Praying for First Worldism “We are so locked

Without even realizing the immensity of this acknowledgement of failure on all fronts, government organized prayers on Republic Day.Prayers to make us safe again? To make our Parliament work again? To deliver health care and pharmaceuticals to the elderly and the ill? To clean the toilets at WASA facilities, and get rid of rat infestations in schools and public buildings? To send water in pipes and not in floods? To make us more competent and less corrupt, arrogant and selfish?

Well Hallelujah to that wonderful idea! How many prayers, and to how many Deities are we going to offer prayers, and beg various Gods to save us? And what is our role in these prayers, may I ask? What do we intend to do about the ills which we face, the ills which we have so deliberately and consciously brought down upon our own selves? We went and prayed, right? It’s all up to you now Gord, we have put our fate in your hands, and we have gone back to corruption, crime, noise, littering and liming.But we are feeling good, Dear Gord, because we have prayed to you to fix everything. Is that not what faith is for, Gord, in whichever form you take it? Step forth now and save this preying (oops, praying!) nation. Some years ago, in 2005 to be exact, we had a World Cup qualifying match here on Ash Wednesday against the United States. Local media asked our national coach if he had reviewed any recent USA matches on film to prepare his team? Our coach replied that there was no need for him to do that because “the Good Lord already knows the result”! The good media published that remark without comment, even after the USA had beaten us 2-1. I raise this here to demonstrate how quickly we become totally incompetent and impotent in the face of prayers and Gord. But at least that coach was replaced, with an irreverent Dutchman who brought no prayers, but took us to the World Cup using analysis, discipline and hard work!

We are so locked into this primitive notion of Gord minding us and supporting us that we continue to do nothing for ourselves. For God’s sake, People, take up thy damned beds and walk! Go to work, become responsible for your duties and begin to achieve. Get off your knees and do all those things you keep praying for Gord to do! What is wrong with you all?

We all want us to become First World, but no one wants to do anything about getting there, other than borrowing money to go to Mas’ in New York, Toronto or Miami. But look around you, we are getting there-- into First Worldism—faster than you think. Are some of our prayers being answered?

Look at our current parliamentary crisis, where obtuseness and mendacity are being wrought by our elected people to ruin our country.Those of you who don’t know better are feeling “shame shame” that we are doing this to ourselves.What must the Americans think of us? Well, wipe your tears, America must be real proud! Every year they go to the brink in Congress to “shut down the country” and blame the other side. We can’t get pharmaceuticals, they cannot vote money to fight Zika. We have two political leaders who each have the support of a handful of bought sycophants, America has Hillary and Trump.
We cannot appoint a Commissioner of Police, America cannot appoint a Chief Justice. We still need to get to America’s standard in appointing Justices, though: We still try to consider jurisprudence and competence, but in America they appoint judges on the basis of the candidates’ known prejudices.And some of our First World Prayers are being answered on the culinary front. We have Ruby Tuesday, and Dr Rowley told us some years aback that Ruby made us First World. But now we have so much more, including Starbucks and Wendy’s and Dairy Queen, all brave investments of our corporate sector working to diversify our economy, and make us First World. But keep on praying folks, while you righteously condemn each other. You can pray also for the few of us who seek to hold the fort, and stand at the ramparts while you pray and fete. Just remember when you go to your knees to “Praise the Lord” that you also “Pass the Ammunition” up to those of us on the ramparts.It is needed by the few to keep you all safe in your prayers and fetes. It really is a First World thing, fighting for an ideal.
Bless you All.
Amen.