Spoken word by the spiritual poet

“Jamaica Will Bend And Bow But She Will Not Break“

Creator God, Author of Life, we buckle on bended knees in silence as our hearts break from groanings too deep for words to bear. For we are stateside, distant from ground zero in utter loss, lifeless, breathless, and weakened in disbelief by the unprecedented, unrivaled, and unparalleled herculean hurricane of biblical proportions. As a CAT 5, Hurricane Melissa reached critical mass with a minimum central pressure of 892 millibars, making landfall way into the wee hours of nightfall packing maximum sustained winds of 185 miles per hour. Alas, fleeing from landfall with a landmass of 4,244 square miles was futile. For salvation could not be found in the might of mountains. Salvation could not be found in the might of mansions, and salvation could not be found in the might of men. For great and grievous was the loss of land. Great and grievous was the loss of livestock, and great and grievous was the loss of livelihood.

In the wake of Melissa’s catastrophic landfall St. Elizabeth Parish, St. James Parish, Westmoreland Parish, Trelawny Parish, Hanover Parish, and Manchester Parish’s infrastructure were deeply challenged, acutely compromised or lay waste in utter ruin. Her landfall was unmistakably unwavering, unrelenting, and unforgiving. For she laid claim to the souls of homes. She laid claim to the capstone of homes. She laid claim to the chief cornerstone of homes, and she laid claim to the very trees, orchards, flocks, and livestock of homes. Now vestiges of naked, gaunt, dry brown trees, dilapidated foundations of bear bricks and mortar, and main roads and pathways which once were, seemingly have become debris filled impassable dried-up riverbeds throughout the rural regions. Alas, all that is left is an uprooted soul-torn country with uprooted infrastructure, uprooted agriculture, and uprooted trees, eroded hillsides and floodplains of septic cesspools.

From afar, to the naked eyes, it seems like a forgone conclusion. For rebuilding will take a global Good Samaritan humanitarian effort by neighbors and nations. Yet, while at ground zero in the valley of decision with death, destruction, and total devastation all around, the indigenous spirit of Jamaica remain hopeful. For the indigenous people of Jamaica have been through great sorrows. The indigenous people of Jamaica have been through the fire, and the indigenous people of Jamaica have been through the whelming flood. Therefore, the indigenous spirit of Jamaica will not break, but will remain intrinsically resilient, resourceful, and will reimagine and rebuild breathtaking bedazzling beauty out of blighted brokenness.

Creator God, Author of Life, while in this monumental moment on bended knees, we take heart and lift up our heads to the hills from whence cometh our help. With sober faith we cry, Abba, Father, remember the families, friends, and peoples of misfortune in Jamaica. While neighbors and nations converge in alliance to airlift aid in all forms, give her patient endurance to wait as her agricultural heartland heals, reseeded soil takes root, bringing a harvest in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will come in due season. For Jamaica will bend and bow but she will not break.