This is the crisis! Martinique is once again going through an extremely painful period. Activists from a new association have denounced the high cost of living that is putting pressure on many of the island’s men and women. The cause is just, obvious and objective. Everyone has been suffering for years. This is the umpteenth time, the umpteenth crisis. Now, the political and economic worlds are getting together to find solutions, phew!… Meanwhile, the media are buzzing, conversations are heating up, the networks are exploding and the streets are ablaze… literally. Violence doesn’t wait. At first muted, threatening, it finally breaks loose. Stores, supermarkets, businesses and public buildings were attacked, looted and set on fire by gangs. The police were on their toes. Everyone is worried. People hunker down. The country freezes. Workers and entrepreneurs are terrorized. Some are crying, having lost everything. Social divisions are exacerbated.
Prayers are said, demonstrations are held, everyone recognizes the rightness of the objective, and for once everyone agrees: it’s time for the most modest to have the means to… consume a little more. In the name of the general interest, the various leaders at the round table promised to work hard to find solutions.
But what kind of solutions do we expect? A temporary comfort or a fundamental remedy? Is it enough to give a mint to someone suffering from cancer? If the general interest, in the hands of the authorities, lies in lowering prices, what is the Common Good, that which we must all work together to achieve?
Prices will come down, we hope, but will the feeling that we can’t cope on our own remain? Will the anger and hurt in our souls still be burning? Will we finally move forward hand in hand towards a future free of resentment, mistrust and contempt? Will we still feel disrespected and unhealed? Will our young people be able to be trained to exercise their talents, find opportunities and flourish at home? Will we continue to consume mostly imported products? Will we always be alone in our cars? Will we lock ourselves away every evening in front of our screens without fraternizing with our neighbors? Will our social life continue to be plagued by the every man for himself mentality? Will the most modest still feel excluded from social and cultural life?
The question of prices is in the hands of the political and economic world. It’s important and urgent. On the other hand, the question of how happy we are to live in Martinique depends on all of us: Families, the Church, schools, sports clubs, civil servants, administrations, politicians, professionals, employees, workers, craftsmen, executives, bosses, social workers… big and small, men and women, young and old!… With Grace.
My Zanmi, if we are offered two paths, two solutions to choose from:
First solution: Billions. The State pours onto the island enough to give each inhabitant a cheque for 30,000 euros.
Second solution: the Miracle. By His Grace, the Lord heals all our wounds and divisions. He makes us a people of solidarity. In families, neighborhoods, businesses, administrations and so on. Martiniquans of all origins cooperate to help each other and develop the country.
What would you choose?
I put the question to several audiences. The answers varied. But one stood out for me: while his classmates opted for the cheque, a young man told me he’d choose the miracle. Why?” Because,” he said, ”if we stick together, in a few years we’ll have much more than 30,000 euros each! Nice pasaj’! The real question comes from Jesus: Martinique, “Do you want to be healed?” (Jn 5:6).