St. Lucia Simply Beautiful

December 1, 2022

OUR YOUTHS NEED TO BE MOTIVATED FOR GOOD!

“There was no respect for youth when I was young, and now that I am old, there is no respect for age, I missed it coming and going. J. B. Priestley.

Welcome to the month of December! What a year it has been so far? I can’t wait to get to the end of 2022. It has been a year of uncertainty and anxiety. It is time to RESET all aspects of our existence. A change has got to come. I am ready to declare 2023, as a “Year of Reconciliation”. It has been a very difficult period to find common ground on any matter, especially in the area of politics. In many cases, though the decision to be arrived at is so simple, even to the ordinary man in the street. 

As the Festive Season draws nigh, it is a time for families, especially children everywhere. It is also a time for giving and caring. Everyone is looking forward to receiving gifts from relatives and friends at Christmas. I remember that the preferred toy for boys was a gun and a doll for girls but best of all is to give LOVE at Christmas. This special time of year brings about a special feeling of joy and happiness, and beckons us to seek a place where peace and goodwill could be enjoyed.

This is the time of year when men of goodwill must take a stand for peace in their communities and the wider world. It is against this background that I make a clarion call to church leaders and their members everywhere to – go ye out into the world and preach the gospel and claim the promise of Yahweh that he will be with you always. It is said that good overcomes evil. There is not enough good news in our world today. The disciples of Yahshua always have good news. However, too many have gone silent at a time when they should be at their loudest. Bring out the revival tents, blow the trumpets and bring sinners into fellowship along with all those who are burdened and heavily laden with problems of this life.

As I write this column, the homicide count in Saint Lucia stands at sixty (66), the majority consists of young men. This situation is untenable and must be stopped. We have to put all hands on deck and share the good news of salvation in spite of the prevailing chaotic situation dominated by crime and loss of life. Our young people must be directed to a better way of life. Stories must be told, not only of Yahweh’s intervention in a world that was several times more anarchic than it is today but also of how lives could be changed for the better even in the current environment. We have left behind all the good practices that have brought our civilisation thus far, where there can be so much more fun in living. Tell stories that embrace decency, respect, honesty, thrift, love, gentleness, empathy, the good life, etc. 

The time has come to motivate our young people to look beyond a life of poverty and struggle for survival, and position themselves to reap the benefits of self-development and prosperity in all aspects of their lives. Let us give motivational and skills development books as part of gift packages this year. Too many minds are being wasted. “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” United Negro College Fund. Are we reading and listening to enough educational and current affairs programmes? I need not over-emphasise the fact that Readers are Leaders. I suggest that you do not wait for gifts from relatives and friends but rather commit to buying yourself a copy of a book you always wanted to read but never found the time to get around to buying it. Kick-start 2023 as a new creature armed with FAITH and a SENSE OF PURPOSE.

It is my wish that above all things, we may all prosper and be in health to enjoy this Festive Season as we have never done before. Let us get ahead with the preparation to make us all contributors to a more equitable and constructive world in 2023. My task is to impress upon my readers to care about the young people in our midst and point them to a better way that is available to all, regardless of status in life. Let us reach for the stars. In the meantime, stay healthy, stay safe, and be blessed.

Edward Harris
Freelance Journalist/Realtor/Business Consultant
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