Editorial | Of breakfast and politics

Preparations are well ahead for the staging of the 2023 version of the National Leadership Prayer Breakfast in Kingston next week. It is an American creation which has been tweaked and copied around the world by countries that feel the need to seek divine intervention.

Prayer, the act of speaking to God and hoping for a response, is part of the annual ritual that is the prayer breakfast. Prayers hold a vital place in Jamaica. In fact, prayers are stitched into the national consciousness. And as is evident in our national anthem, we pray for our leaders when we say: “To our leaders, great Defender, Grant true wisdom from above.”

Bipartisan by design, this annual affair organised by church leaders, with the governor general as its patron, brings together the political, business and social elite who are fed a sumptuous meal (except during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was held virtually) and then challenged to unite and change their ways. We can recall some fiery sermons in the past which fell just shy of calling out leaders for their sins of omission and commission. It is usually an occasion for laying bare society’s ills and calling for repentance.

To its credit, the breakfast affair has made substantial donations to charitable causes and organisations over the years, as a way of improving the lot of the vulnerable and less fortunate. But more and more, it is being criticised as an exclusive, elite event, where the well-dressed meet in reverential accord behind the walls of a swanky hotel to exchange platitudes. What comes thereafter has been difficult to measure. For example, the unravelling of the British government began at the 2021 Prayer Breakfast, after which ministers started to resign, urged to act by the sermon.

In the midst of mounting criticisms, the organisers of the breakfast have put out a questionnaire to determine whether its objective of fostering and encouraging peace in the nation is being achieved. They made a promise to take into account the responses in shaping future gatherings; we await their actions.

Signs of transformation

When the first breakfast was held more than 40 years ago, Jamaica was reeling from 1,000 murders committed the previous year. It was felt then that the situation demanded a religious response, and that an event such as a national prayer breakfast would help to bring about peace among warring Jamaicans. The Reverend Dr Earl Thames said he had a vision from God about the need for intervention. But here we are in 2023 looking back at 2022, where we see the alarming murder figure of 1,498.

Some commentators are convinced that evil has been let loose on this land. From the carnage in the streets to the deadly shootings in several communities, where an abundance of fire power exists, and the corruption that is evident in high places, there is a pall of despair in many quarters.

A single sermon cannot be seen as a catalyst for change. However, it is pertinent to ask, has the National Prayer Breakfast succeeded in its objective to help the nation find peace? Is it even feasible to expect that peace can come about in the absence of unity between the relevant stakeholders? Is unity achievable between our current politicians for the good of Jamaica?

We agree with those who have identified the need for integrity and honesty in a country where dishonesty does not get the disdain it deserves, and where we easily overlook bad behaviour.

Can we dare hope that there will be some visible signs of transformation after the prayer breakfast this year? For this National Leadership Prayer Breakfast to remain relevant, it must inspire change that will have a dramatic effect on the country.