by Edward Hutcheson

It is possible that after 41 years as a “Christian nation”, we have allowed particular contexts to become so broad and convoluted that some of our leaders take exception to what is apparent to a lot of us. When the Prime Minister says that he is puzzled by particular aspects of a recent report that came from the U.S. Government, most of those involved in party politics and many of us who are not, know exactly what the report is stating; most of us live with it, and for many of us our survival depends upon its’ continuation.

Politicians do the job for which they are hired. They may be duly elected by voters but they are actually work for the party members, and perhaps by extension the persons who voted for them and then maybe the wider nation that they are supposed to be leading. Let me get back to the first sentence of this letter. It would not be honest to place the current dilemma we face at the feet of the current administration, we have gotten to where we are after 41 years of misdirection and attempted corrections. We have not done correction very well, we have allowed political expedience to betray our common senses and now we find ourselves in what may be the defining battle for true national self-determination. While other nations around the world, like America, Russia, Ukraine and even Japan are stepping back and solidifying their identity structures we are at ease in a one step forward three step back mode; led by a Prime Minister who cannot seem to find context or rhythm; even though he likes to dance.

But, for a nation that claims what we claim, the issue is the defining of context; especially when we do not have anything tangible to put on the table that we have created over the past 4 decades. One of the things we should be doing better than most is getting in touch with who we are because of what we claim to be, but we have been lying to ourselves for a very long time. Lying so much that even those who lead us politically and spiritually are colluding with each other; not seeing the urgency of fulfilling their God given responsibility of being salt and light to us. Do you see the irony there? Salt and light in the physical context are abundant in the Bahamas.

After 41 years of being an independent nation we find ourselves between a rock and a hard place, perhaps the most difficult place we have ever been in, with no hope in sight. However, I am  optimistic because the God we did the deal with in 1973, still has a card to play, and for some of us it may be a hard card, but whatever He does is always well done.

Happy Independence, Bahamas.

July 7, 2014