My dear Friends,

In respect of the Law Reform Commission consultation (see last letter) although I have not heard whether the time for the consultation is being extended, I would encourage you to keep on with your efforts to respond to this. I shall be putting my fairly detailed response on the website sometime soon. If you don't find it from the front (index) page, try looking through “Letters File”. The Cayman Ministers’ Association Executive accepted it as the Association's response collectively and have submitted it as such.

Those of you in Cayman will most likely have heard about the recently published ruling of the Privy Council (the UK’s final court of appeal for its Overseas Territories). This was to deny the Appellants’ (a  two-woman couple) claim to the right to contract a same sex marriage in the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Islands Constitution did not give them the right to this. The Privy Council stressed that the Constitution was completely clear on the point, this also being related to the Constitution’s statement that the entire Bill of Rights was reflective of traditional Christian values. 

This latter point was also made strongly (before the Privy Council ruling was published) in the Response - referred to above - to the Law Reform Commission’s “consultation”. The acceptance of this reality about the Constitution will, I believe, be one of the factors that by the Lord’s agency will prevent the continuing legal efforts by some top lawyers here to succeed in secularising the laws of the land. Unsurprisingly it is this reality about the Constitution that has always come under fire from some local press agencies.

The war will continue but some important battles have been fought well. Meanwhile we continue to pray for the ultimate welfare of those on all sides of these issues. 

The Collect for the Third Sunday in Lent is

We beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Once again the direct appropriateness of this prayer in the current circumstances that we face as a church, as a civic community and indeed as a world comes as a shock. For our true enemies are not flesh and blood but the Principalities and Powers …. . 

Ephesians 6:12: 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 

May we have no doubt at all that to live as Christians involves us in the war against such enemies. But as the Lent 3 prayer affirms, we have a mighty Defence against them when we choose to engage them.

For directions about the services this Sunday the 20th March 2022, the Third Sunday in Lent, please see the website www.TruthWithLanguage.com . 

In faith in the holy Name of our Lord Jesus, who will continue to provide guidance by the Holy Spirit to all His people.

+ Nicholas