"That you may be blameless and innocent children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved nation, in which you shine like stars in the universe." Philippians 2:15

Jamaica has one of the highest murder rates on earth; the incidence of domestic violence is astronomical; the slaughter of children and contract killings are regular occurrences. Extortion and corruption are at epidemic proportions; live sex on stage is a feature increasingly presented throughout the country. HIV/AIDS is increasing an many homosexuals opt not to conceive, homosexuality seems to be multiplying prodigiously. Family life continues to be in serious trouble. It is increasingly clear that Jamaica is a plural society and purposeful, committed leadership at every level and sector is rare to the point of desperate concern. There seems no doubt that beneath it all, at its very core, is the declining morality of our people.

Emerging chaos

Morality is a central feature and the bedrock for order in every society and most religions; demeaning it is a serious sign of emerging chaos. The Scriptures, therefore, consistently instruct that God's people should "turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it". They must be moral.

Since morality then is a catalyst for being and doing our best, why is this not more widely apparent in our largely Christian nation? Surely the evidence of being good, doing good, seeking after peace ought to be more widely manifested in the lives of husbands and wives, parents and children; in the inter-personal relationships of our citizens at work and at school and in the performance of their jobs?

Surely, the morality of our citizens ought to be obvious in their honesty and truthfulness. Surely, the morality of our leaders should be obvious in the due diligence applied to their duties.

We know that the Church has made tremendous contributions to the secular life of our nation in keeping with their Christian commitment in assisting their fellow man. The Church's contribution to our forefathers in the centuries of slavery, colonialism and now in independence; and its contribution to education and health care have been and continues to be outstanding.

But the answer to our continued problems does not seem to be entirely in this more institutional approach, as despite these very laudable efforts, the negative circumstance of our nation seems to continue to broaden, deepen and worsen.

In truth this is "a crooked and depraved nation" and there is an urgent need in today's Jamaica for an army of "blameless and innocent children of God" to step forward in our midst, in every sector and at every level and "shine like stars in the universe". There seems no doubt that we need an additional and definitively moral approach - one requiring in our nation, the consistent application of Christian principles to everyday life.

Mandate for society

To realise this, perhaps a look at the mandate of the Church may suggest where there may be a need for an even greater focus.

The Scriptures indicate that man because of sin found it fearsome to interact directly with God and requested that God use Moses [and prophets and priests after him] as an intermediary, seeking to know and enunciate God's will for the nation and, in turn, interceding with God on behalf of His people.

The vestment of the Jewish high priest, given by divine instruction, included an ephod and a breastplate. The ephod, an apron like garment, was worn over the body and fastened at the shoulders with two onyx stones on each of which was inscribed the names of six of the 12 tribes. This meant that the nation and its citizens [their needs, problems and aspirations] were 'carried' on the shoulders of the priest into the very presence of God; just as the resurrected Jesus bears the government of the world on His shoulders into the presence of the Father.

The breastplate was worn over the chest and had embedded, 12 stones, each with the name of one of the 12 tribes, meaning that the nation was being kept compassionately on the priest's heart and symbolising God's intimate knowledge of and care for each of His children whom He bears in His heart. Two additional stones, the Urim ['lights'] and Thurim ['perfections'] were likely suspended from the breastplate and signified the role of the priest to consult with the divine, seeking God's light for the perfection of His people.

The fact is that the whole orientation of the Church from the point of view of the Scriptures is focused on ministry to the people, and the expressed intent is for the citizens to become "a kingdom of priests to serve God" .

The prophets and John the Baptist willingly risked their lives to address governments regarding inappropriate national policies as well as individual actions which negatively impacted on the public.

The methodology utilised by Jesus was both complementary to the preaching of the prophets and instructive in that it focused on capacity building. His close followers were fully taught and given insights into His teachings, serving as apprentices in the communities in applying what was learnt.

As such, those mentored, in turn, became mentors, a catalyst of change in the lives of others - maximising the resulting 'multiplier' effect.

The expression "a kingdom of priests" does not mean everyone becoming a cleric but rather speaks to the quality of each person's life, the content of their character, their relationships, their observation of duty, adherence to truth, honesty, justice and the pursuit of peace.

Ruth, for example, was so impressed with the character and the observed life of Naomi that she wanted to be like her. Stephen, the first martyr, was employed to look after the welfare of the widows in the church but his whole life portrayed such desirable qualities that many around him were positively influenced.

Both Joseph and Daniel became leaders of government in Egypt and Babylonia (largely Iraq), respectively, and by the strength of their character and commitment to their beliefs, positively transformed the countries and substantially benefited the citizens. Discipleship then has to become evident in the circumstance of everyday life.

Thinking of Joseph and Daniel one may say "but that was then and this is now", and many of the Christians we have seen, for example, entering politics with our hopes on their shoulders to make a positive difference have regrettably seemed to blend into the political landscape as if camouflaged. There are a plethora of cases of decision makers occupying posts for which they have no real competence but selfishly persisting to the detriment of a whole nation; there is strong inference of well-placed persons - even linked to [if not in] the Church making 'mega-bucks' in illicit trade and industries to the physical, mental and moral depreciation of our people; employees demanding pay for poor or minimal work, etc.

The missing priority

What seems missing, therefore, is mentoring as a foundational priority of the Church, i.e., in really endeavouring to have its members obtain knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures; being imbued with a working integrity and confident in applying Christian principles to everyday life.

Many churches seem either not inclined for the substantive effort required or convinced that this is a solid contribution towards the reduction of both individual and societal problems. Instead, many pulpits seem taken up with unanchored philosophy or nice-sounding rhetoric which satisfies the ears of the preacher himself but neither convince, convict nor convert listeners.

While the support for schools, hospitals, etc., is quite important, mentoring is a foundational priority which should not be bypassed as it is the significant 'multiplier' if the Church is going to genuinely begin to tackle the real problems so manifest in the society

The Church is likened to an army but if the officers [ministers/pastors] are not following the 'Operations Manual', if the 'soldiers' in the pews are not trained and equipped; if the Church remains 'minister-centric', then how can real change become evident if the soldiers are not properly engaged? The officer corps cannot cover the terrain that the entire army can.

'see and blind'

'Soldiers' are already deployed in Parliament; they are government officials, professionals, health workers, educators, police officers, the man in the street, etc. Many figuratively 'see and blind, hear and deaf' just 'going with the flow' and 'spinning the spin', oblivious of the moral responsibility of their roles and avidly partaking in the national addiction of crabs in the barrel, pulling each other down.

What we need are trained and equipped [mentored] 'soldiers' in those locations. It is the marching feet of trained 'soldiers' led by competent officers that make the difference and claim territory. An increasingly moral society means progressive improvement in every area of our national life.

Could this be at the core of the Church's difficulty, its missing link? Could this be robbing our country of the real effectiveness of the Church?

"A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song." Chinese Proverb

Errol Hewitt is an information and communication technology planning consultant with the United Nations and the Commonwealth Secretariat. He may be contacted at estahewitt@yahoo.com.