Rapture Blog

Many have commented over the years that Barbadians are very proud. This is because we speak “Pride and Industry” over ourselves in our motto. “But what happened to the industry?” some may ask. Well, just take a look at our anthem, and you will see that pride is the main thing declared over our people.

Our anthem declares that our great forefathers sowed the seed, from which our pride has sprung. This is saying firstly that our forefathers had pride, as they are not only referred to as great, but would have had to possess pride in order to sow it. Secondly, this line is declaring that the seed of pride sown has falling on good ground, and taken root in us.

The anthem goes on to say, “a pride that makes no wanton boast of what it has withstood”. This line is a contradiction of itself. It suggests that there is humility in the pride, but a humble person would never flaunt their humility. We have acknowledged we possess pride but claim not to boast. We are therefore boasting about our supposed humility, which in itself is pride. 

It goes on to say that the pride “binds our hearts from coast to coast, the pride of nationhood”. In this line, we are proclaiming that we are united in pride, as a nation. We are declaring that our pride is the common thread running through each and every one of us.

We then boast that we “hereby make it known, these fields and hills beyond recall are now our very own”. Then in a bold declaration of pride, we say that “we write our names on history’s page, with expectations great”. These expectations are never defined, but writing ones name on history’s page is symbolic of a quest for immortality. The proud expectation that one will live on forever, even if only in memory. 

The last line of the first verse, which is usually the only verse sung, says “first craftsmen of our fate”. This is not only a statement of pride, declaring the firm belief that own ourselves and possess the total power over our own lives, but is bordering blasphemy, denying the sovereignly of God, and declaring that He has no power over our lives or our ultimate fate. Even though verse 2 begins by saying “the Lord has been the people’s guide”, it stil comes back to the contradictory refrain “firm craftsmen of our fate”.

This is our national anthem and there is nothing we can do about that, but we need to understand the serious implications of what we speak and sing over our nation. Pride is the sin that caused Lucifer and his angels to thrown out of Heaven. The Devil tempted Eve with the pride of being equal to God. Sodom was destroyed because many vile sins caused by pride. Pride is quite possibly the most destructive sin of all, because it causes us to exalt ourselves above God, and by extension everything He stands for. Pride therefore facilitates all other sins, and the worst part is that the carrier of pride never realizes it is there.

Throughout the word there are countless warnings about pride. 

 - Pride goeth before a fall, and haughtiness before destruction. 

 - God sees the proud afar off. 

 - A man’s pride shall bring him low.

 - Let him who things he standeth take heed, less he fall.

We can’t change the anthem, but we can acknowledge this problem and renounce the seed of pride that has been sown by our forefathers.

Mario Herbert