Call for Barbadians to reflect on blessings

ANGLICAN Bishop of Barbados, Dr. John Holder, is encouraging Barbadians to reflect on the many blessings they have experienced during the past 50 years.

He made this call while delivering his Charge last Sunday at the start of Synod 2016, at St Michael’s Cathedral.

He said that there have been years of building and reshaping. Also, while acknowledging that they have produced many challenges, the Archbishop of the West Indies stressed that they have been addressed with that resilient Barbadian spirit.

“We have worked to build a foundation upon which we can proudly stand, ever thankful to Almighty God for his grace and guidance. We do so with a deep appreciation of the work of those who have gone before, and with a sense of our responsibility to be good and responsible guardians of our heritage, and committed craftsmen of our fate.

“We have an even greater responsibility to those who will come after us. So even as we enjoy many of God's great gifts in our time, health, food, family, security, freedom and many more; even as we wrestle with the many challenges that are facing us at this time, we must address a question that we dare not ignore,” he told the congregation.

As a nation, as individuals, Dr. Holder says there is a need to address the 'what type of Barbados' question, relating it to many of the issues that are confronting us at this time.

According to the Bishop, we must address the question in relation to a number of important qualities that are critical for the development and indeed improvement of this society.

“We can identify some of these as being conscious of the need for a sense of the divine, an awareness of our responsibility to each, and a commitment to the protection of our children and other vulnerable persons.”

Journeying to 50 years of Independence, the Bishop is also calling on the nation to think about responsibility.
“It is easier to talk about the responsibility of others but what about our own?

“One of the close companions of this responsibility is respect. Religion wraps this in the belief in God as our creator, sustainer and guide, God who has made us in his image. For religious persons, this belief enhances the need to respect each other…

“But whether we are religious or non-religious, the need to respect each other remains central to creation and the sustaining of good healthy human relationships.”

“Let us identify respect as one of the enduring qualities that we need to treasure in this country. Let us hope and pray that there will be far more of it as we travel through the next fifty years of Independence,” he further expressed. (TL)