Such is the human condition that for eons in times of crisis, people have called out to a higher power-and have then worshipped even more strongly in the aftermath.
‘Praise the Lord anyhow!’ was Mrs Ethelyn Barnes’ refrain at Cayman Brac’s post-Paloma service of thanksgiving Sunday, 16 November. ‘I still have somewhere to lie my head – so I’m better than most,’ she said with a smile.
‘Who’s happy to be alive today?’ shouted Pastor Joel Scott of Crossroads United Baptist. He was one of six pastors who led the combined open-air church service in the parking lot of Kirkconnell’s plaza.
Joining him were Rev. Ryan Keyser of Stake Bay Baptist, Dr. Nick Nichols of Ebenezer Baptist, Pastor Joel Scott of Crossroads United Baptist, Rev. Audley Scott of Hillside Chapel, Pastor Tom French of Cotton Tree Bay Church of God, and Pastor Davelee Tibbetts, from Church of God Holiness.
Giving thanks for lives spared, the ministers noted that Cayman Brac and Little Cayman hearts were ‘also full of gratitude to government officials, volunteer organisations and individuals for their outpouring of assistance.’
The uplifting Sunday morning music (live, thanks to a generator) reflected the worshippers’ optimism; ‘Smile a while and give your face a rest’ reverberated through the parking lot, and there were nods of agreement as Sister Sybil Jackson sang ‘So much to thank Him for.’
Selected scriptures, such as Psalms 105, likewise focused on giving thanks. ‘God is saying something to all who walk the face of the earth,’ said Pastor Davelee Tibbetts. He spoke of God’s mercy and, recalling the religious revival which followed the Brac’s 1932 storm, he called for a similar spiritual rebirth post-Paloma.
Appealing to the assembled church members, he said, ‘There is too much half-heartedness [today]. As a people we have failed God, and we need to realise that He is still on the throne…we’ve been blessed, yet our people are drifting away.’
He appealed to residents to ‘get back to the old path our forefathers led us on at a time when we had so little, but were willing to walk for miles to hear the gospel.’
Pastor Tom French agreed. He spoke of God’s blessings and warned of man’s innate nature: ‘There are so many hard-hearted people and hard-hearted Christians on Cayman Brac. We’re joining many other countries in losing our reverence for God,’ he said.
Even though the attendees sat in folding chairs, or dodged the Brac sun under denuded trees, their spirits was united and upbeat. One participant, Virginia Hydes, spoke for all when she shared words of praise and encouragement, noting, ‘The joy of the Lord is our strength.’
Members from different congregations were well aware that most of their church buildings were devastated, but they focused on the fact that it was they, and not property, that comprised the true church. The message was clear: ‘All we take with us when we die are the souls of those we have influenced for God.’ No one disagreed.
Following the restorative service, attendees paused to exchange stories of lost roofs and spared lives. Referring to destroyed or damaged possessions, one lady simply said, ‘We now realise just how much unnecessary ‘stuff’ we had – and we’ll be much more selective in deciding what to replace.’
While 9 November is now firmly cemented in Brac history – since the passage of Hurricane Paloma shared this date with the 1932 hurricane – the spirit of the residents has clearly not been diminished.
Related Videos
