So the televangelist Benny Hinn is coming tuh Barbados fuh a two-day crusade, June 21 and 22, tuh be held at the Gymnasium of the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex; and some people are up in arms ovah it fuh all kinds o’ reasons.
Duh talking ’bout the amount o’ money dat the organisers say is needed tuh cover the two nights dat he is going tuh be here. Duh talking ’bout the kind o’ things dat the man does do at some o’ these crusades and the reason why the organisers say he coming, which is: tuh fight a growing sense o’ fear and hopelessness in the country and tuh heal the sick.
Now from how I read the story, I gather dat the organisers like duh sent out letters tuh the different churches pon the island asking fuh support and some financial assistance tuh cover the overall cost o’ the crusade, which is a lot.
It like it is in the region of about $300 000 and from how I read and understand it, it doan appear as though ya gine have tuh pay nuh entrance fee. It like it is free tuh the public. I could be wrong but I ain’t see nothing ’bout nuh kinda cost tuh the public in the story.
Anyway, as I said earlier, some people ain’t like it too much, and one body who is most vocal is the pastor from the Emmanuel Baptist Church there pon the Harbour Road, Vincent Wood, who like he ain’t like nutten ’bout um at all – he got a problem wid evahthing.
First of all, he got a problem wid the reason why the organisers say duh bringing Benny Hinn here in the first place. Then he want tuh know if God gine turn he back pon the people who faithfully serving and living fuh Him and then one man gine come in wid supernatural powers tuh fight the problem. He say it is hogwash.
He got another problem wid the man preaching. He want tuh know if the man gine preach better or pray more sincere than the preachers ’bout here. Well, he move on from dat part tuh the amount o’ money the man is tuh get and even telling the authorities not tuh give permission fuh any funds paid tuh Benny Hinn tuh leave the country, since the foreign reserves needed securing.
So wait, tell me something, is Pastor Wood the new Governor o’ the Central Bank?
You see this sort o’ thing so? Look, dat is why I doan guh ’bout knocking Christians because I always say dat people are humans first and then Christians. Humans who become Christians: Christian or nuh Christian, the real human does kick in.
So Pastor Wood, I want tuh ask you a question. Preachers, or Christians fuh dat matter, ain’t suppose tuh be rich? You trying tuh tell me dat only people like [Sir] Kyffin Simpson, [Sir Charles] “Cow” Williams, “Bizzy” Williams, Richard Branson, “Butch” Stewart, Paul Altman, Assad Haloute and dem kinda people who are people just like me, and who people see as real rich should act and behave like duh prospering all the time and I who my Bible call a son of God or a joint heir wid Christ is supposed tuh be meek and lowly?
Wha’ as sons of God, we should be richer than anybody else. The God who I worship and love and who is my Father say that the gold and the silver is His. The cattle on a thousand hills is His. He is Lord ovah all the earth. He is King of Kings.
He is the creator of this great big universe. He say dat He is God and He will do what evah He pleases. My Bible also tell me dat what God does not hinder He allows and if He allows Benny Hinn tuh come tuh these shores tuh do what he does all ovah the world, wha’ happen?
All kinds o’ people does come from all ’bout the place tuh Barbados tuh do all kinds o’ things, good and bad, so wha’ is the big deal?
I really doan understand some people in trute, ya know. If you preaching the word, the living word and you praying sincerely and you living upright before God and man and you praying and lifting up God and His kingdom, I doan see why a man like Benny Hinn who doing wha’ he believe in should cause you tuh be so incensed and become so infuriated tuh get in the newspapers and carry on so.
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.
