As the nation continues to debate the crime and the economic situation in Jamaica, nothing seems to be changing. For the last 20 years we have seen changes in administration, changes in the personnel - some chosen by colour, some chosen by level of education, and some chosen on the basis of partisan preference, and none of it has worked. If all these attempts are being made and nothing has worked, then something is wrong with the foundation.

If you have problems with a house and you try to fix the problems to no avail, then any trained person can identify that the problem can be found in the foundation of that house. Likewise, when millions are being spent on fixing the potholes on a particular road, and every time the pothole is 'fixed' and it rains the potholes return, then any infrastructural engineer can tell you that the problem is in the foundation and the road needs to be dug up, fixed and resurfaced!

foundational problem

Any vaguely knowledgeable person knows that there cannot be a fresh start within a nation, organisation or situation, without getting to the root of the issues and dealing with the foundation!

In I Kings 16:28, when the women brought the baby before King Solomon, documented to be one of the wisest men that ever lived, they stated their case before him but he had to get to the root (foundation) so that justice could prevail.

When David's administration went through economic difficulties and famine, God told him it was a foundational problem that was affecting his administration, which stemmed from Saul's administration. (II Samuel 21)

The same is told in the Scriptures of Gideon (Judges 6-8) and Josiah (II Chronicles 34:22- 23; see also II Kings 22:11-20). The reason God gave Josiah peace was his humble, active response to God's instruction for repentance and true worship in the Books found by the Prophetess Huldah.

We must then recognise that if there is no peace, nor any of the benefits that come with peace under an administration, or under a certain leader or leadership; if as a leader you have no peace and you have exhausted all your ideas and refuse to follow the instructions of God contained in His Book (The Bible), then pride and disobedience is an issue. We all know the 'benefits' of those two things in our lives. Remember what happened to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:31-33 concerning his pride and disobedience.

Remedy

In order to deal with the foundational issues affecting this nation we need to ask:

Who opened the doors to cause the level of crime and violence now prevailing?

Who opened the doors to the magnitude of child abductions and murder taking place in our country?

Who opened the doors to the economic problems plaguing Jamaica?

What did they do?

I am, etc.,

STEVE LYSTON

biblical_economics@yahoo.com

Lauderhill, Florida