Church-going – where “The Church” must go
How more personal could I get in this space today? You decide if you’ll read and stay on with me now.
In a few days I would have – if I make it – completed seventy-eight (78) years on Planet Earth. To be a quiet thankful anniversary of birth – an Aquarian am I.
But what do “30 years” and the “PNC”- People’s National Congress (Political Party) have to do in/with my lead caption above? As I discuss anniversaries herein? Well here goes.
Please bring out the whistles, the drums and dancing girls! Why? Because this humble, man-in-the street, working-class Friday column is thirty (30) years old today! Thirty years!!
In October 1992 I had headed the PNC’s Elections Campaign’s Publicity/Public Relations/ Propaganda Department for the third time – 80, 85, 92.
Here’s a little thirty-one (31) – year-old secret! Because of an aggressive intervention from the U.S.A where Ole Jimmy Carter ‘advised” Dessie Hoyte about free-and–fair elections after 28 years, PNC Comrades Halim Majeed and Aubrey Norton just knew the PNC had to lose in 92!
They duly did! And the impish, mischievous humour of Mrs David de Caires (Doreen) kicked in. Knowing that I was responsible for the PNC 92 Campaign materials, she “grieved” with me suggesting: “But Fenty boy you could still write for us. Talk to David.”
I did “talk” to founder-Editor-in-Chief Mr de Caires. He chose “Frankly Speaking” over “Allan Being Frank.” And here we are still. I won’t bore repetitively by explaining the non-academic, non-intellectual, non-analytical nature of this feature. Many many others are so more qualified, blessed.
So happy 30th to us, including some hostile bloggers!
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My Budget boredom – no support? Just “exposure”
Blowing a small personal trumpet again, I remind that Budget Presentations now merely remind me of pre-Budget-Monday sleepless Sunday nights as – acting as Chief Information Officer – I had to await a final copy from the Finance Ministry. The media had to get their copies as the Minister presented.
Now it is easy for me to be bored as I can easily become now. Why? Because I/we know what to expect: the government lays out its 2023 comprehensive Development plan – after spending much too long reviewing last year’s “success”; and the opposition can find not one single item to support, to admire. So-called “debates” are rousing, with levity sometimes, but mostly negatively hostile. I find that I actually know what to expect from most speakers. Except for style of delivery sometimes.
And it’s easy for me to eschew being some economic expert or budgetary analyst. Except to advise the “government side”: display three (3) Winston Jordan budgets. See the major infrastructural “transformative “projects. (No one dared say “you can’t eat roads” then.) Examine what the coalition granted as increases for its employees, and pensioners and other vulnerables.
I know that comparisons are often odious. I know that the current government holders and planners had the wonderful benefit of oil revenues. But the opposition must define that the 2023 measures surpass their 2015-2020 efforts. And by the way inherent working-class poverty didn’t begin just two-plus years ago. It grew under several regimes. I agree that this PPP outfit has to shoulder responsibility to lessen then eliminate. We are not even one million souls.
One issue I’d like the opposition to rigorously attack this year: real and perceived corruption. Pursue this: let every tax-payer-funded project in this budget – mega and community – be transparent as never before! Check, scrutinise competing bids; verify costs presented; the qualifications background of bidders, especially those who are successful; any connections to officialdom? It’s a small country. May the budget succeed in the assembly and benefit the nation.
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Church-going-and the church going
(Final personalisation today: all this was penned even as I was/am in the most serious sustained health challenge in decades.)
Is that why thoughts of church and religion intrude here? Naah…
Between eight and eighteen I attended numerous places of worship. Believe me please. I won’t list them. Somewhere in the Christian Holy Bible – St Matthew? – God the son/Jesus had advised his supporters to worship where even “two or three are gathered.” I am attracted to that.
But the organised church favours hundreds of members worshipping en masse. All types of services attract. The “Lord’s presence” dwells amongst large and small gatherings?
My own advice: church members – all faiths – must go amongst the mini bus parks; at the pool tables in clubs; right in the municipal markets; outside schools. You get the idea. Jesus Christ really walked everywhere, right?
I wonder…
1) Freedom to bear arms! 18 shot dead in California. (Hardly happens in Cuba, Russia, India, Ghana, Guyana…)
2) Ministers Bharrat and Rodrigues can be quite articulate when they want to be.
3) Have investigators traced the telephone calls made to Bishops’ High to warn of bombs?
4) Discuss the difference with assistance for sugar workers as against Public Servants.
`Til next week
