JAMAICANS who know their Bible well or pay attention to sermons and other biblical details would have immediately recognised the headline of this column as a quote from Jeremiah 8:22 in the King James Version of the Bible. Those who study deeply would have sensed the urgency reminiscent of the Old Testament context in which the weeping prophet asked his rhetorical questions – this one, followed by “Is there no physician there?” The irony of the situation was that Gilead was indeed famous for its medicinal plants (balsam) and for its priests and prophets who were experts at using the correct plants to heal each specific malady.

If Jeremiah were prophesying in Jamaica today he might have asked: “Is there no human being left in Jamaica? Are there no sensible people living there?” If Jeremiah were asked to speak to the entire planet he might have rephrased his questions to say: “Are there only idiots living on planet Earth? Are there only demon-human hybrids living there?” Jeremiah knew that “yes” was the only answer for both his questions and so he concluded his message in this verse to ancient Israel with a third question: “Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?” Concerning Jamaica, Jeremiah would have answered “yes” to his first two questions and answered “no” to those questions pertaining to the planet, yet his closing question concerning Jamaica would have been: “Why then are not the majority of Jamaicans rising up to cast off their yoke of oppression?” For the planet, the prophet might have asked ultimately: “Why then are the huge majority of people on the planet allowing the small minority of New World Order leaders to enslave, oppress and exterminate the masses?”

Jamaica’s current situation is similar to that of ancient Israel. The original Israelites were black people like the majority of Jamaicans.

Jeremiah called himself “black” (Hebrew: kadar) in 8:21. Ancient Israelites were the people of God and all Jamaicans inherited a rich religious tradition that put God first. My late grandmother, Mehetabel Powell, summarised it well: “With God in the vessel, you can smile at the storm.” Thus, Jamaicans with their rich spiritual heritage should never lose hope, but look to Yahweh for help as they work fervently to alleviate their socio-economic burdens, better their lives and push their country to First-World status. Churches in Jamaica should take the lead in this push for national salvation because of the strength of spirituality among Jamaicans and the historical evidence of churches delivering Jamaica from slavery, colonialism, and illiteracy. However, churches in Jamaica today have fallen into a state of spiritual stagnation. They go through meaningless rituals and simply help the oppressors by providing opiates needed to make the people behave like dumb sheep or “sheeple.” Church leaders have primary responsibility to lead the people into deliverance and if they will not or cannot, the people must deliver themselves; and they can do it with Yahweh “in the vessel”.

The Jamaican dollar does not have to be as devalued as it now in comparison to the US dollar. That is an IMF ploy to oppress Jamaicans and make Euro-Americans richer. The value of a nation’s currency is not controlled by economic theory but by imperial powers. What is taught under Western capitalism is a lie. Jamaica’s wealth from its gross national/domestic product is being siphoned from the country to foreigners. The main factors of production and major infrastructures in Jamaica have been captured by foreigners under the guise of foreign investment and the masses are being milked for every penny, especially by companies providing electricity, water and telephone services. Jamaica once boasted a British-style education system superior to North America’s, but that has been watered down while foreigners get rich off Jamaican students by providing textbooks and practically all teaching-learning materials.

Meanwhile, foreign texts brainwash Jamaicans into thinking that white cultures are superior and their rich Jamaican culture inferior.

Jamaicans have the brains, skills, energy and willingness to produce most of what they eat, wear and utilise in their everyday lives but the government insists on importing those items, thus bankrupting the country and putting Jamaicans out of work. Then the haters call Jamaicans lazy. Preachers must appeal to Jamaicans to take back their country and their God-given freedoms from government and foreigners.

Guardians of truth, emulating Jeremiah, must warn Jamaicans against genetically modified (GM) foods and the deadly effects of vaccines pushed by foreign agencies. Churches must strongly oppose homosexuality with its deadly side-effects of HIV and

AIDS. Gangs, garrisons, guns and drugs (except ganja) are forced upon Jamaicans by foreigners, and pastors must help young people avoid or get out of those traps. Jamaican governments must learn to profit from the positive uses of marijuana while educating the masses about its potentially harmful effects. Government must ensure that Jamaicans benefit from resources like bauxite, sugar cane, bananas, gypsum and oil (when it is found). Unfair trading agreements between Jamaica and the North American and European trading partners must be banished and fair trading established, even if it means turning to China, Venezuela and Caricom countries as Jamaica’s main trading partners. Jamaicans must withdraw their money from banks owned by foreigners and only bank with Jamaican-owned credit unions. Money is now the shackle being used to enslave humanity and to hold people to ransom. Pastors must remind parishioners that money answers everything but becomes the root of all evil when loved too much.

Jamaicans are great people who have impacted the planet with reggae, athletics, cuisine and many other world-class contributions. Why then should life on the island be so depressing for the majority of the people? Is there no balm in Gilead? Are there no more Michael Manleys there?

— INMerv@hotmail.com