An initiative is under way to boost the level of morality among Barbadians, given the spate of crime and violence the island is experiencing.
Founder of Prayer Warriors International, Pastor Courtney Selman, said they were launching Let Us Make The World Morally Better in hopes it will spread beyond Barbados’ borders. Recently, he shared the idea that he said came to him in a vision early one morning.
“This initiative was born from a deep-seated concern for the lack of morals in our homes, communities, governments and sadly even in some churches throughout the world at large. Our mission is to inspire [everyone] to embrace a shared commitment to ethical values and social responsibility.
“We are printing the Commandments on T-shirts and are asking businesses, churches, schools, organisations, Government and individuals to join us with the initiative by wearing the shirts every Friday and declaring it as ‘Morally Transforming Dress Down Day’,” he said during a briefing at Sky Mall, Haggatt Hall, St Michael.
Selman said he also sent letters to United States President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV for their blessings, as the initiative transcended religion.
Reverend Dr Patrick Tannis said this was a “kairos” moment, adding God was calling Barbadians
to a place of repentance.
“As a nation, we have to turn back to God . . . because the voice of God takes you into business. The voice of God takes you into innovation. The voice of God takes you into politics. Wherever you are today, media, church, society, God will take you wherever you need to go to achieve His plan.
“We’re going to defeat violence on the streets. Not by going after the young men and arresting them, but by bringing transformation to their lives. We can bring transformation. We can talk to those young men and tell them, ‘Look, put down the guns’. Give them an alternative. And that’s the point of today,” he said.
Tannis told the story of Barbadian-born David Augustus Straker, whom he called the father of the US Civil Rights Movement. Like Selman, Tannis said Straker heard the Word of God, which inspired him to act.
Reverend Lloyd Blackman called the initiative a “miracle”, saying it was coming at a time when Barbados was experiencing unprecedented levels of murders, robberies and suicides. So far for the year there have been 35 homicides, as well as a string of robberies in recent times.
Blackman said it stemmed from taking the Word of God out of schools, but it was not unique to Barbados as the entire world was in trouble.
“Let’s make the world morally better. It’s desirable, because what is happening in Barbados is not happening here alone. It is around the world, and we need to bring that level of love and compassion to the world again. Because we are all brothers and sisters, we are all family in Christ,” he said.
Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and the Third Sector, Faye Prescod, said faith-based organisations fell under their purview, and the initiative was in line with one dimension of their National Workplace Wellness Policy – that of spiritual wellness.
