THE EDITOR, Sir:
IN THE Gleaner of May 7, yet another person expressed the view that the church is too silent. It is easy to dismiss claims like this, or get defensive. We may suggest that some persons are living under a rock, or something, because we can point to religious programmes on television and radio, and we can point to articles that we have written in the papers, but we need to realise that there is merit in the claim that the Church is silent if the very persons we are intending to reach are saying so. If we are speaking and we are not being heard by some, our posture should be offensive rather than defensive.
There are a few churches that are able to buy air time during prime time; many religious broadcasts are done during off-peak hours because this is what most can afford. We cannot depend on the letters section of the paper to get our voices heard because many are writing but the space is limited. We should not use these facts as excuses for not being heard. The fact that we find ourselves in this situation is just a symptom of a bigger problem - as the Church, we are not united.
If we were united as a Church we would be a force to be reckoned with, instead of persons saying we are silent; we would be able to positively influence the political arena; we would be better able to address social issues; and most importantly, we would be able to use all the available resources to better spread the gospel of Jesus the Christ. As it is now, the Church lacks the moral authority to call for unity from our political leaders, because we are not united. We are unable to make any significant social impact because our resources are not being pooled for the benefit of all.
'UNITY IN DIVERSITY'
Whenever there is a call for unity, persons in the so-called 'ecumenical movement' speak about 'unity in diversity' but what is happening in the church generally is divisiveness and not just diversity. I cannot remember any recent releases from the JCC about anything of national importance on which the church is united. It seems more time is spent on highlighting differences of opinion while the core message of the gospel, that is, Jesus Christ, is swept away in the tide of debates.
Jesus himself prayed for his disciples, both present and future, "that they may be one... so that the world may believe that you sent me." (John 17: 20-21) The church in Jamaica today is far from being one. What we really need now is not more talk, we need unity.
I am, etc.,
GARY GARDINER (Rev.)
garyogardiner@yahoo.com
Kingston
Via Go-Jamaica
