Act, Pray, Persist

A few days ago the Bahamas was yet again devastated by a shoot out that took place in Fox Hill Village. Bullets flew everywhere and people were wounded from the chaos. Consequently eight people were shot, and four died, one on the scene. These bloody images were posted on Facebook and other social media, and circulated throughout the country and the Good Lord knows where else. For one day social media erupted with outrage, thoughts, prayers and condolences for the deceased, and their loved ones. However, it is obvious that in a few days this outrage would be forgotten, and people would return to their normal routine ,murmuring about the high level of violent crimes, and our other social ills, under their breathe.

Really our problem is not a political one. Wake up Bahamians. Do you believe everything that the government tells you? Do you believe in every dream that they sell? We are smarter than that. They cannot fix the problems that are our very own. Only we can do that.  They cannot come into every home in Nassau and the Family Islands and change the light bulbs where there is darkness, take out the smelly filthy trash, and weep the house clean. No WE, must do it.
WE MUST ACT.
We have have to clean house. Man in the mirror? It starts with you.
WE MUST PRAY
It starts with us taking our country before the Throne of a merciful God who alone is able to change the hearts of evil men.
WE MUST PERSIST
Bahamians, we love the novelty of new trends, but we never see anything through. Lets act on our desire to see a better Bahamas, and continue to act until that change really comes!
It starts with us praying everyday for our country.
It starts with us not hiding and supporting criminals.
It starts with us giving police the information we have.
It starts with us choosing life over death.
It starts with us teaching our children Godly morals, manners, and the importance of hard work.
It starts with us being happy with what we have and not being envious of others.
It starts with us having self worth and national pride.
It starts with us being honest and not sweeping things under the rug for a few extra dollars.
It starts with us in authority to not turn a blind eye to illegal drugs and firearms that are imported into our islands daily.
It starts with us becoming a community again, a family, a movement for peace, and creating the answers within ourselves. All 350,000 of us. It starts with us all becoming neighbours again.

Don't tell me it isn't possible, when in the world right now there are countries where violent crime is almost non existent. We don't create weapons in the Bahamas, how are they infiltrating our streets? Instead of a gun industry, lets create industries that will create jobs.
If we can not find jobs, let's be our own boss.
Let's start our own small business.
Let's become self sufficient and farm.
Let's raise our own animals, and plant our own trees.
Let us be the visionaries.
Let's not be lazy and cry for the government to do it for us. They have already proven they can not. Let's think for ourselves. Let's invoke the change. Let's be the difference. Let's support Bahamian business and entrepreneurs big, small and micro. Let's farm and invest in our agricultural resources. Let's develop our marine life and our fishing industries.

We have the power to turn our country around, and it begins with us always asking, "Why?" It begins with us always making our leaders accountable to us. But it also begins with us taking responsibility ourselves, and creating answers.

Why don't we just do this?

The Lord placed on my heart to start a call to prayer. He has the answer to every question we have asked. In Izmir, Turkey for university, everyday, five times a day, I would hear a call to prayer. You can hear it in the bus stations, on the streets, at school, at work or on the metro.

Until New Years Day, lets change our profile pictures to ones depicting a posture of prayer.

Let it remind us of our need for healing and change. Let it remind us of what happened in Fox Hill Village, and not only Fox Hill, everywhere blood was shed senselessly.

Let us begin a call for prayer in The Bahamas. In our homes, on our jobs, and wherever we go, whenever we see a picture of prayer let us pray for the answers we need. Let us pray for our nation and the violence to be silenced. Let us pray for a turn around and a respect for life. After this, all we need is faith to believe that it can happen.

Act, Pray, Persist