another heartbreak, but that God will be with us during and after the heartbreak.

The voices of the prophetic, the pastoral and the teaching are indeed alive in this work that is germane to Jamaica’s challenges in these times. The closing call to repentance and baptism inspiringly applies to the individual, even as it may be applied to the nation. Remorseful confession and radical change are indeed needed. May we look again with this inspired servant on the question of ‘why it is often difficult for many people to repent?’ A renewal awaits the seeker of change and transformation for a better Jamaica and a church in the life of the Spirit.

Fr Sean Major-Campbell is an Anglican priest and advocate for human rights seanmajorcampbell@yahoo.com