HOW ARE CHRISTIANS to celebrate this year of Barbados’ jubilee? Is there a spiritual significance for them, and what are the implications of the Christian church if it does?
These were some of the questions posed by Reverend Paul Leacock as he addressed the congregation at First Baptist Church, Constitution Road, St Michael, two Sunday mornings ago.
He took his text from Leviticus 25: 8-14, which served as a guideline for celebrating a jubilee year.
“There is nothing that happens in this world that we cannot find in the Word of God as a reference. If we follow the tenets, we can celebrate our jubilee,” Leacock said.
He said that jubilee was about liberty for all and that the church of Jesus Christ must put everything into context and thank God for what He had done in the nation.
The minister said it would be great if the celebration of Barbados’ jubilee was much the same as it was in the Bible.
“God is all for jubilee; the Bible shows us that. Let the Government do what the Government plans to do. I am not here to tell them how to celebrate, but we can borrow from the Israelites and celebrate liberty and the restoration to regain lost possessions.”
He said Israel often lost what they owned, and that many people over the past five to six years had lost homes and jobs.
He reiterated that the biblical year of jubilee was about restoration and redeeming those things that were lost.
“God says in His Word that in the year of jubilee, whatever property was lost should be reclaimed. It was a time to give the land a rest. God was just not concerned about property, but families would also be restored.”
Leacock said it was his prayer that relationships between fathers and mothers be healed “and that was a reason to celebrate”.
He also noted that in the year of jubilee, monies owed to anyone would be waived and one did not have to work that year as it was one of rest.
“Jubilee is really about liberty for all. However, many people are having to resort to various forms of attracting money into their hands.”
The preacher said the standard of living in Barbados had dropped significantly, and so too had church attendance as some people had just enough gas to get to work but not enough to take them to church.
“No wonder we find the morale is so low and people are disgruntled, because workers are feeling they are working for nothing. When they count their wages it is not adding up.”
He said in this year of jubilee, it would be wonderful if taxes could be reduced and prices in the supermarket lowered.
He urged his listeners to love their country because God was concerned about Barbados, its lack of water and also when parents could not cook food for their children.
Leacock told them it was not by accident that they were born in Barbados and that God wanted each of them to make a contribution to others.
“This land in which we live belongs to God. It is not owned by anyone else,” he said. “Psalm 24, verse 1, says ‘the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof’. “God says the islands of the seas are His. He wants liberty in the land. He wants everything to be restored to families and for families to be fruitful.”
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