Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin has called for a National Day of Prayer and Fasting (see related story) today, Tuesday. The stated intention is to ask God’s guidance in the many crises or challenges the country faces.
The United Ministerial Foundation, the Council of Churches and the Seventh-Day Adventist Church suggested praying for national repentance, for God’s will to be done in government and nation, for salvation and protection of the youth and children, and for help with the national recovery programme. The prime minister spoke of “a silent cry of the people that a change must come” and wanting to “break some barriers” as the state the nation is in “calls for divine intervention.”
Perhaps a request to bless St. Maarten with more mature, honest, sensible, hard-working, visionary, humble and selfless politicians, who always act in the general interest and not just when it’s popular or convenient for them and theirs, could be added to the list. Due to all the ship-jumping, vote- and allegedly even seat-buying that went on, there have been seven different governments since 10-10-10, almost one per year.
Moreover, no fewer than five Members of Parliament (MPs) were arrested on criminal charges and several also convicted during that period. It’s one thing to frequently talk about “only trying to help my people” but quite another to consistently demonstrate that in practice.
What the relatively young country needs is to elect leaders without ulterior motives or hidden agendas, not blinded by greed, excessive pride, prejudice, pre-conceived notions or other social dogmas, but open, law-abiding, realistic, pragmatic, responsible and solution-driven. These are to, in turn, appoint competent, reliable and decisive public administrators with integrity above all reproach who truly serve the community to the best of their ability.
Now isn’t that’s something to pray for?
