Nougat 15

Some years ago, a group of musicians entered and won the national song festival with the mento-ish tune “I’m dreaming of a new Jamaica”. To my knowledge, none of those guys claimed to be Christians (although they could have been), but for sure they reflected the sentiments of today’s Holy Nougat

““This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Once again old men and women will walk Jerusalem’s streets with their canes and will sit together in the city squares. And the streets of the city will be filled with boys and girls at play.” ‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭8‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Whether you are Jamaican or not, even if your country is genuinely ‘No Problem mon’, I invite you to join in praying this prophetic nougat. Honestly, it’s been too long since this was a reality in way too many places. Old people feeling safe enough to traverse the streets and just enjoy life; young ones out and about playing outside (and it’s not regulated time at school) – those things are not always normative for all people everywhere.

Yet, emboldened by a vision from YHWH, Zechariah says we can watch for it. True, it is a vision for Jerusalem, but even then it feels like a vision of the not quite yet. A dream yet to come to fruition. As this was a word for the people in exile, and a pre-messianic word, one might argue that it has come to pass with the establishment of Israel as a modern nation in the last century. And that could be the case. It may even be a vision for the ‘new Jerusalem’. But what if it’s a vision we can appropriate for our own nations?

For the Jews, this was mostly contingent upon their willingness to rebuild God’s temple (see verses 9 and 14). Or, more accurately, this was an encouraging word towards rebuilding when it felt they’d never live in their land again. As believers, we also live in exile. And our spiritual homeland is secure. So we can pray for the earthly home. We can entrust it to God’s care.

Hence Stanley Beckford and the Starlights sang

I’m dreaming of a new Jamaica

A land of peace and love

Some say they cannot see no hope

That’s why they keep us down

I know there is hope somewhere

That’s why I wrote this song …

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I know we can build this land

By working hand in hand

Come mek we show the world

Now working hand in hand

So all who believe in Love

Come and sing this song with me …

Is this a song we can sing with Stanley and Zechariah? What’s your dream for the world – and how can we help that dream become a reality? By working hand in hand to rebuild/strengthen the foundation of God’s temple in our hearts.

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May all we seek be found in Christ