Supporting CARICOM’s call for reparatory justice

Last week, we started looking at the Bishop’s Charge delivered by The Most Rev Dr The Hon Howard Gregory, Archbishop of the West Indies & Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

A timely reminder was given to the 153rd Annual Synod as Bishop Gregory observed, “While not discounting in any way the value of reparative justice, our mission today is not to spend our time contemplating retribution for our enslavers, but to show ourselves to be agents for the promotion of the empowerment and well-being of our people who are descendants of the enslaved and who continue to be victims of a legacy of enslavement. With the arrival of episcopal leadership and the establishment of this Diocese, we have been a significant force in the development of this nation, primarily through education, social service, the pursuit of social justice and ministry to the poor and vulnerable. In addition, this Diocese has offered to the nation outstanding leaders who have contributed to its development in normal times and in times of crisis, such as that offered by Archbishop Enos Nuttall and Bishop Percival Gibson.”

Many will recall that Nuttall hospital was named after Archbishop Nuttall. Then there is the much-celebrated Kingston College which was founded by Bishop Percival Gibson. Kingston College was founded at a time when poor black boys needed access to secondary education since, they were only able to get primary education. The Right Reverend Percival Gibson was also the first principal of Kingston College, which has produced some of the finest nation-builders who continue to carry the motto: Fortis Cadere Cedere Non Potest (The brave may fall but never yield).

TRANSFORMATIVE MERCY

A much-needed reminder was given by the Bishop as he noted, “For many Christians and congregations, when we think of Mission, we think of charity and the operation of soup kitchens and the handing out of a few care packages. While there is no question that people stand in need of the basic necessities of life which these ministries offer, the biblical scholar, Walter Brueggemann, offers a useful critique of this position by advancing the notion of transformative mercy, in contrast to what may be seen as mercy that fosters dependence, and so he says, and I quote:

“Alms, that is, many ministries of charity, provide maintenance help and welcome custodial relief; the importance of such aid should not be understated. They do not, however, in themselves provide any chance for transformation.

Almsgiving might sustain the beggar in a world where the silence is never broken, but when silence is broken …something very different becomes possible.”

The breaking of silence and the empowerment and transformation of the life of our people must be concepts at the centre of our vision for the mission of the church in this nation.”

Matters concerning democracy, economics and the environment were not forgotten. “As a nation, we have recently gone through local government elections with less than 30 per cent of the population participating in the electoral process. It speaks to a serious threat to our democratic system of governance, as the outcome to such a minimal level of participation is governance by a minority government. So, look at it, in a country that is evenly divided, it means that 15 per cent of the electorate could be the ones determining the government of this nation. Rather than being simply a concern regarding statistics, it points to a high level of alienation, cynicism, and a lack of trust in the process and institutions of governance. Street protests by persons and communities are vivid expressions that they feel that their interest is not a matter of serious concern, not just in relation to roads and water supply, but when they have to deal with pollution and the negative impact stemming from the operation of big business on their life, as surfaces regularly with the fish kills in the Rio Cobre and the disputes surrounding bauxite mining communities.”

These again are words of wisdom. However, at a time when it is common to disregard the voice of the Church, we must beware of missing the sage reflection and guidance which comes from our own prophetic Jamaican leadership.

REFOCUSING OUR MISSION

His Grace was also quite relevant in stating, “The prophet Amos, for example, lived around 750 BC when there was political stability in Israel and there was economic prosperity for many who became wealthy and were able to live a life of luxury. Sounds familiar? But, as is often the case, prosperity brought with it a collapse of moral standards. They paid scant attention to the great ideals and commandments of the Torah (the Law) with its imperative to help the poor, and to practise justice and lovingkindness. Consequently, those who enjoyed prosperity oppressed the poor; for those in positions of privilege and authority, ‘might was right’; and generally, it was an age of corruption. There was a general neglect of their relationship with God and the keeping of the Law. Not surprisingly then, in Amos 5 the prophet offers a scathing reflection on the leaders of the nation, pointing to the reversal that must take place in their life in verse 24. The prophet writes:

But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

Trickle down economic, social and political-guided philosophy of the nation was not working then for the common good, and I suggest that it is still not working now for those who feel left-out and abandoned.”

The Anglican Bishop did not mince words as he emphatically recalled, “In light of what has been advanced in terms of our history and our association with the experience of colonialism, and our commitment to be guardians of justice, we unashamedly affirm that a good place to begin at this time in refocusing our mission is for us to be engaged in the conversation concerning reparative justice at our congregational and national levels, and to join in lending our support, participation, and advocacy to the CARICOM Reparations Commission’s 10 Point Plan.

While we take note of the fact that the British Government has so far refused to engage the matter of reparative justice, an arm of the Church of England, the Church Commissioners, has acknowledged “ complicity in an abominable trade that still scars the lives of billions … and in penitence ... proposed the establishment and investment of 100 million pounds of permanent seed capital in communities damaged by African chattel enslavement’s legacy of racism and disadvantage.”

Fr Sean Major-Campbell is an Anglican priest and advocate for human dignity and human rights. Send feedback to seanmajorcampbell@yahoo.com or columns@gleanerjm.com.