Dear Editor,
The PPP administration is scheduled to officially open the Mackenzie Bridge on Sunday, an infrastructure project conceived under the former APNU government.
Sunday, however, is a day of worship in Linden. It is a day when Christians gather in fellowship to worship the Most High God and give thanks to Jehovah for bringing them safely into a new week. It is not a day for turning our communities into centres of carnival-style revelry, excessive drinking and activities that conflict with the spiritual values we profess.
Yet the PPP administration appears determined to turn this day of worship into a public celebration of a different kind. Even more troubling is the invitation extended to our children to participate.
I am appealing to the churches of Linden, particularly those that have remained silent and inactive, to find their voices. This is the time to stand up, say no and protect our children and the next generation. Why must the church continue to compromise its spiritual responsibilities?
Where is the cry of the church?
Questions must also be asked about the church’s relationship with political power. Have financial contributions, youth programme funding, the handing over of the Mackenzie Mall to a PPP-connected group, duty-free concessions and other invitations compromised the church’s willingness to speak out? If so, the spiritual independence of our religious institutions is at stake.
Church leaders must remind their congregations that no political party, financial incentive or public invitation should take precedence over their faith and responsibility to protect family and spiritual values.
After what the writer views as the erosion of social, sporting and economic programmes, there is now concern that the spiritual foundations of our communities are also being undermined. Those who place money and political influence above principle must not be allowed to dictate the values of our children.
I urge the pastors and church leaders meeting in Linden tomorrow at 7 p.m. to stand firm. Do not bow to the political pressure or be distracted by the sound of the PPP music.
The church must speak, and it must speak now. Our children’s future and the spiritual values of Linden are worth defending.
Yours truly,
Gavin Marks
