The Christian Council in particular, beginning on Ash Wednesday, brought to the attention of their several congregations the true meaning of our faith as Christians – and our hope for Salvation – through a series of midday devotions and regular services in the evening. All this culminated in the sombre reminder, on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, of the pain and suffering of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as he hung and died on a cruel cross amongst two ruffians atGolgotha! But this was not to be outdone by the resounding expressions of Hallelujah!!!on Easter Sunday, in the songs of praise and exultation that rang out from the pulpits and hearts of believers – saved and unsaved – proclaiming that we serve a risen and living Christ. For the self-righteous who may scorn and deride the lack of commitment in others to Christ — the message was also clear. Because of his crucifixion and death there is still hope for the worst among us if we heed his call. Even as the thief besides Jesus on the cross pleaded for the forgiveness of his sins — Jesus in the midst of his suffering declared: “Verily I say unto you today thou shall be with me in paradise!” Perhaps the greatest words ever said to a sinner who was lost.
But I am not here to wax biblical, or pretend to be like the Pharisee thanking God that I am not like other men and extolling my Christian virtues and holiness. Rather, I am here like the Publican still asking God to be merciful unto me a sinner. I am not proud of that station either, but I will always face up to my human shortcomings and not boast of being what I know I am not — always recognizing that I am a sinner but there is hope for me and you, even now as I pen these lines.
I thought it was important that I take the time to highlight what happened this weekend in Churches, and hearts in this community, because there were other events as well of a more mundane nature. One may ask was it an appropriate way to celebrate the Joy of Easter. There are obviously different answers to this question, but, one thing is certain — that is where the people were. And I am sure that they were there for different reasons. Many may not associate the celebrations with rejoicing over the risen Christ; others may condemn the celebrations in the Easter Season; still others see the events as a cultural expression ofAnguilla’s history as we thankfully survived through drought, famine and disease with the precious offerings of the waters that surround us. Our forebears died trying to make a living on these sometimes treacherous seas — but they made the sacrifice for their family and perhaps their friends. It gave reason for people from all walks of life and religious persuasions to fellowship — and, to the best of my knowledge, I was not aware of any incidents of violence and misconduct of any magnitude. For the more “devout” followers of Christ, they may be reminded of the importance of venturing into the “by ways and hedges to seek out and to save souls that are lost” or, even, perhaps to “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars”. Can this be why I witnessed some pastors among the celebrations? I will not stand in judgment of any of the above!
What I will say about “Festival del Mar” is that the event was designed to promote aspects ofAnguilla’s seafood cuisine to all residents who may not have had that exposure and in particular visitors to our shores. It was the brainchild of Fitzroy “Briggie” Tomlinson, and was embraced by the Island Harbour Community and other island seafood specialist and aficionados. It is first and foremost a platform for cultural expression of our history with the sea but also an attraction for our tourist industry. I can boldly say that I believe that it has done both. It is not designed to be a political event, despite the fact that it is ably chaired by the Elected Representative forIslandHarbour, the Hon OthlynVanterpool — but I must say the attendance and the participation transcendedall political divides. The present Government seems to have equally embraced it, and I hope that it remains a shining example of the predominance of culture in the celebration of our past and the advancement of our main economic driver — Tourism.
From my vantage point in the shelter from the sweltering heat, that did not seem to deter the merrymakers, I was amazed at the magnitude of the crowd. In my estimation Sunday afternoon was the largest crowd ever. With estimates from various pundits ranging from three to almost four thousand. But I believe that the numbers are immaterial given the atmosphere that existed throughout the festival. It was truly a family event and, despite the challenges facing many people financially, I got the distinct impression that there was an element of sharing that made it special for a number of people. The entertainment was free, and the mood was priceless especially for some of us who needed a time to relax and unwind from the many pressures attending us at this time. I certainly did. The organizing committee, the participants and the most generous sponsors, mustbe commended for makingFestivalDelMar 2012 even more than it promised to be.
Besides the usual Easter Monday Boat race which was handily won by the “Real Deal”, and of course witnessed by the usual “on shore” Captains and Crews, I was able to find entertainment in the traditional Easter Monday Extravaganza of the Anglican Church. This year they served a taste of the traditional culture with a nostalgic performance of the colourful “Cake Walk”. For me, it was interesting to note that the women ignored the absence of male partners — and perhaps unintentionally demonstrated who really wore the pants in those early days when the menfolk were foraging abroad inSanto Domingo,Cuba, Curacao andAruba. They were not to be deterred from overcoming those realities even in this period when men seem hardly interested in the finer pastimes of dance and cultural performances.
But let me confess my real intention at the Anglican Bazaar. I came specifically with revenge in my heart to beat the Anglican team in our annual Cricket match — for lack of a more appropriate description. Bishop Brooks’ Eleven vs. Rev. Dunstan Richardson’s Eleven was the widely published team designations for the contest. As usual my positive hopes were once again dashed away, indeed shattered, when our Methodist team once again lost to the boastful Anglicans. In fact two grandchildren of my former primary school teacher, Teacher Cassilda Adams, made the entire score of the Methodist side with both youngstersretiring “bat in hand”! Let me reluctantly congratulate the Anglican because of my forgiving nature!
However, I would like to present a few relevant points for your consideration:
• Unfortunately, I did not play on the side.
• The Anglican team had at least four National Team players in their squad.
• The Anglican Team made the rules for the game once again without consultation.
• One of the Anglican female players wore a very intimidating, unsportsmanlike and distracting white T-Shirt with the slogan: “Anglicans Rock!”
• Both Umpires were Anglican and actually wanted to pose for pictures in The Anguillian with the winning team.
• The Scorer was an Anglican.
• Were it not for the beneficence of the Good Bishop, our team and fans would have been relegated to sitting on rocks for the entire match. He graciously insisted that we be given chairs albeit when most of our players were already fielding.
Let me make it clear that I am not looking for any excuses for having lost. I am simply reaching out to fair-minded Anglicans to evaluate the circumstances of our defeat.You make the call!
