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Jesus was at it again. After a scathing criticism of the religious leaders (Matthew 23), speaking about the future (Matthew 24), and using two parables to teach on the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 25:1–30), He turned His thoughts to the final judgment. According to the narrative, when the Son of Man comes in His glory “and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in His presence, and He will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at His right hand and the goats at His left” (Matthew 25:31–33, NLT).

However, what was interesting was the conversation between the Son of Man and the two groups. To those on the right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me” (vv. 34–36). In bewilderment, the “righteous ones” replied, “‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’” (vv. 37-40).

The conversation with the group on the left was different! While the first group was “blessed of my father,” the King would “turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons’” (vv. 41-42). What was their sin? In the same situations, they failed to respond in the manner the first group did. Bewildered, they would ask, “Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and not help you?’ And He will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me’” (vv. 44–45). Stop and think about that for a while. Of the group, Jesus concluded, “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life” (v. 46).

For followers of Jesus, this teaching should cause us to reflect on and examine the things we deem to be important. The group on the left was not condemned because of their position on matters of doctrine, theology, worship songs, dress style, or any of the many other things we often disagree on, as important as some of those things might be. It is easy to forget that we are blessed to be a blessing to others and that we are the hands and feet of Jesus to those who are in need. Jesus placed great priority on how we treat people, especially those in disadvantaged situations. In other words, there can be no true worship without genuine care for and practical responses to the suffering of others around us. Those are God’s priorities, and we would all do well to make them ours as well. “I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.”

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Ding, the international mobile recharge service, has selected Jamaica’s Julie Mango as its newest brand ambassador. Describing the actress, comedian, TikTok star, and mental health advocate as “perfect” for the role, Ding noted her life experience and successes as representing the ambition and resilience of many people in the Ding community.

Julie Mango’s Background

Julie Mango was born Juliet Bodley in Jamaica and grew up in the parishes of Clarendon and Manchester. Her father nicknamed her “Julie Mango” because she often picked and enjoyed the fruit from the Julie Mango tree in the family’s front yard. Always passionate about performing, she pursued various career paths – earning a private pilot’s license at age 19 and then working as an engineer – before becoming a successful full-time content creator. She first gained attention on TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on skits about the people and culture of Jamaica. She now has some 350,000 followers on Instagram and more than 630,000 followers on TikTok. She uses her personal experience with mental health challenges on her social media platforms to advocate for those facing similar issues.

@ding Ding mi nuh? @iamjuliemango #ding #alittlegoesalongway #jamaica #dingapp #juliemango ♬ original sound – Ding

Julie Mango is “Perfect”

According to Ding, her journey from Jamaica to the United States to pursue her education and career is something that many people in the Ding community can identify with. Her story illustrates the ambition and sacrifice of those living in diaspora communities around the world. This is what makes her “perfect” for Ding, a company with a mission to support people who want to maintain connections to their families and friends when they move overseas to start a new life. The company also wants to make it easy for those living abroad to provide instant support in the form of mobile top-up or gift cards.

More About Ding

An international service, Ding allows its users to add funds to a prepaid phone that has run out of credit. The process is known by different names in different countries, including mobile top-up, mobile recharge, recharge, mobile load, balance, refill, minutes, or credit. Ding makes it possible to send an international recharge online to a mobile phone in less than three seconds. Ding, founded in 2006 by Mark Roden, currently serves more than 150 countries and across some 500 global operators. In 2016, Ding acquired a French top-up firm, Transfert. It released the DingConnect API that allowed businesses to integrate its platform for sale on their own websites or mobile apps in 2018. It was listed as one of the fastest-growing companies in Europe by Financial Times in 2018, and in 2019 opened an office in London. A partnership with Lulu Money in 2019 allowed Ding to offer global mobile top-up service to workers living in the Asia Pacific region. Ding has over 600,000 retail outlets throughout the world.

Photo – Juliet Bodley

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Known as the “Jamaican Santa Claus” for his philanthropy and giving back to the island, the producer, businessman, and artist manager of stars like Shenseea and Ding Dong Ravers, Romeich Major, has partnered with Pickney Pampering to make the Christmas holiday bright for those in the wards at Jamaica’s Children’s Homes.

Showcased On Instagram

On his official Instagram page, Major showed a video of a roomful of toys and treats that he plans to distribute to some 300 children over the 2023 Christmas season. The video was captioned, “Although we don’t have no chimney for Santa Claus to come down, the children right across Jamaica will still get nuff toys this a Christmas once @majormarketingja is around.” He added that the “elves” in the ‘toy workshop” at Pickney Pampering would gift the children with “toys and niceness” beginning on December 10, 2023.

Requests For Help

Major encouraged his friends and colleagues in the entertainment and fashion industries, along with corporate Jamaica, to contribute to his holiday efforts. “Everybody deserves to get nice things, especially at Christmas time,” he posted. In his request, he asked those interested in helping to send him messages via Instagram or email if they want to participate in bringing cheer to children who are under the state’s care.

Previous Philanthropic Efforts

Major has displayed his philanthropy during Christmas before. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he joined with Pickney Pampering to provide gifts to some 30 children at the Miracle Tabernacle in St Andrew.

About Romeich Major

In addition to producing and managing career, Major is a dancehall/reggae fashion designer and owns the fashion business “Romeich Wear,” which he started in 2005. He has designed clothing for Beenie Man, I Octane, Tarus Riley, and Bounty Killer, among others.

Photo – Nick Ford

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