Sean Major-Campbell | Still under monarchy after 63 years

DEUTERONOMY 8:11-20 is the Old Testament lesson in the readings for celebrating Independence Day for the territories of the Church in the Province of the West Indies (CPWI). It has timely reminders and lessons though a problematic tribal perspective.

The pericope of the text is set against a kind of thinking that is not consistent with the Christ Consciousness of the second testament. You may recall that the first testament which we call the Old Testament or Old Covenant often stands in contrast to the second testament or New Covenant. Tribal thinkers interpreted God in tribal ways! Christians do well to remember and beware of this today.

While the Book of Deuteronomy presents Moses’ foundation of the Old Covenant, it also presents a problematic theological perspective for modern ideations around justice and the ways of a good God. Does it make sense that God told the Hebrew People to just overtake Canaan as a gift from God when other people were already settled there? To what extent does this resemble European settlers, occupiers, and colonialists who seized peopled territories and declared them to be discovered? What makes it okay for a nation to capture other people’s land but not okay for an individual person to capture another person’s land?

CONVENIENT BLINDNESS TO INJUSTICE

Thankfully, a proper Christian understanding of the first testament ought of necessity to move beyond literal thinking and interpretations. Deuteronomy Chapter 8 begins with the affirmation that the Hebrew people are to go in and occupy the land that the Lord promised to their ancestors. A simplistic reading will simply accept this with all the convenient blindness to injustice.

Dhyanchand Carr in his text, God with Us, A Bold Understanding of Suffering, Jesus Christ and Forgiveness, aptly notes it is impossible to give equal weight to parts of Scripture. He says, “Some are totally time bound and do not have contemporary relevance. Some texts, rightly understood, provide warnings on how not to misrepresent God. All divine endorsements of genocides and ethnic cleansing mentioned in the Bible during the Exodus and subsequently in the period of occupation, such as the Prophet Samuel giving instructions to King Saul to annihilate the Amalekites without sparing anyone, should be dismissed.”

Caribbean lands were most certainly not given on a platter to our peoples. Jamaica celebrates 63 years of Independence; a long aborted project. On the one hand it does feel good to know and celebrate Emancipation from the cruel and evil confines of chattel slavery. On the other hand, our Sovereign is still King Charles of England! Where are we now after all the chatter about making Jamaica a republic? Where are we now after recognising that our final appellate authority ought to be domiciled in the Caribbean Court of Justice? Where are we in the quest for reparatory justice?

Deuteronomy 8:11-14 starts the section for today’s reading: “Take care that you do not forget the Lord your God, by failing to keep his commandments, his ordinances, and his statutes, which I am commanding you today. When you have eaten your fill and have built fine houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” A closer look at the text gives some timely reminders.

DO NOT FORGET THE GOD-FEARING WAYS OF OUR FOREBEARS

Beware of losing a sense of gratefulness in the face of prosperity. Beware of forgetting where you are coming from as you step into the promised land. Take care that we do not forget the God-fearing ways of our forebears.

Many have today become so educated and materially filled that they may be prone to forget the humble faith of their parents and grandparents whose resilience and values were informed by the teachings of Jesus Christ. They were daily guided by the Psalms, the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes and the good news of Jesus Christ.

In an election year when we celebrate independence, how may the people of faith lift flags for peace and justice and Jamaica? May we support the call to protect JUTC buses since this is what civilised people do. Let us refrain from defacing public property with political colours and graffiti. Let us stop the risky practice of hanging from vehicles. Let us be loud on matters of corruption. Let us discover that partisan politics is not helpful for nation-building.

Political and economic victories are dangerous tools where humility is lacking. No wonder Moses calls the faith community to not exalt self and forget the Lord their God. God saw them through their emancipation from the house of slavery. And God would see them through to independence.

This Independence as we continue preparation mode for general elections, we also hear from the gospel according to St Mark in Chapter 12:17, where Jesus gave the reminder to give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God, what is God’s. I would add that taxes and votes are for Caesar as stewardship of the environment is in service of all and to the glory of God.

We pray in the words of the Collect: “O God our Father, whose will it is that your people should live in ordered societies; inspire the people of this nation with the spirit of justice, truth and love; and so guide our leaders, and all who make decisions on our behalf, that they may direct our affairs in righteousness and peace; that we may live in peace and harmony and to your honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever.”

Fr Sean Major-Campbell is an Anglican priest and advocate for human rights and dignity. Please send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and seanmajorcampbell@yahoo.com.