'Get back on board!'

JEAN LOWRIE-CHIN

Monday, January 23, 2012

"Get back on board!" was the exasperated order from the Coast Guard commander to the allegedly negligent captain of the tragic Concordia cruise ship. The sad episode is a strong reminder of the daunting issues that face leaders every day. Whether you are head of a family, a political party or a multinational corporation, you will have those moments when "jumping ship" could look appealing. I remember one fine leader who was taking so many brickbats for his principled position that his wife tearfully begged him to quit. A great deal rested on his shoulders, so he stayed the course to a successful end, even at a cost to his health.

And so, as we saw our leaders filing into the Pegasus ballroom for the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast, we were moved. We observed Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, Lady Allen, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, Opposition Leader Andrew Holness and Mrs Holness, all bowing their heads in prayer to the Almighty.

We embraced Sir Patrick's reassurance when he quoted Bob Marley - "Every little thing is gonna be all right." What a great little country we are - a governor general quoting a Rasta legend and a Rasta MP in the House of Parliament!

Uneasy must be the heads of Mrs Simpson Miller and Mr Holness. Portia Simpson Miller must try to be all things to all men, women and children while Andrew Holness must balance "holiness" and boldness. These are the stern demands of leadership - no wonder the majority of us shy away. We may ride on the party bus, but we stay clear of the representational fuss.

Since PM Simpson Miller has "been there and done that", she will enjoy her brief honeymoon knowing that by mid-year when the long-awaited oxtail has still not appeared in the pot, it will be over. The smart Macka Diamond threw a cow-foot birthday party recently and PNP leaders should start praying that Macka is a trendsetter.

The leaders in the room should have felt buoyed by the message so persuasively delivered by Rev Dr Lenworth Anglin, head of the umbrella group of churches in Jamaica. This unassuming gentleman was a moving voice at the podium as he explored the theme of "Reconcile. Rebuild. Rejoice", declaring it appropriate for this, Jamaica's Jubilee Year.

Dr Anglin quoted Psalm 100: "The Lord is good/His love endures forever...". The humorous pastor told us of a robber who admitted to saying this Psalm before proceeding to do his "job". Happily, he was able to convert the young man who now walks the straight and narrow.

Dr Anglin said that our Jubilee Year coincides with the Olympic year, "and we expect Jamaica to be high on the world stage in the London Olympics". He commented that in biblical times, a Jubilee Year had great significance, a time when property reverted to their original owners and debts were remitted. When he told us that in a Jubilee year, Hebrews who were imprisoned for debt were released, I harked back to Food for the Poor's prison release last month when non-violent prisoners had their fines paid so they could be reunited with their families.

"How much of this can be replicated?" asked Dr Anglin. "Let everyone seek to forgive others as well as allow ourselves to be forgiven." He called for a "known and established period of forgiveness". How I wish we could declare a Reunion Month, when families and friends could gather in community and town centres and embrace each other. Let us report stories of healing, not division, in this our Jubilee Year.

In this our Jubilee Year, let us address that subtle snobbery that has us judging rather than respecting each other. Aloun Assamba recently sent a message to her friends that simply said, "Make everyone you meet today, feel important." That is a very right suggestion, since everyone is indeed, important. We have grown up in a society where we judge each other by what is temporary - the car, the job - failing to look into the sincere hearts of humble, hardworking Jamaicans.

In our shop, we fondly remember our late office attendant and pensioner, Miss Icilda Riley who would find musical cards to entertain our children every Christmas. At her death, the entire team rallied to give her a proper send-off, reminiscing in the days following, the care she took in everything she did, her proud posture, her insistence on never leaving the kitchen untidy. If there is a Miss Icy in your home or workplace, take the time today to make her feel important.

I saw an angry comment on Facebook from a Jamaican who lives abroad. He is so used to seeing people lining up for the bus or the train in the US that he feels ashamed whenever he comes back to Jamaica to see the rank indiscipline permeating the country. In social media, we are sharing our grief at the loss of so many children's lives over the past year.

After the prayer breakfast, I became engaged in an earnest discussion with that exemplary Jamaican, Roy Hutchinson, director of the Victoria Mutual Building Society, sponsors of the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast. He emphasised that quality education had to be the starting point, and described a joint VMBS-Jamaica National $50 million education project, a five-year intensive empowerment programme for six schools throughout Jamaica. Metrics have been developed to ensure that both students and teachers are assessed objectively.

VMBS and JN are demonstrating noble leadership: two competitors joining hands for a greater good. Our national leaders have to "get back on board". If we do not see more energy focused on national problem solving and less on political point scoring, then we will have to declare that they are negligent, incompetent captains, jumping ship and leaving their fellow Jamaicans to drown.

US Embassy - 50 years of friendship

The members of our seniors organisation, CCRP (www.ccrponline.org), are grateful for the support we have been receiving from US Ambassador Pamela Bridgewater and her team. Last Monday she hosted us at an Exhibition of unforgettable paintings by legendary artist-teacher-activist Johnny Johnson, mounted to commemorate the United States' 50 years of friendship with Jamaica. "My inspiration comes from my love of people and our natural environment," said the artist whose empathy shines forth from the brilliant colours and moving social commentary in his works. We in turn were inspired.

lowriechin@aim.com

www.lowrie-chin.blogspot.com

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'Get back on board!'