#BTColumn – Reparations – Part 3, Graduation

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today.

This is the final article on this 3-part Reparations series.  The first two were evidence-based research articles. This one includes my personal opinion on reparations.

It is based on my understanding after spending over half a century on this planet.

In my opinion, this life is like a school. We enter at birth, leave at death, and are examined for employment at resurrection.

During life, we learn to develop a relationship with our Creator, love our fellow students, and do our responsibilities at an expert level.

Our learning paths may differ. However, we should aim to receive God’s forgiveness and prioritise His business, treat our fellow students the way we want to be treated, and practise new responsibilities until they become second-nature.

FAILURE.

We learn by failure.  So, we will fail for as long as we learn – that is life.  What we do, or fail to do, can have a spaghetti of harmful consequences that we may never know during life. Therefore, we ask our common Creator for forgiveness, which He has promised to give to the same measure that we give our fellow students.

As we progress through life, we will encounter all types of situations: fair and unfair, kind and oppressive, helpful and harmful, and pleasant and distasteful. None of them should hinder our progress.

Harmful situations are to be expected, because we continually interact with our fellow students, who are also learning by failure.

OPPRESSORS.

At the end of life, we will be examined for after-life responsibilities. Forgiving our fellow students and helping them improve, helps prepare us for fulfilling after-life responsibilities. Those who do not do so, risk permanent unemployment. Leaders who refuse to forgive others, and condemn them as unredeemable, tend to become oppressors.

There is a special judgement for our fellow students, who use their positions of authority to oppress people.  We are not to fear them, because theirs is the most hazardous occupation imaginable. Leaders who maintain power by keeping others down, should understand that they are only condemning themselves.

REPARATIONS.

The decision to forgive others is a personal one.  Immediately following a period of horrific bondage, it may seem inappropriate to even mention forgiveness, which may trigger an emotionally traumatic response. For my enslaved fore-parents, who spent generations in slavery, there was no end to their bondage. Therefore, for them to forgive required extraordinary strength.

During my life, I do not want to be hindered by the bitterness and hatred that unforgiveness normally attracts.  Since I am a leader, I want to avoid the risk of oppressing others. Therefore, I have chosen the way of forgiveness.  I choose to trust God, who is love and just, to sort things out in accordance with His vengeance and mercy.

AGREEMENT.

Persons may pursue reparations justice through a court of law. This allows a determination to be made after the court hears both sides.

If the court decides that no reparations are due, and confirms that decision on appeal, then that option is closed.  The remaining option is through negotiation. Negotiating an agreement, means that both sides must agree.

I will not hinder those who need my agreement, to increase their chances of obtaining reparations. However, that agreement is on the singular condition that if they are successful, they should deduct any amount due me, and return it.  Why? Because I have forgiven all parties, beneficiaries, and their descendants entirely and completely, because that is how I want God to forgive me.

Grenville Phillips II is a Chartered Structural Engineer. He can be reached at NextParty246@gmail.com