Jamaica Baptist Union (JBU) President Reverend Dwight Fraser challenged Jamaicans to confront the nation’s brokenness — from crime and violence to political stalemates — by modelling the Good Samaritan’s compassion and working to heal the nation’s gaping wounds.

In a wide-ranging address at last week’s JBU 175th General Assembly, Reverend Fraser warned the hundreds gathered at Calvary Baptist Church in Montego Bay, St James, of the urgent need for individuals and society at large to embrace integrity, “not just as ethical uprightness but as a holistic way of life that fosters unity, justice, and compassion”.

Framing his address around the parable of the Good Samaritan, he highlighted the pervasiveness of brokenness in society, in global systems, and particularly in Jamaica, comparing the wounded traveller to the many victims of injustice, crime, corruption, and neglect.

“There is much brokenness shed abroad in the world,” he lamented, drawing attention to the plight of the vulnerable, both locally and globally. “From violent crime to political division, from economic hardship to moral compromise, that brokenness manifests in numerous ways, challenging the wholeness of individuals and communities alike.”

Reverend Fraser acknowledged the pressures that compromise integrity, and cautioned against the dangers of self-serving leadership, social apathy, and systems that enable exploitation. He noted that even religious leaders, like the priest and the Levite in the parable, could fail in their duty if they prioritise personal security over communal responsibility.

“Are we just passing by on the other side while our brothers and sisters suffer?” he asked the packed church, suggesting seven key qualities for building community and restoring integrity to both personal life and public institutions through “compassion, crossing barriers, courting danger for the right cause, genuine care, contribution, collaboration, and continued commitment”.

Applying these principles to Jamaica’s current reality, the Baptist president urged the church community to support struggling pastors, noting that financial constraints had left some clergy “on the roadside, half-dead”. He proposed the establishment of a supplemental wage fund to support their well-being.

He also appealed to political leaders to resolve ongoing disputes with and related to the Integrity Commission, citing Jamaica’s history of electoral reform as proof that meaningful change is possible when stakeholders work together.

Fraser described his address as a call to action, urging individuals, churches, and the nation as a whole to embrace a more holistic vision of integrity, “one that is rooted in faith, driven by compassion, and actively works to build a more whole and just society”.