Part II
In thinking about how and where, as a people, we seem to have lost our way in our search for Nationhood, it is helpful to seek mutual understanding of what we mean when we speak of Nationhood. A prerequisite is to first come to terms with how nations came into being; secondly, the evolving concept of the Nation; and, third, the model nation that Trinidad and Tobago aspires to become.
The genesis of the nations can be found in the Book of Acts 17:26, where it is written: “From one man He (God) created every nation of men, that they should dwell on the whole earth; and He determined the appointed times for them and the exact places where they should live.” Genesis 10:32 also tells us that modern man is descended from Noah’s three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. It is clear from these scriptural teachings that all mankind, regardless of racial groupings, have common ancestors, namely, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The above reaffirms that all races are a sub-sect of one race, the human race.
So if Trinidad and Tobago is internationally recognized as a nation and, in the Creator’s plan, our time is set for 1962, and if this is exactly the place set for us to inhabit, the question arises: what is stopping us? from achieving nationhood, becoming the nation to which, in accordance with our National Anthem, we expressly pledge our lives and in whose name we have pledged to aspire and achieve together?
The answer may very well be found in examining the concept of the Nation and the Nation. The concept of the nation that seems to apply best in Trinidad and Tobago speaks of “people sharing a common territory and government, regardless of their ethnic composition.” (Wikipedia – free dictionary). On the other hand, Nationhood is described as “the will to build social bonds of genuine collective identity, moving towards a social group based on a variety of cultural elements, institutions, language, beliefs, everyday practices and, of great importance, in the perception of a shared past and destiny. MicroWiki (Wikia).
The operative message is “will.” In this regard, the aspiration to the Nation requires the understanding and appreciation of the fact that the Nations were destined to function using the same three-dimensional framework within which man was configured to function as well: Body, Spirit and Spirit: The body is the physical infrastructure; The Spirit is the invisible realm within which dwell Mind, Emotions, and Will; and Spirit where our intuition, our communication, our conscience and our justice reside.
In meeting the demands of our body, our physiological needs are met: the need for food, clothing, shelter, social interaction and constructive use of the elements. To achieve these essentials, residents shift the responsibility to governments to establish mechanisms to facilitate access to goods and services and to protect and preserve habitat.
Within the soul of the nation reside three interacting objects: the Mind, where government is administered and services are processed and provided; Emotions, sensitivities that enable governments to assess the state of mind of citizens: social, economic, political and cultural nuances and be compassionately proactive or responsive as appropriate; and, thirdly, there is the Will: the Cabinet, the House of Parliament and the Judiciary where decisions are made on behalf of the nation.
This leaves us with the Spirit, whose main gift is that of Righteousness, which means to be in a righteous state, spiritually. Proverbs 14:34-35 makes it clear that righteousness exalts a nation. Bolstered by this certainty, one can easily understand why it is in this most powerful and long-lived realm that the pursuit of nationality will reap the most rewarding results. It is within the dominion of the Spirit that the Creator imbued us with the primary attributes of conscience (goodness), intuition (instinct), communication (relationship), and justice (integrity).
Reflecting on the philosophical foundation of our National Anthem and those of our words, let us consider how true and committed we are to the spirit of the pledge we so expressly make that, “here every creed and race finds an equal place” and “Together we aspire, together we achieve”.
Just as we accept our bodies as the temple of the holy spirit, so Trinidad and Tobago is the abiding focus of our national spirit. For just as the moment the soul leaves the body, life ends, similarly, since there is no national spirit within our nation, the quest for nationhood disappears and we are left to wander aimlessly without a clear vision of nationhood in focus. Such is the power and influence of the national spirit, the backbone of the Nation.
• Next Thursday: The third part will discuss Nationalism in search of the Nation.
— Author Roy Mitchell is former advisor and special coordinator, National Tripartite Advisory Council (NTAC)
