Sean Major-Campbell | New wineskins and carnival

THE 154th Synod of the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands at the Cathedral of St Jago de la Vega, Spanish Town, was held on April 22. The Synod Charge or sermon was preached by the Rt Rev Leon Golding, Suffragan Bishop of Montego Bay, Canonical Administrator, and bishop-elect for the Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

While observing the theme, ‘New Wineskins: Conveyors of Hope and Channels of Healing’, Bishop Golding used as his text Matthew 9:14-17. At a time when the diocese has seen the celebration of 200 years since being disestablished, it was a refreshing reminder as he stated, “As Jesus indicates, the old and the new cannot always work together, and sometimes we must abandon the old to be productive. Continuing to use the old wineskins was to risk losing wine. It can be disastrous to hold on to that which has served its purpose and is now not able to function efficiently.”

GETTING READY TO BUILD THE NEW

These thoughts augur well for an old tradition that, like others, must face the task of maintaining relevance in the lives of people with all kinds of challenges. The canonical administrator noted among other valuable gems, “In a comparable way, it is dangerous to hold on to that which has outlived its usefulness. We risk becoming ineffective, and unproductive. Every manufacturer knows this. In an ever-changing world, we must find new and creative ways to deal with new realities. For example, with the change of administration in the United States, policies are changing; and governments the world over are looking at alternatives to keep their economies working.

Sometimes, as good as things were in the past, we must accept that change is a constant and essential part of human experience. We are living in changing times that are challenging us to adopt new and efficient ways of doing the business of the Church. As a diocese, we have started the process of transformation, but we have much more work to do. Like the wineskins, if we delay in taking the necessary steps, we lose out on opportunities to preserve and build on the foundation that the Church has established.

As we seek to move forward in the mission of God, we must recognise that the secret of change is not to focus our energy on fighting the old, but on building the new.

That is the only way that we can continue to be relevant and effective agents in the mission to which God has called us.”

PARTNERSHIP WITH CIVIL SOCIETY

While more will be shared here next week, space will only allow this timely mention and affirmation of the work of wider civil society. Bishop Golding declared, “Even as we work towards creating a just, equitable and transparent society, we must also recognise that to restore hope there must be confidence in those who lead in all areas of Jamaican life, including the Church.

This is no easy task, but we can achieve our goal by establishing a broad-based partnership involving church leaders, non-governmental organisations such as Jamaicans for Justice, watchdog agencies such as National Integrity Action, and others who are working to improve the quality of our life together as Jamaicans. We must work in solidarity for a better Jamaica. Also, where the Government is doing a good job, through initiatives which give hope to our people, we must affirm these programmes and offer tangible support for the good of the nation.

Our leaders must unite around the positive, and the good things that are taking place in our country. There must be a consensus around those issues that will contribute to the welfare of our people, especially to the benefit of the vulnerable, our children, and senior citizens. There are good things happening in Jamaica, which if we are to be conveyors of hope, we must help others to see and embrace.” (To be continued)

CHURCH AND CARNIVAL

In a free and democratic society, it is good to note the protected place for both church and carnival. In other words, we should ensure that those who wish to do church or carnival receive the same freedom and protection to do so. That said, is anyone else concerned that access to the roadways is not equally available for church and carnival? Every year, there are members of the church who must choose to stay home due to the blockage. Some would not be able to even get through their private gateway upon reaching home after church.

No doubt positive economic returns will make the above-mentioned concern redundant. However, in a society that seeks to do fairness and justice for all, this would be taken into consideration. Will someone please make a way for Jesus to pass through even on one side of the road in Jamaica Carnival?

On this third Sunday of Easter, we pray in the words of the collect, “O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.”

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