Date: Sunday, August 23, 2009
Place: Clifton New Testament Church of God
Time: 10:00 a.m.
Theme: Saluting Our Heritage, Building Our Nation
Text: Joshua 4:15-24
Introduction
Come, see, live, love, laugh, capture the true spirit and flavor of Jamaica. Journey into the majestic mountains, the countryside, wild flowers, lazy rivers and discover true native living. This excerpt is from a flier advertising an adventure tour on the western side of the Island. In a sense it captures aspects of the Jamaican Heritage. This is a rich and dynamic heritage.
Dumisani Goba asserted, “It is very important for young people to learn and respect their tradition and culture, as they are the ones holding tomorrow’s future”. Young people we are called upon to salute this dynamic heritage as we seek to build our nation.
As we focus on saluting our heritage we must note:
•It is an act of honouring or giving courteous recognition of our heritage
•It is to show respect for our heritage
Sometimes we find ourselves focusing on our National Heroes when we talk about heritage. But our heritage encapsulates more than the heroes. Our heritage is the things that give us an awareness of who we are as Jamaicans. These are also some of the things that the world has come to know us by.
When we speak of heritage we are speaking of custom; tradition; inheritance; legacy. Thus our heritage is our customs/traditions that we grew up seeing as norms within the Jamaican society.
Before we can salute/respect our heritage we must first know what our heritage is. Many Jamaicans do not know their heritage. Therefore it becomes critical that we know what makes us Jamaican. Our heritage includes: Natural resources; Music; Craftwork; Sports; Places of scenic interest; Vegetation commodities; folklore and our heroes; Jamaica’s greatest resource being its people.
Tracing our roots
Long before Columbus got lost and stumbled on Jamaica it existed; Inhabited by the Arawaks. In 70-80 years after the Spanish took control of the Island most of the Arawaks were dead. Jamaica was used by the Spanish as a base for their bid to capture the Americas. The British, the Pirates all ravished the island for their own benefit. Amidst all this the island maintained its natural beauty and seemed destined to be a nation of impact on the world.
Observation
1. Responsibility v.21-22
The text before us presents Joshua crossing the Jordan River with the children of Israel. As they cross God commands him to get the men to carry twelve stones across with them. These twelve stones were to be a memorial for all the people in years to come.
Joshua makes it clear in verse 22 that each Israelite present at the Jordan was responsible for passing on the information re the meaning of the twelve stones to the next generation. This part of Israel’s history would always be remembered. This responsibility was upon young as it was the old. What have you passed on to the next generation about our history and culture?
Just as this responsibility was upon the Israelites so is this responsibility upon all Jamaicans. Our culture and history is dying as we have not taken the responsibility seriously. Some of our young people today do not care to hear what happened in the past or don’t think it has any significant meaning to them. As such the things that define us are no longer lifted up before the next generation.
Oh Jamaica is in trouble my brothers and sisters. As we remember the past it helps us to better chart a course for the future.
Where are we coming from?
•We were called a Christian nation
This statement once bore true of Jamaica. It was once a Christian minded nation. Today we have become very secular in our thinking and as such godly principles are no longer lifted up for the next generation.
Sunday school was once a highlight for children. Today parents and children lay in bed until noon. The cry I am tired; this is the only day I have for myself; I have to wash my work clothes. No longer is this great institution hailed among our people. My brothers and sisters I dare to say that this is a core reason why our young people seem to have no moral stance. Our country has come a long way since pre-Colombian Jamaica, but today our moral fibre is decaying.
Today we are in trouble as we seem to have forgotten the things that made us a strong nation. It was not money; it was the godly principles that governed our people. Today from the halls of our churches to the halls of parliament we are being led by men and women who are thieves and liars, hypocrites and destroyers of nation building. They are those who have forgotten the principles that guided us in the past.
Here me church of God, this is serious. When leaders of political parties see to the election of foreign citizens to our parliament and then act surprise when these things are brought to the public, we have lost our way as a nation. We have removed the old landmark.
Within the national anthem which is a prayer to God, we ask God to let justice and truth be ours forever. This most potent line of the anthem should not be looked over. Today our people sing it from time to time yet do not reflect upon its lines. Oh if justice and truth could prevail the land of Jamaica again. If truth was being ringed out and practiced from our church halls to parliament we would see a different Jamaica (Praise God).
•We were neighbours
The idea of a neighbour in the Jamaica of the past went far beyond living next door to a person. To be neighbour meant we looked out for each other, each other’s children and possession. Though this has not been fully lost we are approaching it fast.
When God asked Cain for Abel, he asked God am I my brothers keeper? Well to all the Cain’ out there yes. You are your brother’s keeper and that was our Jamaica. Today your neighbour might be a murderer or a bad man and if you say anything too hard to him or anyone associated with him you could be dead. Where is the brotherly love that once permeated our nation? Where is my neighbour?
We have lost respect for each other. Adults have no respect for each other or the children around them. Our young people couldn’t care less. As we sing our prayer to the lord (our national anthem) there is a request we make to God. It says, “Teach us true respect for all”. This gets to the core of a person who really reflects upon it. Not respect because you have money, you are born into an uptown family. Not respect because of what you can do for me. But respect simply because you are another human being and even more importantly you are my brother and sister.
•Fear for God
The generation I grew up in had a fear for God. This was not being afraid of God, but simply reverencing God. Today our nation has lost its fear for God. There was a time when Sundays were sacred in this nation. No loud music, no outrageous dances and no stores were opened. Church was a vital part of society. Today all kinds of things are done on a Sunday. It is no longer seen as a day where worship is given to God.
The more we lost our fear for God the more we became vile in our behaviour. When men can murder within churches and smoke and do all kinds of evil on church grounds it shows that we have lost our fear for God.
Is this the heritage we are willing to pass on to the next generation? We must look back at where we are coming from as we seek to build our present context and chart a course for the future.
The responsibility is yours to tell your friends and younger siblings what Nanny, Paul Bogle, George Gordon, Samuel Sharpe, Alexander Bustamante, Norman Manley and Marcus Garvey did for the birth and freedom of Jamaica and the Jamaican people. As they seek to build for the future they must be told of where it is we are coming from. Our past must serve as a guide for them tomorrow. We have the responsibility to tell.
When the world may forget the names, Herb McKinley, Merlene Ottey, Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell and Veronica Campbell, you are responsible to tell them of the great exploits of these Jamaicans in the area of track and field. Tell them how Jamaica conquered the track from Helsinki to Beijing. It is your responsibility to let the world know of the great achievements of Jamaica and tell them of the things that makes our nation great especially in a time when the negative publicity of crime and violence paint a tainted picture of this blessed Island
2. Reminder v.22
Joshua pointed out to the people that it was their responsibility to tell the next generation. It was as this was done that it would also be a reminder to those who were there that day by the Jordan. By telling others it would be a constant reminder to the teller that Israel’s God was good and he was a deliverer.
The reminder would help them develop a stronger foundation and belief in their God. Every now and again we need a reminder of where we are coming from in order to help us stay on track and chart a course for the future. It was Marcus Garvey who echoed, “A People without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”. This statement is true in all sense. And it becomes more critical for all Jamaicans to be reminded of our roots, to be reminded of our heritage.
It was also Prime Minister the Honorable Bruce Golding who asserted in 2007 “Our values are being buffeted by other values that are not part of our heritage. We are in danger of losing confidence in who we are, losing an appreciation for where we are coming from and losing sight of where we want to go”. The prime minister also said, “We have a duty to protect that heritage, to build upon it, to strengthen it and to enrich it…”
We can protect this heritage when we know:
•How we got here
•Who we are- we are not Africans, but Jamaicans with African descent
•Where we are going
Let us be a reminder to the generation to come, but today a reminder to ourselves as we seek to salute our heritage and build our nation.
3. Reason v.24
Joshua presents in this final verse why God did what he did for Israel. This was done so that the peoples of the earth would know that the hand of God was powerful and so that Israel would always fear the Lord.
Why do we need to salute our heritage? Friends like Garvey opines, “A people without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”, we are being called upon to remember our heritage so that we may never forget who we are and where we are coming from. We are a diverse nation and our motto reminds us of this. “Out of many, One People” This potent message is a reminder that if you are brown, black, Chinese or Indian we are all Jamaicans.
This is why it is critical to not forget this rich heritage. Our responsibility is to keep this awareness alive and well. We must remind each other of this priceless legacy that we all share as Jamaicans.
Like Israel would see their God and reverence him for what he had done. We are to also lift up our spiritual heritage as a nation. Among our freedom fighters was a Baptist Minister and a deacon. The framing of our laws were drawn from scriptural principles. Our national anthem that the world enjoys so much is a reminder of our spiritual heritage and our dependence on God. It is the only anthem in the world that is a prayer to God. It stands tall all over this world. And we must show the respect due when we hear our anthem being played. We are Jamaicans and it represents our collective prayer to God.
We have lost pride in many of our national symbols. If as a Jamaican youth I declare openly I love Jamaica then I must openly respect those things that preserve my heritage and lift up my nation. To salute our heritage is to show respect for it. To show respect is to value, admire or esteem this heritage. What value have you placed on Jamaica? What does Jamaica mean to you? Is it not worth you saluting?
Building our nation
All the things that Israel did to preserve their history helped to create a powerful nation. Adults were responsible for the transmission of the history to their children. Today as we build our nation we must know the values and principles on which our nation was built.
•Service – we must seek to serve each other. It’s a core principle our nation was built on. Both the national pledge and song highlight service as part of our way of life
•Godly principles- Jamaica is considered a Christian country. From its early beginning there has always been an emphasis on the religious. We must not fail as a people to continue this great heritage. The national song, anthem and pledge all make mention of God. If our nation is to be prosperous and blessed we can never forget God. Our forefathers did not and it brought them great success.
•Love for our brother/sisters- Both national anthem and pledge highlights concern by all for his fellowman. It is as we respect this part of our heritage that we instill within each other the care for human life. This part of Jamaica’s heritage seems fading. But I challenge all present here today to love one another as this will build a strong nation.
As Joshua on this day challenged the Israelites to be responsible for the preservation of their heritage and as he challenged them to remind each preceding generation and showed them the reason why God did what he did I also challenge each student sitting here and teachers to be responsible for the preservation of our heritage. Never stop from reminding others of this great legacy we have as Jamaicans and give the world a reason why we cannot stop in sharing who we are and where we are from. Never forget these words from Garvey, “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots”
