Preacher suggests ‘knee-jerk’ reaction to prayer is not the answer

A local cleric believes there is an urgent need for spiritual and social transformation in Barbados in the face of rising gun violence and moral decay.

And though he supports the call to prayer he says: “It seems as though gun violence has disrupted our way of life,” said Rev Dr Eric Peters from Power in the Blood Assemblies. “That’s not what we’re accustomed to. We’ve always heard about it in Jamaica; we’ve heard about it in Trinidad, and we did say it would not happen here,” he remarked as he delivered the sermon at the Tudor Bridge church to launch of the 2024 National Summer Camps Programme of the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment.

The summer programme will run for five weeks and is aimed at engaging and nurturing the island’s youth.

“If you are like me and you’re normal, you would like to see change in Barbados . . . . From my experience, I can tell you that crime is like a virus. It spreads. It doesn’t confine itself to particular borders or particular nationalities,” he told the congregation, which included Minister of Youth and Sports Charles Griffith, officials from his ministry, and members of the Barbados Youth Advance Corp.

Describing crime as a pervasive force and likening it to a virus that spreads beyond nationalities, Peters further called for a proactive approach to addressing the crisis.

“So it is said, if your neighbour’s house is on fire, wet yours. I don’t think we were wetting so we are here. But I’m comforted that when I read God’s Word, I believe that we can find the path to change. It has come to a place where we can’t ignore it anymore. You know, sometimes things can be happening and you can pretend they’re not happening.

“But I think it’s at the point where we can’t pretend that it’s not happening. It will not be solved by blaming one another. I’ve heard blame. It will not be solved by a knee-jerk reaction to prayer. It’s good. I applaud it. But it will not be solved by that. Because it goes much deeper,” he suggested. His sermon came on the weekend during which Prime Minister Mia Mottley called for national prayer for Barbados’ spiritual and social transformation in the face of rising gun violence and moral decay.

Addressing criticism directed at the church, the reverend defended its role amidst the challenges, noting that it remained a crucial part of the solution.

“I hear the calls of ‘where is the church’ by those who have ignored the church, accused the church and condemned the church. But we are saying today that we are here.

“There is no instant relief for this problem. We are all culpable for the current stalemate. We all are. If you want to wash your hands like Pilate and say it has nothing to do with you, you’re fooling yourself,” Dr Peter asserted.

He suggested the church had become “cold” and “internally focused,” abandoning its mandate to preach with the anointing, and called for a return to fervent prayer and a renewed commitment to spiritual responsibilities.

Parents and political leaders were also called out for their roles in the current state of affairs.

“Let’s look at the parents, because today we have parents who partake in the proceeds of prostituting acts by our young daughters, and they share in the proceeds of criminal acts by our young men. So tell me, we are not to blame,” Peters said.

He similarly criticised lawmakers for dismantling moral values in legislation.

“Our political class, you’re not escaping because, over the years, we’ve enacted laws that have removed the values and moral virtues that have erected a wall of defense for this nation for ages. Our judges and magistrates are a part of the problem as well. Because they see as their sole responsibility punitive measures and not restorative measures.”

Despite this, he remained optimistic about the potential for real and lasting change.

“But there is one path to real and lasting change,” the cleric emphasised, noting that such change was beyond the reach of political leaders or social influencers alone. “Let me say this here: regardless of the noble intent of the prime minister, national change is not within the ability of the best of political leaders. God didn’t give them that.”

While acknowledging the efforts of those working to address the crisis, Peters argued that these efforts alone were insufficient.

“In Barbados, we can see the efforts of the minister. We speak about the peace programme that has been working. They’ve been trying their best. We see the different truces that have been brokered. But with the best of intentions, eventually it’s going to break.”

Drawing on biblical teachings, he compared the situation in Barbados to historical instructions given to Israel. “As we look at our text today, Israel is being instructed by God as to what to do, not when He changes, but when you have abandoned Him and the consequences of your actions begin to bear fruit. He says these are the things that you need to do.”

Peters further called for personal responsibility in both spiritual and national life. “I want to say to us as the church, because we have to deal with ourselves first – the solemn assembly of every child of God is to live your life in such a way that the hand of God continues to bless and cover the nation as adverse situations have serious repercussions.

“The reality is that the victims of spiritual apathy are the very innocent citizens of our nation. Because we lack commitment to God, we leave them to become prey to every strategy of the enemy,” he noted.

He called for a shift from self-centered prayers to a focus on the nation’s well-being. “God will not intervene without prayer. I know we want God to intervene and we ask him, Lord, to help, but I want us to know that prayer for five minutes on Saturday is not going to do it,” he said insisting that a return to God was the answer.