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Jesus had warned him but it seemed he had forgotten. In the aftermath of Jesus’ betrayal and arrest, he sat outside the palace contemplating the turn of events when he was accused of being one of Jesus’ followers. He denied it. Similar accusations were made two more times, and on both occasions, he did the same thing. Immediately after the third denial, mixed with cursing and swearing, the cock crew. According to the narrative, “And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly” (Matthew 26:75, ESV).

Peter must have been devastated. He was one of Jesus’ most solid supporters. It was he who had acclaimed of Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). He was there at Jesus’ transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-6). He had witnessed just about every miracle. Jesus was not only his Lord but also his friend. He had meant it when he said earlier, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” (Matthew 26:35). Yet when faced with the reality of the cost of following Jesus, the pressure got to him. He denied his friend; he denied even knowing Him. He was unfaithful at a time when faithfulness was required.

Fast forward almost two thousand years, and as disciples of Jesus living in a world increasingly hostile to Christ and His followers, our challenge is no different than Peter’s. Filled with good intentions of standing up for and with Jesus, how do we respond when those around us challenge our stand? Do the people in our sphere of influence even know we are with Jesus? Peter knew that if he admitted being one of Jesus’ disciples, he would be arrested and possibly killed. To save himself, he denied any association with Him. Denying Jesus was his way out. At a time when it is not cool to be a Jesus follower, do we take our stand with Him or do we give Him up when we deem the cost of standing with Him to be too high?

The next time you and I sing Israel Houghton’s “I am a friend of God,” we must ask ourselves what that means. Jesus was both betrayed and denied, not by people who were hostile to Him but by friends. What kind of friend are you to Him? Friend enough to say, regardless of cost and circumstances, “I am with Him”?

The post WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL – Denying Jesus appeared first on Jamaicans.com.

Jamaica’s Culture Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange has thrown her weight behind plans to stage the inaugural Dancehall Week during the 2024 staging of Reggae Month.

The Minister was represented by executive director of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC), Lenford Salmon, at the media launch at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Thursday, October 26, 2023. She announced that the event is a welcomed new addition to the slate of events to be staged during Reggae Month each year and comes with the full endorsement of not just the Ministry of Culture itself but also the JCDC, one of its Culture Agencies.

New Fixture in Reggae Month Schedule

The Minister said that “Dancehall is quintessentially Jamaican and, in many respects, can be seen as the cradle of Jamaican music. The music evolved out of the sound systems of the 1960s and has now become a worldwide sensation. I, therefore, see Dancehall Week as an exciting addition to an already eclectic Reggae Month, with the potential to pull many visitors to our shores to partake of our captivating culture. The Festival Economy, of which this is a part, holds great potential to deliver massive economic gains to our people and to our country in general. It was, therefore, a very easy decision for us to align ourselves with Dancehall Week.”

Salmon made mention at the launch that though he has recently been appointed as Executive Director at the JCDC, he still retains oversight responsibility for Reggae Month and other national commemorative activities, and that the Minister asked him to work closely with the team to ensure that the impact of Dancehall Week is maximized and its potential realized.

Produced By Dancehall Lifestyle JM

The series of events will be produced by the recently incorporated company – Dancehall Lifestyle JM. However, the spokesperson for the group and one of its directors, Roxelle McKenzie, was quick to point out that though newly incorporated, the team behind the event has many years of experience in successfully producing events. Dancehall Week is slated to run from February 13 to 19, 2024.”

The post Jamaica to Celebrate Dancehall Week in February 2024 appeared first on Jamaicans.com.

Short film, Raw Materials, produced by Jamaican film company Ikon Media has won the Best Diaspora Short at the African Movie Academy Awards, one of the most prestigious film festival within the African Diaspora. The independent film is directed by Sosiessia Nixon and tells a compelling story of a young Jamaican man who faced both emotional and physical abuse within his community. Despite these adversities, he managed to break free from the cycle of abuse and relentlessly pursued his aspirations of becoming a fashion designer.

In an interview with Jamaicans.com, executive producer Horane Henry revealed that his team faced considerable challenges during film production, including significant funding obstacles, and came close to not being made at all.

“The journey to creating the film is an interesting one…We almost didn’t make the film for a multitude of reasons. When the idea first came to Sosiessia, who is the writer and director, we had just finished another short film that she had also written and directed. That film had won awards in international festivals, but we felt that the ‘Raw Materials’ story was so multidimensional that it needed to be told.”

The Power of Collaboration

Horane was quick to credit his team members, Sosiessia Nixon and Wentworth Kelly, for their contribution to the project’s success. “We have a great working relationship, and even when we have disagreements, we are able to share our thoughts openly and have a solid discussion to make the right creative decisions.”

Henry also expressed his deep appreciation for the honor of being acknowledged by AMAA.

“It’s a major milestone for us. This is also another first, no other Jamaican film has won this prestigious award as far as we know and were told. We’ll be looking to further connect with content creators and distributors on the African mainland as this award proves that Jamaican stories are appreciated and have appeal in the diaspora.”

Authenticity and Jamaican Heritage

The Jamaican heritage was integral to the narrative and aesthetic of Raw Materials. “The film is authentically Jamaican, from the colors, the language, the set, the music, and the subject matter. We were very intentional in not shying away from the Patois dialect, and we believe the film would not have had the same impact if we didn’t keep the dialogue in Patois.” Raw Materials have been screened in Jamaica twice with one notable showing at the Skylark Film Festival in Negril.

The Africa Movie Academy Awards, commonly referred to as AMAA or The AMA Awards, is an annual event designed to honor and celebrate outstanding achievements within the African film industry. It extends its recognition not only to African professionals but also to non-African individuals who have made significant contributions to the film industry.

Photo – Ikon Media & Films

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