If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michael Angelo painted or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well, that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say,”Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.” Martin Luther King jnr.
Dear reader, on the 16th February 2015, we foolishly erred and strayed when we elected a group of immature children to perform a man’s job of running our country. It was not even six months later that we realized how disastrously we had sinned and come up very short with the decision we made on that fateful day. Because of all the letters plastered behind their names, we sighed and we hoped beyond hope, that they would pull their socks up and try to redeem themselves somewhat by proving to us, that there is the faintest glimmer of hope in them; but, not even that they are capable of displaying. They cannot even prove to us that they are the best incompetent group of representatives a country has ever had the misfortune of electing.
The quotation above by Martin Luther King jnr. exhorts us to be the best at whatever we put our hands to, but not even this task they are capable of performing. Woe then, to our beloved country, our young children, and to us, its inhabitants! I therefore beg the question, “What is going to be the fate of our younger generation when they have been deprived of the foundations of a good, solid education in this day and age of modern technology, due to the incompetence of the infants we have elected, and the petty politics they are playing with the lives and the future of our present day school children? Just what will be their fate? What lies around the bend for them?
We seem to be taking the future of our children very lightly, but, if we are building a house and the foundation of that house is not properly laid, can we feel safe in such a building when the hurricane gale force winds begin to blow? With our children holed up in those makeshift buildings for a school, which lack computers, labs and all the other modern day equipments to enrich the minds of the young students, would they be equipped to face the rigours of the job market when they leave school? In other words, with the present inadequate environment under which they exist, are we preparing them for the future to take over the reins of the government long after we have departed to our eternal home? Are we?
It is said that every generation has it better than the one before, but, would this be the case with this present generation who is attending the Basseterre High School? My children had it better than I did, because they were able to sleep on beds, had access to fridge and washing machines, flush toilets, free Secondary Education, University Education, good paying jobs, whilst I had to sleep on the floor and entered the job market as a store boy, cleaning out the store for $3.00 per week. Would the present state of affairs turn back the historical hands of the clock, thereby reversing all the gains and achievements that were made since my day? I am shuddering in my shoes when I am punched by the present day situation and the fate of my grand and great grand! Aren’t you trembling in your boots too?
The Firmness Of The Christian’s Faith
In Philippians 1:23-24 Paul believed that at the moment of his death his consciousness would leave his body to join Christ in heaven. Is this the case? It is demonstrated in the way Paul dedicated his life to preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God. Here is what he said, “And he entered the Synagogue and for three months spoke boldly arguing and pleading about the Kingdom of God” (see 19:8; Acts 20:25; Acts 28:23; Acts 28:31). During this time, Paul was subjected to persecution, beatings and several periods of imprisonment. When he wrote his letter to the Philippians, he was enduring a period of house arrest in Rome. The Apostle knew that the Roman government had authority to put prisoners to death. Paul knew what the future might hold for him, whether it will be execution or his release.
Paul said this concerning the two possible outcomes: “For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.” (Philippians 1:23-24). Many have assumed from Paul’s words here that he believed that at the moment of his death his consciousness would leave his body to join Christ in heaven. How possible is his belief? Before focusing on what this scripture says, we must notice what it does not say. It does not say when or where Paul would be with Christ if he departed. Neither is the terminology of departure intended to be geographical as in leaving the earth to go to heaven. We must look at the text and see that there is no mention of heaven. To conclude otherwise is to read assumptions into Paul’s words; Paul is simply referring to departing from his present, physical residential area through death.
When writing to the Philippians here, Paul was struggling with two desires. He wanted to be done with his fleshly life and be with Christ, but he also wanted to remain with God’s people.
In his second letter to Timothy he speaks dogmatically of what lies ahead, knowing the end of his physical life is near and he is ready to depart: “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:6-8).