Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, addressing the 23rd Biennial Regional Convention of the Church of God of Prophesy last Thursday night. (C.Pitt/BGIS)

Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has stressed the importance of holding firm to sound principles and values as Barbadians seek to build a strong society and economy.

Speaking at the 23rd Biennial Regional Convention of the Church of God of Prophesy last Thursday night, the Prime Minister told her audience that the church and the government were on similar missions.

“And I say that because even though we’re not a theocracy, and even though there are parallel paths that we walk, there are common principles which unite us.

“And I therefore speak to you tonight conscious that irrespective of whether we walk on the path of the state, or whether we walk in pursuit of the works of the Lord, that principles and values matter.  And I don’t say so idly, because for too many, it is easy to abandon principles when it becomes inconvenient or difficult to adhere, but principles only mean something when it’s inconvenient to stand by them.”

She made it clear that this did not mean that there would not be times when the church or the state would be found wanting, but submitted: “I believe our faithfulness in being committed to that common set of principles and values will do more to save us, both in terms of the pursuit of what we want to achieve as a society and as an economy, but also what we do as we labour in the name of our spirituality and in defence of our own religion.”

Prime Minister Mottley maintained that in the region at this very difficult time, “when even the very environment within which we live is threatened and the very foundation of our society is being undermined by so many things over which we have little control”, it was commonality of purpose that would take the region forward.

“If we can control the things that we can, like how we behave, like how we speak, like how we interact with each other, and by the reinforcement of those values, then I believe that we will see success.”

She said that coming together to share fellowship and reset the mission was as important to government as it was to the church, adding: “And I am even more comforted by the fact that even as we on our parallel journeys do that, we’re motivated by the recognition that that which we can do on our own dwarfs in comparison to that which we can do together as one.”

joy.springer@barbados.gov.bb

Pin It on Pinterest