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Index - Posting 20 June 2007 Vol. 4.3

A happy heart makes the face cheerful but a headache crushes the spirit.

Proverbs 15:13 (NIV)

At times a refresh button would be nice. An effortless means of removing headaches and restoring perspective. Being flesh and blood has its drawbacks and the older I become the more conscious I am of needing others to maintain a healthy and balanced outlook to my life. Last week I wrote about June 17 th as Father’s Day and also as the birthday of my father and his brother, my uncle. At the time of writing I did not know that the preceding day was also a day of celebration – Jamaica Diaspora Day. I was attending the 2 nd Conference of the Jamaican Diaspora (U.K) in the West Midlands and trying to compensate for not being home for two years. With registration scheduled from 8 am GMT, I arrived at 9 am JT (Jamaica Time) to an invitation to have breakfast. The welcoming smells of cornmeal porridge and fried dumplings were totally unexpected and filled me with a certain expectancy for the rest of the day. The standard had been set high and I was not disappointed. Leaving aside the food and the patties (including lamb and mutton) I had a wonderful time. There were lots of displays with familiar Jamaican household names and the usual freebies. It was cool. I even bought a T shirt with “Jamaican and Proud” on the back which I shall wear the next time I need to show my pride at Pride.

The keynote address Reflecting on our past – Inspiring our future was delivered by Professor the Honourable Rex Nettleford O.M., F.I.J., “a well-known Caribbean scholar, trade union educator, social and cultural historian and political analyst.” He had previously delivered an excellent lecture entitled Mask, Myth & Metaphor - the Slave Trade and Some Consequences, earlier in May for the Jamaican High Commission in London. In this address, he briefly commented on the association of Jamaica with homophobia and it’s alliance with dancehall music. He lamented the lack of reference to the “conscious lyrics” that are also an integral part of the Jamaican musical scene. In our brief conversation afterwards, I was pleased by his willingness to participate in a telephone interview for my academic research on homophobia and the Black Church. I attended a couple of workshops; Lobbying for Jamaica led by the MP for Hackney North & Stoke Newington, Dianne Abbott and the Role of the Church in our Community led by Bishop Joe Aldred. I look forward to further contacts with both of them on issues that affect us within our church and community.

At the end of the conference, I went hunting for an appropriate souvenir as a reminder of the day. Air Jamaica, who were the major sponsors of the conference, were kind enough to leave their iconic posters behind. As a child I loved the Wizard of Oz (leaving aside the fact that I thought Kansas was in England) and would have loved to have skipped up the yellow brick road singing at the top of my lungs. The scenic poster of Jamaica has a large aeroplane – the Love Bird - centre stage with those immortal words underneath – There’s No Place Like Home. I was thrilled. Euphoric. I closed my eyes as I tapped my heels three times. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t caught up to Kingston in a breeze. (Jamaican for hurricane) It was the fairy tale of knowing I was potentially just three taps from Home. Combined with the conference, that was refresh enough to chase away my tiredness and to bring back my cheerful heart and smiling spirit. Sometimes we just need to chill out – rest and replenish ourselves.

The apostles gathered round Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. Mark 6:30-32 (NIV)

May the Holy Spirit continue to sense your time to refresh.

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