Fire Fighting

The Editor
The Anguillian

Dear Sir,

FIRE FIGHTING

I found the recent article ‘News that did not make the News’ by Colville Petty useful. It is good to be brought up to date on news that you have missed.When you think about it a lot of things are happening and we tend to focus on what is bad. But read the news paper and there is good news. The Anguillian of 21 September reported on the scholarship awarded to Clive Smith, the coming national youth conference and Stoney Ground School celebrating a 30th anniversary among other stories.

Also, let us not forget what developers are contributing to the schools and to youth.The previous week it was good to read about how well the young people had done in the exams. However it is regrettable that the boys did not do better. In addition, it will be good when we see technical or vocational training in our education system.

We have people addressing specific problems that exist among us and I am thankful for their dedication and hard work.We have problems like crime and violence, sometimes extreme violence and also drug and alcohol abuse. Our elected leaders also come in for criticism.There are things that are rarely aired openly; disputes over land that is reportedly stolen, abuse in the family between husbands and wives and parents and children. Have you been robbed? Have you taken what is not yours? Do you give honor to to your husband? Do you work at loving your wife or do you abuse her? Are you abused? Do you even agree with the next person on what is right or wrong?

People work at reducing violence. Others work at remedial education while others try to ensure equitable treatment of the labour force and to reduce violence in the family. All valuable and necessary but it is like fighting isolated fires when other fires are apt to spring up elsewhere. We desperately need these firefighters but we also need to establish a society where fires do not have a habit of springing up. The underlying cause needs to be addressed. A change of heart is needed where the family can live in peace and harmony and where we can trust the next person to treat us fairly. ‘Fat chance!’ I hear you say, but God does have the answer. He really does. Several weeks ago I wrote about a passage in the Bible: 2 Chronicles 14 and 15. It says”... if My people who are called by My name put away their pride and pray, and look for My face, and turn from their sinful ways, then I will hear from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now My eyes will be open. And My ears will hear the prayer that is made in this place.” Don’t dismiss this, please. Read on.

The people who are called by God’s name in the actual passage is the Jewish nation but now that Jesus paid the price for our sin anyone who accepts the free gift of salvation from the result of that sin can also lay claim to being one of God’s people. So I am speaking to those who are saved not to those who are not yet saved.To the people not yet saved the message is that Jesus loved you so much that he died for you and if you accept the gift you will be saved. But back to those who are saved now.The context of the passage is the setting apart of the newly completed temple for God. God is saying that if his people obey him he will bless their land. If however they turn away to do their own thing they will suffer problems in their land that are a consequence of their lifestyle. However if they will only turn to God and do what he wants, live lives pleasing to him, he will bless them and enable them to deal effectively with their problems. So we have very practical advice if only we will take it. If those of us who are saved will only obey the God we say we serve all the island will benefit. People doing the essential firefighting will find the right ways to do it. Peace will come to our families if we treat our spouse right.

If you are saved, please do not pretend that you are not at fault, that you are without sin. If you do this you are calling God a liar. 1 John 1:9-10 says “If we tell

Him our sins, He is faithful and we can depend on Him to forgive us of our sins. He will make our lives clean from all sin. If we say we have not sinned, we make God a liar. And His Word is not in our hearts”.You say you believe God, do you believe what he says? This is personal between us and God and we cannot try to divert attention to others. Romans 14:4 says “Who are you to tell another person’s servant if he is right or wrong? It is to his owner that he does good or bad.The Lord is able to help him.” So we answer to God direct because the context of the passage is talking about our relationship to God.When we are honest with him he will help.The implication of this is quite clear. If God does not seem to be helping out it is because his people are not in fact turning to him. I would say to the leaders of our churches that our obligation to the island is clear and we should not fail them. We look for your leadership, please.

Bill Grandfield

(bill grandfield@yahoo.com)