When I was approached about writing an article in order to help launch the first edition for the New Year – 2025, I must admit that the request came at a time when I felt myself having fallen into a very deep creative hole – mired within the shadows of cynicism. And even if there were inspired thoughts that I had to share with others, the words which I would have needed to convey them were as dry, ungerminated seeds which had fallen upon rocky ground or upon desert sand. The developments on the world stage, especially leading up to what transpired here in the United States, have left me nonplused. The more things changed, alluding to an old saying, was the more they seemed to have stayed the same. The following lyrics of a love song made popular by the American singer Perry Como, though with a positive theme, poetically conveyed to me this seemingly futile, disappointing, discouraging, tragic and circular nature of life of which I speak: “Find a wheel, and it goes round, round, round As it skims along with a happy sound As it goes, along the ground, ground, ground ‘Till it leads you to the one you love! Then your love, will hold you round, round, round And your heart’s a song with a brand new sound And your head, goes spinnin’ round, round, round ‘Cause you found what you’ve been dreamin’ of!” Putin of Russia continues to prosecute a war which, for all intents and purposes, is being waged in an attempt to restore the old Russian Empire. Thousands upon thousands have perished as a result. He has, obviously, not learned anything from his autocratic predecessors, that is, unless, he knows something about achieving such ends that they were not privy to. But is not that the way of all tyrants the world over? And round and round we go. Netanyahu of Israel continues to use the language of self-defence to commit the wholesale, unspeakable and disproportionate extermination of innocent Palestinian citizens in Gaza in response to the ugly and distasteful atrocities committed by Hamas against innocent Israeli citizens in October of 2023. The Israeli prime minister has been doing this with the moral and material support of the United States of America. Separate from the negative talk on the matter of economic inflation, I believe that the Biden Administration’s support for the war helped the DNC to lose the reins of power in the White House and in the Congress. But, nobody in this saga, Netanyahu in particular, seemed to have learned anything from history. And round and round we go. The right-wing political oligarchic forces in Europe and the United States, in their rabid quest for power, have also not learned anything from the long list of protests, of riots, of rebellions, of revolutions, and of coup d’états which have occurred throughout the centuries. The recent expulsion of the Bashar al-Assad regime from Syria has, obviously, fallen on deaf ears and has hit the blind spots of many. And America’s infatuation with political leaders who embrace propagandistic, oligarchic, racist, misogynistic, nativistic, and religious discriminatory policies seem to have come full circle with the election of Mr. Donald Trump, despite his glaring and hugely embarrassing criminal record. The heads of many Americans went “spinnin’ round, round, round” until they “found what” they’ve “been dreamin’ of!” Our Jamaican politicians also appear to have learned nothing as it can be deduced from their childish bickering and their woeful tribalism, amidst mounting allegations of favoritism and corruption within the current Holness Administration. Where are the statesmen and women? Where are the Norman Manleys and the Donald Sangsters? On the Caribbean and the international scene the person who seems to be setting the example for the leaders of the world – one who is a bright light of hope burning against the night-sky – is the Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, SC, MP. And so, within this intellectual and creative dearth I looked backwards and I found words which I had penned to friends in September of 2017. They were more directed at the Government and the people of the United States, but, perhaps, some universal ideas can be gleaned from them, even though they comprised a heated jeremiad. They were unapologetically religious in nature, and they echoed not only the frustration which I had in 2017, but they reveal that which I now have, here in 2024, heading into 2025. Those words, now as then, convey the futile, circular, round and round movements of social and political mayhem in this world. There were subtle undercurrents of hope, but they were very subtle, if not – muted. They were then, as they are with me today, seasoned with frustration and with anger. But, perhaps, they will help to shake many of my readers out of their stupor, and coax them away from the precarious cliffs of jaded cynicism which overlook the treacherous valleys of despair and of destruction. Perhaps such words will move them towards making small gestures which will stem the flow of great flood waters which cause turmoil, like the initiative taken by the small boy who stuck his hand, perseveringly, in the leaky hole which had formed in the dyke. Christian eschatology speaks of a world that gets progressively worse, going on through unparalleled trials and tribulations, on through Armageddon, and then on through to Judgement Day. But I do not believe that it provides mankind with an excuse to do nothing. If we cannot prevent the downhill slide into lawlessness, chaos and ungodliness then we can, at the barest minimum, help to slow the rate of such a slide, as salt in the earth. We have all been given a divine mandate to do good while it is called “Today”, and let “Tomorrow” take care of itself. In 1867 it was Stuart Mill who said: “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” Things are tough and they are likely to get tougher still, but let us swallow our spit, let us pick ourselves up, and let us face the exigencies of “Now” with wisdom. In the words of Shakespeare, “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more”. Here is hoping for a breaking of the cycle, in whole or in part, for 2025 and beyond: “We have made a big stink about abortion – and we should – but then remain completely silent when rogue police personnel abuse and murder minorities, especially those of colour, with impunity. We hearken to a time of family values and of national pride – but then scoff at or deflect any arguments about slavery and of lingering racism with the annoyance of one swatting at fruit flies. The trauma stemming from kidnapping and from rape is real – especially for an entire race. And, we are Christians? STOP IT!!! We speak cogently and passionately about the constitutional rights of the rich and of the powerful in this nation – and we should as they are citizens of this country as well as others – but then we come up with all sorts of lame arguments that we often try to sanctify with Holy Scripture as to why we should not help the poor, the widows and the orphans. In fact, we tend to blame those who are needy and outcast for their own problems. And, we are Christians? STOP IT!!! The Constitution and The Bill of Rights of these United States of America, somehow, do not seem to carry the same weight for those people who exist and battle for life on the fringes of society. We, frequently, make such angry and sometimes vile statements about what should be done with homosexuals – but then preach the Gospel of love, of peace, of repentance and of forgiveness of sins to everyone else, except to them. And, we are Christians? STOP IT!!! We have, obviously, lost touch with the Master – with all reality – mistaking the night for the day, and the day for the night. We confuse political conservatism and progressivism, and moral and cultural relativism with the Ten Commandments and with the Sermon On The Mount. We have added the political designations of the Republican and Democratic parties to the forbidden, bastardized pantheon of Christian denominations or sects. And, we are Christians? STOP IT!!! We conceive of all kinds of stratagems to cure all of our societal ills, without allowing the preaching of the Gospel to take the lead and for it to occupy the place of preeminence in all things. We treat it as if it is deficient and, therefore, in dire need of some form of man-made supplements in order to accomplish the will of God in the earth. In presenting it as a national phenomenon we have made it parochial and not universal as God had intended. This is all good? And, we are Christians? STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!”
