A former Principal of Codrington College is charging that Barbadians have a tendency to avoid the truth about the issues plaguing the society.
“We need not to close our eyes to the reality because we are developing a culture of sugar-coating things rather than facing them. We do not want to admit that they are there, and we find some way to make them look good,” Canon Noel Titus said, adding that it was time for Barbadians to take the proverbial wool from their eyes and realize what is happening in Barbados with the current spate of murders.
“We are often in denial saying that this can happen in Trinidad, Jamaica or Guyana but not in Barbados. Recently, we have had to face the truth – nine murders in 31 days. If we go on at the same rate throughout the year, we would have more than 100 murders. I pray we do not have any more right now,” he told the congregation at St Matthias Church on Sunday.
The senior priest in the Anglican church joined with Minister of Elder Affairs and People Empowerment Cynthia Forde and agreed that three days of prayer allow Barbadians to be conscious of what is wrong in our society and what needs to be rectified.
According to Canon Titus if Barbadians continue to follow the norms and customs which are popular, we would develop a spineless society.
“If we continue to nurture [a society] where people do things just because everyone is doing it, then, in the end, we will develop a spineless society,” he told the congregation.
Titus, said as with Jesus Christ in Luke 4 when he returned to his birthplace at Nazareth to speak and those in the synagogue wanted to hurl him off a cliff, people today do not like to hear the truth. The priest said that one of the major problems in society was that persons were afraid of offending other people by speaking the truth.
“One good reason is that we are still, what they say a ‘class-conscious people’. We do not feel that we should say things to offend certain persons and that is not something that affects the wider society, it affects the church,” he said.
Canon Titus said christians must follow Jesus’ example and not be afraid to stand for what is right.
“When we read the story in the Gospel let us take note of the fact that Jesus stood up. He did not look behind him to see who was supporting him. He wasn’t listening to hear whose voice would come to his assistance. He did what he was supposed to do and I believe that he is calling upon us to do what we have to do. Jesus is calling us at this time, to be honest.” Titus told the congregation.
