Giving account

His critics seem neither comforted nor appeased by his words, but Dr Rowley, as ‘chief steward’ of the nation, did present a report on is administration’s accomplishments and acknowledged that the authorities have so far not yet found an antidote for the growing plague of crime.

Coming on the heels of the Prime Minister’s address was the release by the Ministry of Health of figures showing that there are 376 confirmed cases of the Zika virus to date and of those, 200 are pregnant women. The implications of infection can be dire for the most vulnerable among us and the threat to our unborn children cannot be underestimated or wished away.

Recent days have also seen the number of tragic deaths in the family setting rise to frightening proportions, with the concomitant horror that haunts those who must continue to deal with these situations.

At the heart of each of these national realities is the question of stewardship. Crime is not the Prime Minister’s problem. It is ours, collectively.

It did not suddenly appear out of nowhere. It was bred in our homes, in our schools, in our offices, in our places of worship, among those in both high and low positions. It is a manifestation of dishonest dealings, poor productivity, uncaring attitudes and selfish, greedy opportunism. White-collar and blue-collar crime, equally, give rise to the misconception among the most impressionable - our young people in whom our hope should lie - that wrongdoing is acceptable, sometimes even enviable, once the perpetrator can escape the consequences of his actions. The spread of Zika is attributable in many cases to overgrown, unkempt premises and to the careless handling of containers in which mosquitoes breed in and around homes and public spaces.

The Minister of Health has publicly lamented the irresponsibility of the population in not ensuring the elimination of mosquito breeding sites. Warnings, pleas and increased fines do not seem to have impacted on our consciousness and we now find ourselves either bewailing our misfortune or trying to pin the blame for it on ‘the Government’ or any other convenient body.

If our health system becomes overwhelmed by the victims of this or any similar disease, we must not forget that it was ‘the Government’ that called upon us to try to avoid contracting the virus, in the first place. Ultimately, the whole country pays the price for the un-trustworthiness of our attitude to the duties and responsibilities that we owe to ourselves and our fellow citizens. While the death of a loved one inevitably brings pain and grief to a family, circumstances may sometimes aggravate the suffering of the deceased and of the family.

The clarity of hindsight can bring wisdom, which must be combined with compassion and caring as we seek Christ-like solutions to the situations and problems that beset us. May the Lord find us worthy stewards of all to which we have been entrusted