The many societal ills plaguing the nation could be easily be attributed to the many professed Christians who live hypocritical lives, charged Anglican Archbishop Drexel Gomez in a message to the Bahamian Church on Sunday.
He was the keynote speaker at the 41st anniversary service of thanksgiving of the Anglican Church Women at the Christ Church Cathedral under the theme “Witness for Jesus.” The service also marks the start of the 33rd annual conference of the ACW which begins on Monday.
Archbishop Gomez questioned whether one can be a witness for Jesus if one really does not know him.
“How can you give something that you do not have?” he said, attributing the fall of society on professed Christians’ failure to live like Christians, by not upholding all the values and standards of Jesus Christ. He said the majority of people incarcerated in Fox Hill Prison are affiliated with various churches.
Encouraging the church to commence “living” the Christian faith, he added that parents are poor examples for their children.
He expressed that people have no respect for the church because its members do the same things that they do. ” If you are just like everybody else, you are not being a witness. The thing is, the church is too content leaving it just like that. But God wants us to make a difference in this wicked and naughty Bahamas.”
Archbishop Gomez said that sadly, some people have neither the time nor the interest to get to know Jesus intimately. He added that unfortunately, despite some people’s frequent church attendance, they have not established a relationship with God.
He continued that society is so filled with people who are afraid of commitment or do not want to be committed. “They just want something loose and non-binding,” he said. But every Christian should commit to being a better witness for Christ.
It would be a sad situation for those who “talked the talk” and yet on judgment day, they are among those whom the Lord claims not to know, said Archbishop Gomez.
“What kind of witness have you been? Don’t look at someone-else. Make that your own question. So much depends on the quality of witness through Christ that we give in this age,” he said, adding that the church has the power to impact society by the values and standards of Christ that it upholds. “Society needs people who really know the Lord, and who are trying to live that kind of life.”
Expressing that witnessing is the key theme to the beginning of creation, the church leader said the beauty of God shines through His creations which are a reflection of His goodness. This fact, he said, allows no-one to give an excuse for not knowing about God and His ways.
Getting to know Jesus and the heavenly Father can only be attained through spending quality time in prayer and through God’s word. “He is not far removed from us. He is ever present and available to be encountered by every human being. For each one of us, Jesus stands outside the door of our lives and you must ask yourself the question, ‘Do I let Him in?’
“Ask God to change you, in deepening your personal devotion to Him. May he brace you and empower you to live it out. To Him we give the glory, dominion, and power, now and forever more.”
By: VANESSA C ROLLE, Nassau Guardian Staff Reporter, The Nassau Guardian
