Ian Boyne, ContributorYet another political movement has been born - the Christian-led Jamaica Alliance for National Unity (JANU) - and yet another one is destined for the rubbish heap of history. But Christians believe in miracles. It will certainly take one for this movement to succeed.
The leaders of JANU must be experiencing more than a little frustration at the lukewarm, ho-hum response to the birth of their baby. After all, the media have howled in the past that the church was doing nothing, that it was standing idly and cowardly on the sidelines while the nation rots. "Where is the church in the national crisis?" talk show hosts and commentators frequently ask stingingly. Now that some Christians have decided to take up the challenge for national leadership, there is cynicism, indifference and even pessimism - note this very headline! But churchmen should be accustomed to Doubting Thomases, remembering that the original Doubting Thomas was a believer (a disciple of Christ himself), so it is no strange thing that even within the church scepticism is being expressed. It is painful for me personally not to express faith in JANU's future and to give full support to some persons who have been personal friends of mine for many years.
I have the highest respect for Al Miller, Clinton Chisholm and Barry Wade. In my view these are precisely the persons of character and integrity which the country needs. I have absolute confidence in their sincerity of mission, and believe they have no ulterior motives for taking the activist plunge. However, the same notion of integrity which they adhere to mandates that I carry out my journalistic duty and address the mission of JANU dispassionately, not corruptly "bigging up" friends when my analysis and conscience are in another direction. JANU faces a number of hurdles which I believe will prove insurmountable.
DEEPLY DIVIDED
First, the fact is that Christians themselves are tribalised and deeply divided politically. It is a myth to believe that church members see themselves first as Christians. It is a fantasy for church leaders to look at the large numbers of people who go to church and assume that they have a big constituency from which to draw. They don't. These people are the same tribalists whom they decry. The church has been an abysmal failure in socialising its members in the values and ethics of the Christian Gospel and they are filled with many people who can recite church doctrines and know how to get "slain in the Spirit" but who have not internalised basic Christianity.
If the church had not failed so miserably to inculcate the basics of the faith, then perhaps JANU would have a future. The PNP and the JLP have absolutely no reason to worry that their party supporters who attend church will abandon them and follow their religious leaders. Jamaican people are very adept at compartmentalising their lives: They have one set of operating principles for the weekend (Saturday and Sunday) and another set for the real world, Monday-Friday. They love Al Miller, and Clinton Chisholm but they feel in their hearts that these men know Bible, not politics ,or how to run a country. The Jamaican people are very pragmatic. Yes, they are fed up with the corruption, greed and selfishness of Jamaican politicians. Yes, they would like to see a New Day and the system cleaned up. But they are not going to take chances with a bunch of neophytes when they want jobs, housing, proper health care etc.
They believe these church leaders know Christ, not how to make money flow. The Goliath that JANU faces is not just the political tribalism but the apathy and resignation of Christians themselves. Between those who are looking to go to Heaven or for Christ to burst the skies and solve all the world's problems, and those who feel that only the people who have the experience of running the country can really help at this time, JANU is in a bind.The problem is because they are people of faith and don't walk by sight, when the facts are staring them in the face - indeed, shouting at them - they simply won't acknowledge them. Religious people have a hard time dropping delusions because often there is a thin line between delusion and faith.
It is not encouraging to JANU that aside from Miller and Chisholm, there is no other Jamaican church leader of note who is in the group - and there are so many in Jamaica. Not only is there no representative from the established churches or the Jamaica Council of Churches, but there is no leader from the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals either or even the Jamaica Pentecostal Union. This is very significant. JANU therefore does not represent a significant voice within the Jamaican Church. Many see it as an "Al Miller thing" (Clinton Chisholm is a former employee of a Miller-affiliate, the Institute for Leadership Development). So JANU does not have the broad support of the Christian church and could be considered a fringe movement.
INITIATIVE
JANU is hoping that the initiative can become a groundswell. And while some church leaders would give support in principle to the vision and values of JANU, they are wary of the movement's becoming a full-fledged party. JANU at present is prepared to support candidates of character in the traditional parties or if they can find them to field its own slate of such candidates. The former objective will find support with more church leaders than the latter.
Perhaps the JANU leaders will charge that the JCC, JAE and JPU leaders are just people who lack courage and that part of the anatomy usually associated with manhood. Perhaps they will say some of these leaders themselves have their hands in the trough, have too much to lose or fear reprisals. (After all, many have churches in inner-city or volatile communities). Whatever the JANU leaders say, support is not likely to come in a fashion that would drive a national movement. The good thing is that as religious people, they will, no doubt, find something comforting in Scripture to soothe the pain of disillusionment.
I personally, despite my own religious commitment, have deep concerns over one seemingly innocuous statement in the JANU vision. It is this vision of "A Jamaica in which the state recognises the Sovereign Rule of God in national affairs". Whenever religious people start talking about God's rule in national affairs, I get nervous. Especially when they are Fundamentalists or conservative Christians. Jamaica is a pluralistic society, though it is said to be a Christian country. While broad humanitarian values which are at the core of the world religions (not just Christianity) should influence the nation, I don't believe that Christians should have a right to impose their will on the nation. I have profound theological and philosophical disagreements with the Theonomists and those who expound a Dominion Theology like my close friend Al Miller.
THEOCRACY
Jamaica must remain a pluralistic society. We should not strive to become a theocracy in which "the sovereign rule of God" reigns. (Which will inevitably end up being some man's ideas of what God wants). Jesus made no attempt to wrest political power from the Roman imperialists, nor did Paul urge Christians to impose a theocracy on the secular societies in which Christians found themselves. The values of Christianity are revolutionary. We should influence the Public Square, not seek to dominate it. Soon Christians will be banning carnival, Sunday shopping, withdrawing Government support from Reggae festivals like Reggae Sumfest and legislating Christian morality. I believe in the separation of Church and State.
JANU must organise and demonstrate against the corruption, tribalism, victimisation, abuse of public office, vulgarity in national life etc. It must add to the pressure for meaningful constitutional changes to the Jamaican political system. It must work with the third parties and civil society in forging a united front against some common evils and developmental challenges. It must work with the media, the business and professional classes in mounting pressure against the corrupt tribal political culture which we have.
But any attempt to form a party and to contest elections this year is doomed to failure. Give the money to the poor, fellows. Don't waste it trying to field candidates for failure.
