It is hardly surprising that the plan to build a $700 million cultural centre at the Queen's Park Savannah has raised concerns among members of the public.

People do not generally dismiss the whole idea of the new complex. More often than not, they weigh the ambitious plan to replace the inadequate Grand Stand and other makeshift facilities against other national needs. They find the rationale for constructing the centre at this time to be unconvincing.

The question is not whether the complex will prove to be a valuable asset or not. It could well be. Neither is it a question of whether the facility will cause citizens to forfeit too much of the only open space in Port of Spain , or be an architectural monstrosity.

Culture Minister Joan Yuille-Williams, has assured that this will not happen. She has been reported as saying that the facility, for the most part, will be a structure below ground level and that the still-to-be-unveiled designs will demonstrate a sensitivity to environmental issues.

What must be questioned though is why Government's resolve shown in this matter is lacking in other areas where day-to-day living is severely affected.

Last week, for the third time in two months, residents of Point Fortin blocked the main roads to protest dilapidated road conditions. In central Trinidad , members of the rapidly growing Chaguanas community continue to complain about the inadequacies of the Chaguanas Health Facility.

No one will quarrel with a vision for our country that accelerates true development. And any vision will be selective about its points of focus, but the resolve shown in the plan to construct the cultural complex must be replicated in every matter pertaining to human dignity.

A proper sense of priority must rest upon current knowledge of the true status of the needs of the population. It is an area in which the media, with their immediacy, have a particular role to play in engaging members of the public and providing valuable information that could assist societal development.

If the constant resolve is there to tackle the problems that seek to undermine the dignity of the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago , then Government will necessarily give priority to the matters that deserve urgent attention.

On this Second Sunday of Lent, we read of Abraham's terrifying call to faith and to trust in God's word. In St Mark's gospel, the Father commands the disciples to listen to the voice of the Son.

It is not always easy to recognise and to pay attention to the voice of God that speaks from the hearts of brothers and sisters and within our own hearts.

It takes courage to set aside selfish desires for the greater good. The Lenten season offers the opportunity to let the Transfiguration light, the light of Christ, illumine the path to personal and national development.