Dear Editor,
I refer to Dr Ian McDonald’s column ‘Planning for the good life’ (SN, 4.5.08). Dr McDonald in his opening paragraph writes that “having retired after 52 years in the sugar industry, including working closely with governments and regional institutions along the way, if there is one thing I have learned it is the extreme frailty of all grand plans.”
This revelation by Dr McDonald bore a striking similarity to that of the Biblical King Solomon, believed to be the wisest man who ever lived before Christ. As King Solomon, on summing up all the grand achievements of his life declared, “I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit” (Ecclesiastes 1:14).
King Solomon had good reason to end his illustrious career in the spirit of disillusionment, for he made all his great plans prior to the ushering of the dispensation of truth and grace – an epoch in which God was described as having to “wink at sin” (Acts 17:30). However, with the arrival of truth and grace the way was made for the spirit of the omnipotent and omniscient God to dwell in man instead of with man (John 14:17). Unlike King Solomon we can plan with certainty. Unlike the Caricom Secretariat, which Dr McDonald described as the supreme repository of theory and discarded blueprints, an overwhelming number of God’s plans recorded in the bible have all born much fruit thousands of years after they were promulgated.
It should come as no surprise that CLR James described by Dr McDonald as “the greatest of all West Indian thinkers,” concluded his public lecture with the words “the question therefore, of the good life is not to be judged by the quantity of goods,” the very words used by the Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 12:15).
The question may now arise as to why, after the public lecture by CLR James and the sermons of Professor Girvan as recorded in his article entitled ‘Rethinking development,’ there is still the need – as Dr McDonald pointed out – to redefine completely what development means. This question would only be answered when a question of “What would a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26) is answered.
Yours faithfully,
R. Warren
Minister of the Gospel
