This morning's lesson is taken from the Book of Elections verses 1-15. And in the fourteenth year, after King Owen did rule over the fields and hills of Barbados even unto the plains of St. Peter, he called forth the elders of his kingdom and spoke saying, verily I say unto thee, it is time, for in as much that I have ruled over the people of Barbados and the Guyanese and the Chinese and all those who dwell within the land, behold it is written that as the sun riseth on the fifteenth day, the people shall journey to an appointed place in their numbers and choose for them a leader.
Therefore I say unto thee, in as much as the people have found favour in my handiwork, many of thee have been weighed and found wanting, therefore I say, go ye into all of the land and take with thee wine and cattle and gold and silver and hard wood and speak to the people that they may hearken unto thine ways and that ye may be chosen to sit in the Kingdom with me. For today I say, there cometh one from the village of St. John, David son of Thompson whom I did defeat on the plains of Bridgetown and scattered his army across the land like the burnt cane trash in the wind and this David and his army of De-elpites are coming that they may be chosen by the people to be their leaders.
And there was much laughter among the elders at the name of David and his army of De-elpites.
Then there arose one whose name was Clyde, also called Judas who did once lead the army of David and the De-elpites into battle but who now sat at the feet of King Owen and sipped on the honey of the bees, and he spoke saying, 'what manner of a man is this David that he thinketh of leading his people against the mighty army of King Owen, knoweth he not that they shall be cut down like the canes in the fields?' And again there was much laughter.
And on the first day David marched his army of De-elpites into the valley of Oistins to the sound of the drums and trumpets and spoke to the multitude of Bajans and Wukkupers saying, behold, the hour draweth nigh when ye must choose a leader, for too long have we suffered at the hands of King Owen and the Bee-elapites, our lands have been taken, our children hungry and our fields turned into barren lands. For we have been bitten by the bees and the hornets and all manner of biters, yea, how long is too long?' And the prophet Luciano did sing.
But King Owen was not afraid, for on the second day he and the Bee-elapites journeyed to the south and west even unto Bridgetown and their garments were red and King Owen spoke to the multitude saying, have I not put food on your tables and meat on your plates even after David and the De-elpites had forsaken thee? And they all replied in one voice, yea, yea.
And he stretched forth his hand and spoke in a loud voice saying, behold I have made broad the streets for your chariots to ride, I have delivered unto thee work in the fields that ye may feed thy children, I have built thee mansions and brought thee from the wilderness of desolation and damnation after the De-elpites forsook thee. Therefore I say, woe unto ye, for in that day it shall be an abomination if ye forsake all that I have bestowed upon thee and choose David and the De-elpites over me and my disciples. And the multitude did jump and dance and raised their voices to the heavens singing, Oh Owen Oh Owen we are going with thee, where thou goeth we shall follow.
And the night and days did pass and King Owen and David journeyed throughout the lands beseeching the multitudes to hearken unto their ways.
And King Owen did speak of David and his desire to drink of the wine of the Taiwanese and warned the multitude saying, beware, for David shall deliver thee into the hands of the Taiwanese and ye shall be their servants. Yea, he shall deliver thee to the evil people of the casinos and scatter thine gold and silver to the lands of Tobago.
But David spoke saying, 'Awake from thy slumber O Owen, for thou speaketh like a man who has sipped too long on the wine, all that thou has said is folly and bears no truth, thy words are red like thine garments and red like the herrings in the sea.' Behold on that great day I shall send forth my army, even into the land of Clyde the traitor and defeat thee O King Owen.
And on the fifteenth day, the people did journey to places throughout the kingdom that they may choose a leader, and even as darkness overcame the land King Owen and his army were defeated and Clyde also known as Judas covered himself in ashes and fled in the still of the night and David and his De-elpites did eat of the honey that King Owen and the bees had left behind.
Here endeth this morning's lesson. See ya.
Eric Lewis is a regular columnist with the Barbados Advocate Newspaper. This article was first published in the paper's 19th January 2008 edition.
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