In a recent conversation with my occasional gardener, out of concern for both our safety, I asked him if he had got vaccinated or intended to do so, given the persistent and deadly threat of the novel coronavirus. His response was, “Me sah? No sah. My parson say is the ‘Mark of the Beast’. ”

Regrettably, there are several churches in Jamaica pushing the diatribe that the COVID-19 vaccine has a chip in it, which, when injected into the human body, will have various deleterious consequences. Needless to say, there are many gullible Jamaicans out there who have bought into this conspiracy theory and so far, this weak-kneed Andrew Holness Administration has failed to confront these religious bigots as they are clearly not acting in the nation’s best interest.

Whenever I have driven around the island, I have observed that there were three entities that dot Jamaica’s socio-economic landscape more than any others – churches, rum bars, and Chinese shops. In just about every nook and cranny of this troubled paradise these facilities are to be found. Already, it has been established via the Guinness Book of World Records that Jamaica has the most churches per square mile in the world.

But, while churches continue to proliferate in the country, many rum bars have been closed, or opened occasionally, no doubt because of the harsh economic realities, which are further exacerbated by the novel coronavirus pandemic. In the meantime, Chinese businesses, with few exceptions, have been doing well catering to the needs and wants of citizens, who find their prices to be far more reasonable than those at shops run by black Jamaicans. Indeed, the story is told that while the Chinese come together and buy in bulk, the blacks do their thing separately, causing them to expend more on goods procured and the added costs are then passed on to their customers. This scenario needs to be the subject of a detailed study by one of our established universities to explain why Chinese businesses do so much better than black businesses, even in the worst of times, in a country that is predominantly black.

While some churches are reaping big bucks selling hope through the use of fear tactics, such as their campaign against the COVID-19 vaccine, many Jamaicans are turning to the spirits rather than to the Spirit (Holy) for solace, comfort, and a temporary escape from their stressed lives. One may well ask, against this background, if the Church cum religion is failing to rescue the perishing and care for the dying?

To many world travellers, Jamaica is the closest to being a paradise on Earth, given its natural beauty and wonderful climate. Unfortunately, the place which the Arawaks had affectionately called the Land of Wood and Water (Xaymaca) has now become a “Land of Violence and Corruption”. Almost daily, people are killed or seriously maimed by seemingly blood-thirsty hoodlums; guns that cost much to purchase are in the hands of young men who cannot afford the next meal; indiscipline and chaos abound, especially in urban areas; family life has broken down at an alarming rate; and political tribalism, for the most part, determines the fortunes of the masses who continue to put their trust in God and the politician, not necessarily in that order.

In this regard, one has to question the real role of the Church in this perplexing scenario. Is religion really the answer or is it, in some cases, a part of the problem, rather than the solution? Perhaps Mahatma Gandhi said it best: “God has no religion,” while insisting: “Hate the sin, love the sinner.”

“Religion is the opium of the people” is undoubtedly one of the most frequently referred to statements from German economist Karl Marx. In fact, the full quotation reads: “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.” An expanded interpretation of this viewpoint would suggest that, in the same way some people use drugs to escape from the cruel circumstances of their existence, religion provides such a choice to flee from worldly ills and be washed in the blood of the Lamb. “When my pilot comes, I’ll take an aeroplane ride, I will be so happy with Jesus by my side…”

Let me state, unreservedly and unapologetically, that I believe in God and I do believe that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to save us from eternal damnation. However, my beef is with many Christian practitioners in Jamaica, where Christianity is the primary religion, who behave mainly as business moguls, using salvation as a commodity not just to win souls, but also to fatten theirs and their churches’ bank accounts.

I have often asked myself, if Jesus were to return to Earth today, how would He relate to those who are supposed to be the shepherds taking care of the flocks? Some of the richest and most affluent pastors preside over congregations that comprise hordes of poor people. And, unfortunately, these willing souls line up behind the Pied Piper and blindly follow him to the edge of the cliff. It is in this vein that many of our anti-vaxxers can be seen, shunning irrefutable scientific data, while embracing religious mumbo jumbo.

Far from berating Christians — who am I to see the beam in someone else’s eye when there is a plank in mine? — it is my sincere contention that the Church is not doing enough to salvage Jamaica socially, spiritually, and economically. Staging marches, mass rallies, and keeping big tent meetings may bring in more ‘customers’, but such public relations stints end up, most times, being merely cosmetic and transitory. Christian leaders must lead by example, not just mouth scripture and behave like the proverbial Sadducees and Pharisees. In a country where corruption is rampant, greed exceeds need, and violence remains the first response mechanism to any personal or community crisis, Jesus must be one of the main solutions to our problems.

The pandemic is a clear and present danger, and the Church must play a responsible role in the fight against this deadly virus.

Lloyd B Smith has been involved full-time in Jamaican media for the past 45 years. He has also served as a Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He hails from western Jamaica, where he is popularly known as the Governor. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or lbsmith4@gmail.com.