Emancipation Day, which we celebrate tomorrow, comes at a time when we feel enslaved by so many social problems – rising illiteracy and homelessness, heightened racial tension, environmental pollution and above all, crime and violence which assumed new proportions with an apparent random act of terror on Frederick Street , Port-of-Spain, a few weeks ago.

At home and at work people do not feel safe: business people in particular employ tighter and tighter security measures as they guard against robbery and kidnapping. Even entertainment has become a hazardous affair since persons leaving home to enjoy themselves are often targeted by various criminal elements in our society.

A common temptation in the face of such intractable problems is to despair, to think we can do nothing. Even Jesus' disciples felt they could do nothing when confronted with the large, tired hungry crowd of today's gospel.

In resignation they said: “This is a lonely place, and the time has slipped by; so send the people away, and they can go to the villages to buy themselves some food.” Jesus immediately responded: “There is no need for them to go: give them something to eat yourselves” .

There are two teachings here: the first is we must not habituate ourselves into thinking solutions to our problems must come from outside - “there is no need for them to go” - a temptation to which we succumb all too easily in this age of globalization.

The second is we must trust in our own inner resources and collective wisdom – “give them something to eat yourselves.”

The problems we experience today did not develop overnight; they were created over a long period of time because we did not exercise our freedom responsibly. For instance, illiteracy does not drop from the sky; neither does environmental pollution. These, like many of our social problems, are the fruits of human irresponsibility.

RETURN TO MYSTICISM

Reversing these social ills is not going to be easy; we are in for the long haul. It will require us “to sit down on the grass” – we have to be patient, think deeply, plan carefully and seek the opinion of the common people.

Reversing illiteracy means parents must make time amidst life's busy schedule to check their children's literacy and numeracy skills. Minimizing environmental pollution means employees must have the courage to speak up and not disregard laws meant to safeguard public health. Reducing crime demands a return to responsible parenting.

The social transformation we seek can never be the result of merely human effort. Social transformation will not get very far in an age in which God has become an optional extra.

As Caribbean people we must return to our heritage - our noble tradition of prayer and contemplation, in short, mysticism. Today's gospel tells us that before Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves, he “raised his eyes to heaven and said the blessing.”

The preponderance of discourtesy we witness in daily human discourse – in the workplace, on the roads, on the radio talk shows, in popular music, especially rap and dancehall soca – so appealing to our young people - can only be remedied by a return to mysticism.

Mysticism is also indispensable in reducing the amount of violence in our society today.

As we celebrate Emancipation Day, let us use our freedom to act responsibly in order to create a better quality of life for all.