STAY WELL & SPARKLE – My Secret Place

Cadet Kasian will march again!

Some very legitimate questions were asked. Notwithstanding this, be assured it will happen – Inshallah, God willing, as my Arabic-speaking friends would say.

Dominicans and their organizations at home and abroad, not to mention friends of Dominica such as in Tennessee, really stepped up. If you haven’t yet, don’t miss out on contacting Dominica Cadet Hdqtrs, 767 440-7242. You can still securely pledge support for Kasian and any other cadet with special needs. Cadet Kasian herself gave a very eloquent vote of thanks in the comments section of last week’s article.

…Which brings me to my secret place. It is a place where I retreat physically and in spirit, not only to give thanks, but also to find refuge and strength in time of need. It reminds me of that towering statue above the city of Rio de Janeiro. As you know, the 2014 football World Cup is around the corner. If you get to visit Brazil, send us a pic of yourself with the open arms of Christ the Redeemer in the background. No doubt, during TV coverage, they will flash incessant images of this iconic landmark. And every time, it will remind you of our own Cross and how it watches over Roseau.

Historically, the strategically located cannons at Morne Bruce featured mightily in the glorious battle to defend Dominica as only Dr. Lennox could describe. As such, this location of the Police Training Academy, keeps Morne Bruce central to Dominica’s security doctrine. The desert fortress, Masada, similarly has a lofty appeal to the modern state of Israel. It is a World Heritage Site where, in the year 78, 2000 Jewish resisters chose to commit mass suicide rather than surrender to the advancing Roman invaders. Today, cadets of the Israeli Defence Forces are brought to that hallowed spot to pledge “Masada shall not fall again.”

Our Cross was constructed in the 1920’s and was rededicated during an ecumenical service at the 30-year Reunion 2008. That vantage point offers a spectacular view of the picturesque city. It’s almost resembles a Google map below you. Giant cruise ships look like toy boats in a bathtub. It is fun identifying bridges, streets and prominent buildings. It is as if you could pick them up and move them around like Monopoly pieces.

Of course you can drive or trudge up the public road as with Good Friday Stations of the Cross. I remember jogging up there in tight formation as a Grammar School cadet. I was huffing and puffing, certain I was about to pass out. That’s when Jeff Joseph from Senjo exhorted “Garcon, ou ni gwo fal, man…Come on, Sam, you can do it.” And guess what? We all did!

But there’s another way. All true Dominicans should consider putting Jack’s Walk on their bucket list. It actually starts in the Botanical Gardens below, the website for which was created in cooperation with the Dominica Academy of Arts and Sciences and others in the Diaspora. You may still see that old yellow school bus crushed by a baobab tree toppled by Hurricane David way back in 1979. Then take the 35 steps behind the parrot sanctuary and start heading up. BTW, don’t let them fool you. Let’s just say it’s a little more than a mere walk, but I’ll let you find out. Anyway, once you near to the top, the noise and bustle of the city is replaced by a soothing stillness. Chances are you will be welcomed by fluttering butterflies, chirping birds, lounging lizards and a cool gentle breeze from down the valley.

Psalm 121 is a family favourite. It portrays hills as soaring, unchanging and imposing. ”I will lift up my eyes unto the hills from whence my help.” But it does not stop with an idolatrous worship of nature itself. It goes on to confess “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” These words have traction for each and every one of us.

So when you feel crushed by a broken relationship – look unto the hills. When you feel crushed by a wayward child – look unto the hills. When you feel crushed by a financial reversal – look unto the hills. When you feel crushed by a friend’s betrayal – look unto the hills.

Indeed, “when the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. (Isaiah 59:19)  Wherever I am, memories of the Cross-at-Morne-Bruce inspire tremendous courage, calm and confidence.

Just this week, Nazarine Gordon and I explored the area for insights on this article. We came across a Scottish yachtsman coming up the Jack’s Walk. Bob Redley was involved in management of the national park around Loch Ness. We asked for his thoughts on ways the site could be transformed into an even better tourist attraction. We agreed to make suggestions to the various stakeholders while maintaining its unique serene sense of sanctuary.

In the US Army, we would boast of getting more done before 8 AM than most people get done all day. My Jewish Rasta friend David Shengel is a profound original thinker, a man of great love for his two Dominican/Kalinago sons. We start climbing around 5:30 AM Sunday morning and by daybreak we commune at the Cross as friend to friend. Whosoever will may join us. However, it is only for the disciplined and those with a heart given to meditation and reasoning to contemplate. Cross climbing stirs afresh a faith is that is visionary, practical, and touches lives. Like those who have gone ahead, it is a faith committed to defending this nation against all who would harm, both foreign and domestic.

Not only here, but the world over really, natives tend to neglect local attractions. I found that out while medical school in Washington DC. Because the locals could visit these world famous monuments anytime, they seldom ever did! You can start today by taking a virtual trek up Jack’s Walk through the eyes of a visiting medical student from Louisiana. (Make sure you scroll down and click through to the Cross and the cannon).

What the Kasian episode teaches us is that Dominicans at home and abroad are poised to unleash their goodness given the right circumstances. So now you know. My secret place is not really so secret after all. The Cross can most certainly be your secret place as well. Just as Our Lord Himself prayed over the city, “Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” so too a handful of Cross Climbers will feel called to pray thusly for Roseau, and by extension, all of Dominica.

Major Sam Christian (US Army Reserve, Ret.) is Medical Officer for the Dominica Cadet Corps. He is the surgeon who runs the Urgent Care on 137 Bath Road in Roseau. It provides prompt medical treatment, surgery and acupuncture. Dr. Christian can be reached anytime at 440-9133, 613-8345 or by writing to [email protected].