Praises to the Elders of Laventille
THE EDITOR: The Elders of Laventille must be encouraged in their admirable efforts to restore a sense of community to Laventille. Their effort to do so deserves praise: everyone benefits, young and adult Laventillians, surrounding communities, the nation as a whole. This will require an expenditure of time, money and energy, as well as external support from businesses, politicians and others.
Participation by outsiders in arranged local get-togethers and functions can break down the sense of alienation that may exist. ‘There is no love apart from deeds of love.’ (Jean-Paul Sartre, French philosopher). Education and wealth may help in giving one a comfortable life; but, in the final analysis, one will be judged by one’s God and others by the moral quality of one’s life. As the Bible says, “It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for rich men to enter Heaven.”
The actual pursuit of wealth is not discouraged; rather, wealth that is dishonestly acquired will make it almost impossible to be with God during eternity. Young Laventillians must know that they have a personal dignity and legal rights that are equal to all other citizens. Their lives are valuable, and the nation needs their services. As Rumi, the great Persian poet, expresses it “Lord, let me be the agent of thy peace.” The Bible also says “Blessed are the poor for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Poverty may present formidable challenges to one’s moral development, but it also presents great opportunities to develop kindness, caring, empathy, compassion, and love, without which one’s moral stature remains arrested.
Power, wealth, education, titles, and awards, are not necessarily correlated with moral development. It is also true that the poor and uneducated are often morally superior to the rich and educated. A dear friend recently sent me a message that I share with my Laventillian brothers: “The recipe for eternal joy is simple: seek joy first and foremost, seek reasons to laugh, seek reasons to offer praise to self and others, seek beauty in nature, beasts and other humans, seek reasons to love, in every segment of every day look for something within you that brings forth a feeling of love, seek that which uplifts you, seek opportunities to uplift others.” I send my sincere gratitude to the Elders of Laventille for the work they have undertaken on behalf of fellow citizens.
KENNETH AQUAN-ASSEE
Port-of-Spain
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"Praises to the Elders of Laventille"