I was very moved, as was my wife Joan, at the Service for Candidates we attended on Sunday (7) – see iNews Cayman story today “Service for candidates” in the top slider with images.

Whoever came up with the idea and put it all together, and I could see a lot of work was behind it, all should be heartily congratulated.

I left the service with a feeling of hope and the candidates who were missing I hope they all had a good excuse. The ones from Cayman Brac I can fully appreciate their problem with attendance.

However, it is a pity there were no apologies for absence read out and when the names of the missing candidates were called for them to go up to the platform and be presented with a Bible, it was obvious the organisers there were not informed. Notable non attendees were West Bay MLA’s McKeeva Bush and Bernie Bush.

I asked West Bay candidate and former MLA Daphne Orrett (she is fighting for McKeeva’s seat) if she knew why and she shook her head saying ‘perhaps they are putting up campaign signs’!

They both gave a very different sign to the packed congregation at Elmslie Memorial Church where the service was held.

Why this service wasn’t televised, or at very least put out on the radio, is a travesty. Shameful. Where was the wisdom in that non-decision?

The word “Wisdom” was used a lot during Rev Derik Davidson’s excellent Sermon titled “The Secret of a Great Nation”. Not only wisdom for the candidates, but wisdom from us who vote, wisdom for the 19 who become MLA’s, wisdom for the members of the government and wisdom from us who must not be afraid to speak out against motions about to be passed that we consider wrong to the teachings of Jesus and his father God. “Righteousness” was the word Rev Derik also used.

Being righteous means a person who has been “judged” or “reckoned” as leading a life that is pleasing to God. Being of ethical conduct.

Wisdom embraces many things. Wikipedia sums it up as:

“Wisdom or sapience is the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight.[1] Wisdom has been regarded as one of four due to Petross cardinal virtues; and as a virtue, it is a habit or disposition to perform an action with the highest degree of adequacy under any given circumstance with a limitation of error in any given action. This implies a possession of knowledge, or the seeking of knowledge to apply to the given circumstance. This involves an understanding of people, objects, events, situations, and the willingness as well as the ability to apply perception, judgement, and action in keeping with the understanding of what is the optimal course of action. It often requires control of one’s emotional reactions (the “passions”) so that the universal principle of reason prevails to determine one’s action. In short, wisdom is a disposition to find the truth coupled with an optimum judgement as to what actions should be taken. University Professor Steels: ‘It is good to be clever but better to be wise for wisdom is the core essence of the Uni-verse, etc.’”

Rev Davidson must not think politicians show much wisdom when he quoted from Nikita Khrushchev — ‘Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build a bridge even where there is no river. ‘

As there are no rivers here he was doubly making his point!

However there is hope for our candidates. They were all given a bible. And in there they will find many words of wisdom.

Here are just seven:

Ecclesiastes 2:26 “To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”

Second Chronicles 1:11-12 “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.”

Proverbs 4:6-7 “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.”

James 3:17 “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

Proverbs 19:20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.”

Job 12:12 “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?”

Ecclesiastes 7:12 “For wisdom is a defense, and money is a defense: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom gives life to them that have it.”

It was no accident that at American President Donald Trump’s inauguration New York Cardinal Timothy Dalton read a scripture passage from The Book of Wisdom not found in the Bibles given to the candidates. The Book of Wisdom is found in the Apocrypha and omitted from protestant bibles.

Never-the-less, what is good for Trump must be good for our candidates so this is what the passage said:

“Wisdom 9:13-18 Good News Translation (GNT)

13 Who can ever learn the will of God? 14 Human reason is not adequate for the task, and our philosophies tend to mislead us, 15 because our mortal bodies weigh our souls down. The body is a temporary structure made of earth, a burden to the active mind. 16 All we can do is make guesses about things on earth; we must struggle to learn about things that are close to us. Who, then, can ever hope to understand heavenly things? 17 No one has ever learned your will, unless you first gave him Wisdom, and sent your holy spirit down to him. 18 In this way people on earth have been set on the right path, have learned what pleases you, and have been kept safe by Wisdom.”

With all this Wisdom given to all of the candidates, and if they abide by it with due righteousness there is hope. A really Big Hope!