Beyond the brick and galvanize to hearts

There was celebration in Sea Lots as five rebuilt homes were blessed December 22 by Archbishop Jason Gordon. He said the homes were a symbol of the community to be built up. Twelve families had been left homeless from a fire in Sea Lots in November 2018.

Members of prayer groups from the vicariates throughout Trinidad brought Christmas cheer distributing hampers and serenading families living in the Sea Lots 1, 2 and 3 areas. The event was spearheaded by the Eternal Light Community which has been evangelising in Sea Lots for the past few years.

Addressing residents at Sea Lots 3, Archbishop Gordon encouraged them to see beyond the brick, mortar and galvanize of which the homes were built.

“It is the rebuilding of the heart, heart by heart, soul by soul, one by one, no mind if you believe that heart to be like a cow-pen…Jesus Christ will go into that heart and be born and bring life to that person and that person will bring life to their family and that family will bring life to this community…” he said.

Referencing the hardship experienced by Joseph when he took his pregnant wife Mary to Bethlehem, he told the residents who lost their homes in the fire, “you know what it is like when you don’t have where you normally live and you trying to find, a bed, a shelter”.

Pointing to the conditions of the cow-pen where Jesus was born, he said the residents with rebuilt homes were in a “much better place” for Christmas. He encouraged them to give thanks and praise to God every day.

He told the community God wanted to be born into their hearts and to “make room” for Jesus. One man in the audience touched his chest saying, “my heart open, God with me right now”.

Archbishop Gordon cautioned against being too busy and caught up in “foolishness” to make room for Christ. He said, “This week I am asking we do Christmas different to how we do it before and to do it different means you have to be conscious, you have to be alert when you hear that knock on the door of your heart. You have to open wide you heart.”

For those who were reluctant, he urged them to put aside the fear of the things they may have done in the past. Archbishop Gordon gave this assurance, “Do not be afraid of the ways you have violated the laws of God and the laws of man. Do not be afraid of anything you have done in your life that might have intimidated or might have caused you shame and grief because God can still come into your heart if you open your heart to Christ.”

—LPG