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As the disciples floundered in the dark in a boat tossed and battered by the waves, the narrative tells us, “And in the fourth watch of the night (3:00–6:00 a.m.), Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately He spoke to them, saying, ‘Take courage, it is I! Do not be afraid!’” (Matthew 14:25–26, AMP). Two points are worth remembering: 1) they all saw Him, and 2) when He spoke, they all heard Him.

The narrative continues: “Peter replied to Him, ‘Lord, if it is [really] You, command me to come to You on the water.’ He said, ‘Come!’ So Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus” (vv. 28–29). While they all heard the invitation, and despite their precarious position in the boat, only Peter obeyed the voice by stepping out into the dark. The remaining disciples stayed because, while they had walked and talked with Jesus and had seen Him perform miracles, they lacked the faith to take Him at His word. In this incident, we see the gulf-wide difference between talking about faith and stepping out in faith. Undoubtedly, they were waiting for Jesus to get to the boat and possibly do something about the storm, but the thought of stepping out of a place where they felt a minimal amount of safety into a place where they perceived there was no safety was too much for them. Even though Jesus had said, “Come!”

In some ways, we can relate to their fears. While Peter stepped out of the boat without any conversation with any of his fellow disciples, the narrative tells us, “But when he saw [the effects of] the wind, he was frightened, and he began to sink, and he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’” (v. 30). I often wonder what went through the minds of the other disciples as they watched Peter. Maybe a quiet affirmation that they were the smart ones and the safest place to be was in the boat. But Peter did not drown, as Jesus caught him and asked him why he doubted. When they got into the boat, the wind stopped, and the others worshipped Jesus with awe-inspired reverence, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God!” (vv. 31-33).

The thing is, Jesus was the Son of God when He told them to “Come!” The fact that He walked on water in the storm should have left no doubts in their minds. But given the circumstances in which they found themselves, they doubted. Matthew did not tell us that Jesus carried Peter back to the boat. Could it be that he did walk on water? By playing it safe, the disciples missed out on this experience. Yes, the wind ceased when Jesus got into the boat, but that was not due to any faith on their part.

Are you afraid of stepping out into the dark? How safe are you playing it? Many dreams have not materialized because of fear: ministries and businesses that have not started, steps that have not been taken, goals not reached, and so many more. We heard the voice say, “Come!” but we are crippled by the realities of what is happening around us. The thing that caused fear in the disciples was the very thing that Jesus had under His feet. The same thing applies to you and me. Stepping out into the dark can be scary. Will you be like Peter and step out in faith, or will you be like one of the other disciples who ignored the voice of Him who is master over everything?

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After over 50 years, the Wembley Athletic Sports Club based in the Bronx, New York, has closed. Current club president, Addiambo Balewa, confirmed the closure of the club that was founded by Jamaicans, adding he did not have the authority to say more than that.

Founded in the 1950s

The Wembley Athletic Sports Club was founded in the 1950s by Jamaicans who wanted to engage in sports like cricket, football, table tennis, and others. It began as a members club in a rented space on White Plains Road in the Bronx, hosting many visiting Jamaican sports personalities, elected officials from Jamaica, and other Jamaicans visiting the area. It ultimately became involved with civic functions other than sports. It acquired its own Bronx property on East 239 Street later on.

Closure Attributed to Lack of Financial Support, Aging Membership

According to lifetime Wembley member, Leslie Clarke, in an interview with The Gleaner newspaper, the club had suffered from a lack of financial support and management had not acted to turn things around. Clarke described Wembley as a “great source for community unity” and that its closure was a “great loss.” He added that unless the community comes together to support its institutions, it will continue to lose them. Attorney, radio show host, and long-time member of the club, Jeff Barnes, said the chief problem for the club was that as its membership aged new people were not attracted to it.

Community Leaders in Disbelief

Former Diaspora Council member, Dr Karren Dunkley, expressed disbelief at the closing of the Wembley Athletic Sports Club, noting that it represented a major loss to the community as it had been a focus for sports access for decades. It offered programs that encouraged talented locals and elicited feelings of unity and achievement among its participants. Without the facility, not only will there be a lack of sports facilities, but underserved populations that relied on Wembley for social engagement and initiatives for upward mobility would be further marginalized. Dunley called for the community to make stronger efforts to support and preserve legacy organizations. Co-founder and Managing Director of the New York-based Caribbean Immigrant Services, Inc., Irwine Clare of Team Jamaica Bickle, said the closure represented a legacy of losing community assets and reducing the impact of organizations based in the Jamaican community. These organizations are not attracting new, young members, said Clare, adding that he wondered why this was the case.

Wembley Closure One of Many

The loss of the Wembley Athletic Sports Club is just the latest for the Jamaican community. Previous closures include the headquarters of the Jamaica Police Officers organization on Brooklyn’s Tilden Avenue and the sale of radio station WVIP, which eliminated the broadcast of Jamaican and Caribbean programming.

Photo – YouTube

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Jamaican actress and radio personality Sheron Hamilton-Pearson is among the cast of actors in the iconic British film, “Pressure” recently screened in New York at the Lincoln Center in Manhattan on October 11-13, 2023. Made in 1976, it was the first film to depict the experiences of the Windrush generation, their children, and those born in the United Kingdom after the post-World War II migration from the Caribbean to the UK. The film has been remastered by the National Archive of the British Film Institute (BFI) and The Film Foundation. The 4K restoration had a joint world premiere at the 67th BFI London Film Festival and the 61st New York Film Festival.

For Hamilton-Pearson, “Pressure” is personal

Hamilton-Pearson describes “Pressure” as a film that is a fitting tribute to the parents who left their homelands to travel to the UK where they faced injustice and racism. Their story would never have been told without the tenacious efforts of Ové and the British Film Industry. It also depicts some of the struggles of the Black Power Movement. As she was a member of the Movement in her youth, the film is very personal and “redolent with memories .”

Proud to be a part of “Pressure”

She says that the film resonated with her because it was the first feature film to show what was happening to Windrush people in England in the 1970s: repression by police, harsh treatment young people faced growing up there because they were not considered to be British, although they viewed themselves so. She shared that, at the time, being a participant in the film was “just fun.” She noted that many people in the film were not professional actors and had no acting experience at all. The street boys seen shoplifting and then running into a derelict building in the film actually lived in that building, known as a “squat” at the time, so the film depicted fiction and reality at the same time. “Pressure” told the story of real people, and those who saw it when it was first released knew that.

Written by Horace Ové, starring Herbert Norville, Oscar James and Frank Singuineau, and produced by Rob Butler, Pressure was funded by the BFI in recognition that there was a lack of stories about immigrants. Hamilton-Pearson said “they wanted to add some color” to the film industry in the United Kingdom, and she was lucky enough to be part of the project. The film has been called “a gritty and dynamic study of a generation in crisis” and tells the story of children who were born to immigrants who traveled to the UK when called upon to help rebuild the country following the devastation of World War II as part of what is now known as the Windrush Generation.

Remastered version preserves Black history for future generations

Hamilton-Pearson believes the remastered version of “Pressure” is important in that it preserves and promotes the reality of what was happening to Black British immigrants and the Windrush Generation in the 1970s. It shows how England viewed these children as second-class citizens, while the children saw themselves as totally British. The remastered film offers future generations the chance to learn Black history for themselves because it is still not a focus of the history taught in schools. She praises the British film industry for funding and helping to create the film, despite the fact that it was banned for three years because its content was considered too radical for the times. It was eventually released due to the tenacity of Horace Ové and the BFI, and now even more people will have the chance to see this piece of history.

Kudos to  the filmmakers and BFI

Hamilton-Pearson said she was grateful for being part of something that showed the reality many Black British people experienced, and she thanked the filmmakers, especially Horace Ové, and everyone who had a role in making the film for their effort and commitment. Horace Ové , a pioneer in Black British history, died in 2022 but was honored with a Knighthood (CBE) from Queen Elizabeth II before his death. He was the first filmmaker to document the coming of reggae from Jamaica to the UK in his documentary, “Reggae” in 1971. Originally from Trinidad, he was a photographer, painter, and writer in addition to being the first Black British filmmaker to direct a feature-length film.

Love and commitment to Jamaica

Hamilton-Pearson currently lives in New York, but lived with her grandparents in St Thomas and Kingston in Jamaica in the late 1960s and 1970s. Hamilton-Pearson remembers her time in Jamaica as extremely exciting. She cites the birth of reggae as sparking changes from colonial mindsets and describes the time as “the genesis for the foundation” that exists today as artists like Bob Marley and The Wailers, Alton Ellis, Toots Hibbert, Delroy Wilson, and others brought about the new style of music.

Throughout her career and personal life, Hamilton-Pearson has shown her dedication and commitment to the well-being of Jamaica. She was presented with a community service award from the Family Unification and Resettlement Initiative in 2013 for a fundraising effort that provided computers for a  computer lab in Jamaica. She also received an Award of Merit from the Jamaica Progressive League, the New York State Assembly; a Congressional Recognition in 2018, and a Foundation Award from the Lawman Lynch Foundation in May 2023.

Sheron Hamilton-Pearson is a news presenter and contributor at Jamaicans.com.

Photo – Sheron Hamilton-Pearson

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