The following is an excerpt from Yvonne Coke's book, Perspectives from the Jamaican MAP (Motto, Anthem, Pledge) 'A Way of Life for Jamaica', in which she looks at the national motto, anthem and pledge and uses them to develop a framework for the direction i which she thinks the country should be going.

In 46 years of Jamaica's independence, I believe the journey of the children of Israel from Egypt to the Promised Land is significant in its instructive similarity to Jamaica's sojourn from slavery and colonialism into the present time.

This is a time to remember God's covenant with this nation, even as Moses was commanded by God to remind Joshua and the Israelites of their need to keep God's Commandments, and of the blessings of good success which would attend their way as a result, before they set out to cross the Jordan river and enter into the Promised Land.

God works through His Word (Isaiah 55:11).

In 1962 Jamaica's leaders made a decision to ask Britain for the country's independence. He gave us a place of prayer at which we, as His people, could meet Him and be enlightened when the darkness of ignorance became gross. Because there was no other way to fix the confusion caused by the diabolical systems of slavery and colonialism, God created a place of prayer exclusively for Himself. In this place of prayer and committal, He rolled away the twin bondage of slavery and colonialism and gave us a new inheritance in Himself as our Eternal Father.

Children of God

'Eternal Father bless our land'

In this line of our prayer, we are re-establishing our identity as children of God. This inherited identity which comes from our acknowledgement of the God of all Eternity as our Father is a calling which carries with it the responsibility of being the peacemaker nation (Matthew 5:9).

Attendant to his fatherhood is the favoured way of success for our land. This comes with God's release of His own potential in us and upon the physical land with its spectacularly abundant biodiversity for His children.

'Guard us with thy mighty hand'

God's guardianship is one that preserves the nation for generations. His guardianship gives protection to His Name and purpose for the nation … He will find a guardian of His covenant, with His heart, to preserve the nation at all times. He guards what is His, His word, His Name, His covenant. He will not guard the economy if it does not serve Him. He will not guard our philosophy or society if they do not serve Him. He guards what serves His purpose for the creation of the nation (Acts 17:26).

Jamaica has accepted and set in these immortal words an unassailable righteous standard for her leaders, be it the state, community, clergy, business or family.