Celebrating religious unity

Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer

It can be said that Jamaica, at this juncture in its history and development, is a nation in search of its soul. Recent happenings have made a lie of the oft-touted notion that we are a "God-fearing" nation.

And perhaps it can be extrapolated that we are where we are due, in part, to the absence of leadership from the church and its members, who have seemingly forgotten their primary role and function - that of charity.

There once was a time when the church and its leaders stood out like beacons, not afraid of enjoining the national dialogue and, in some instances, not only joined in but initiated that dialogue and would scold public servants and elected officials who breached the tenets of accepted public behaviour while executing their duties.

In the absence of leadership from the church, pop culture and its proponents have become the first point of reference for our youth, further propagating the ignorance they peddle under the guise of entertainment. They are ably assisted by some in the media who are blissfully unaware of the long-term damage they are bequeathing their heirs and successors.

Passion for religion

While the church has seemingly entered a period of extended slumber, Jamaicans have never lost their passion for the Church and religion and, in this respect, the country kept its faith in both

It is said that this country has more churches per square mile than any other nation. What is missing from that conversation is the fact that Jamaica ranks as one of the most tolerant societies when it comes to religions. We are devoid of the ugly sectarianism and various other forms of extremist behaviour that affect people of different faiths, in other parts of the world.

This tolerance has existed for as long as Jamaica has been exposed to religion, but in recent times, there has been a movement afoot to celebrate that unique Jamaican capacity for embracing all faiths without rancour or divisiveness that is to be commended and celebrated.

Coming together under the umbrella organisation, "The Jamaica Council For Interfaith Fellowship", with founding patron and former Governor General Sir Howard Cooke, the Interfaith Council embraces the diverse faiths and beliefs of the various religions, promoting and embracing tolerance as one of the primary virtues of faith.

To publicly embrace and celebrate each other, members of the council - Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Baháis, and other people of faith - get together each year under the Interfaith Council to celebrate their difference but essential belief in one Almighty. And this year, under the Theme "Non-Violence: The Crying Need of the Hour", on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the worlds' greatest known proponent of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi, the council and the High Commission of India hosted a symposium at India House, the official residence of the Indian High Commissioner Mohinder Grover and his wife, last Friday.

The leaders and representatives of the various faiths in Jamaica met to offer solutions to the way forward in making non-violence the preferred model for the nation and its people.

This was a tremendous meeting of the minds and a new and welcomed era of cooperation among faiths to address the violence stalking the land and its impact on families, communities and the nation.

It had rained heavily earlier that afternoon, but so pressing and compelling was the moot that scores braved the weather to come out and share in the discussions that followed the presentations by the distinguished panelists.

And the post-discussion cocktails that followed made for an even more embracing atmosphere for follow-up discussions! It was an illuminating night. Among those out were Sir Kenneth and Lady Hall; the Most Honourable Glynne Manley; MP Deacon Ronald Thwaites; Ambassador Eleanor Felix; Russian Ambassador Viktor Zotin; Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Yamaguchi and Mrs Yamaguchi; Belgian Ambassador Frederic Meurice; Cuban Ambassador Yuri Gala Lopez; Deputy Head of Mission of the Mexican Embassy Abraham Montes de Oca; the esteemed Ruby Martin; Reverend Ashley Smith; Professor Ajai Mansingh and businessman Lascelles Chin.

Also out were Seragh Lakasingh; Ainsley and Marjorie Henriques; Vivian Crawford; Reverend Gayle Harriott; Reverend Stottrel Lowe; Lt Col Errol Johnson; Dr Onkar Persad; Dr Dillip and Dr Sudha Shah; Owen and Albertina Jefferson; Monika Asnani; Sylbert Samoogh; Dr Claudettte Crawford-Brown and her daughter Jenelle Brown; Al Niazi; Elizabeth Terry; the extraordinarily beautiful Myrtha Desulme; Cedric McDonald; Andrea Bickhoff-Benjamin; Dennis Solomon; Adriano Stevens and Melissa Terry; plus a number of others.