Integrity Legislation

 

 

Integrity legislation was promised

By successive governments

And their many passionate speeches

Spoke of genuine intent.

 

It was felt that thievery

Had to be brought to a halt

Since the very last Government

Was mostly at fault.

 

They had done their utmost

To become filthy rich

And in their obsession with wealth

They hadn’t missed a trick.

 

Thus, the current Government

Like the two before

Promised to do much better but since,

Has done no more.

 

 

 

Two bites at the cherry

And two thirty-loves after

There is still no integrity legislation

Bar scorn and laughter.

 

No public declaration

Certainly, as far as I know,

Therefore, like all the ones before them,

They are a no-show.

 

Prior to Elections 2018

A promise was made

To bring to justice those found guilty

But this, to no avail.

 

The USA did even better

Regarding a certain allegation

And a former DLP Cabinet Minister

Was actually imprisoned.

 

But nothing was uncovered

By the present Government

And the proposed integrity legislation

Is still an elusive event.

 

 

 

From the Tom Adams era

And that of Arthur and Stuart,

I have no doubt integrity legislation

Influenced the vote.

 

    One public declaration

Was a private one

Declared to the then Prime Minister

Who is long gone.

 

 

 

Another PM declared his,

Raising some doubts

But his MPs did not follow through,

Showing some clout.

 

They did not have to

Since it wasn’t the law

And the info omitted by the PM,

Only he saw.

 

 

 

Hundred-day promises

Also went abegging

And up to now in twenty-twenty-five

Legislation is still lagging.

 

When will it come about?

Hold not your breath

For holding one’s breath too long

Is flirting with death.

 

Who will guard the guards?

Hopefully, the Law,

But a law that is yet to be passed,

Only highlights a flaw.

 

 

 

Integrity legislation

Is really about integrity,

If one has something one wants to hide,

It will cause one misery.

 

What other reason

Can anyone come up with

For integrity legislation still lacking

And so far, is a myth?

  

Two bites at the cherry

With a third drawing nigh,

If you favour this legislation, say “Yea”

And “Nay” if it you decry.

 

My wish for Independence

Anniversary number 59 is:

Please bring the integrity legislation

Promised a long time.

 

Stewart Russell ©November 18, 2025

 

To the Jew First

 

 

In two Bible references

You will find this phrase,

Go to Romans 1:16 and 2:10

And thereupon gaze.

 

To the Jew first

But what does it mean?

When examined in its context,

What can we glean?

 

Quite a lot, you’ll see
If you but take a look

But it is important my friend

To read the whole book.

 

Therein is the context

Re the saints at Rome

Made up of Jews and Gentiles

As a diverse one.

 

 

Distinct, yet unified,

By faith in Jesus Christ:

Both Jew and Gentile redeemed

For the same price.

 

And this is critical

As we look to the future,

For we must examine this past

To get a right picture.

 

To the Jew first:

Chronological or priority?

A study of the book of Romans

Will help you see.

 

Who’s more important:

The Gentile or the Jew?

Neither of them is more important;

I thought you knew.

 

 

For in Father Abraham

Both were to be blessed

And in the Lord Jesus Christ only

Both find their rest.

 

Not one way for Jews

And another for Gentiles,

The contrast, I will dare say,

Is one of Satan’s wiles.

 

It’s one of Satan’s tricks

For which many still fall

Believing that Israel’s ethnicity

Is Israel’s all in all.

 

A special gathering in

Is yet reserved for them

Since God did make a promise

Re Abraham’s children.

 

Every promise of God

God does indeed fulfil

And He does so in accordance

With His divine will.

 

 

Some have been fulfilled

And some are ongoing

Like the millions of souls saved

Through evangelizing.

 

And what is more

As I am hoping you see,

This is the promise to Abraham

Given in prophecy.

 

Yes, to the Jew first:

The very first evangelists,

Also, the Gentile, no after thought

But always on God’s list.

 

For in Abraham

All nations are blessed

And their faith in Jesus, the Christ,

Is the utmost test.

 

For since Pentecost

Christ has made all one

And the dividing wall of partition

Is eternally gone.

 

 

 

No difference now

Between Gentiles and Jews

Though it was to the Jew first

That carried the news.

 

 

The blessed news

Of the glorious gospel:

The gospel of so great salvation

Which they did tell…

 

To the Gentiles afar off

Who were brought near

And now before the throne of God

We can all appear…

 

With our sins forgiven

And all iniquities pardoned

And God’s law written on hearts

That were once hardened.

 

 

To the Jew first

Was inclusive by intent

In that the first gospel message

Was for all to repent.

 

The early church

Was both Jew and Gentile,

No afterthought as some esteem

But prophecy all the while.

 

To the Jew first

Was merely the beginning

Of God’s glorious salvation to all

Without ending.

 

One salvation and baptism,

All one in Christ!

No two peoples, as some believe,

No dividing splice!

 

No ethnic division

In the kingdom of God,

All heirs and joint-heirs in Christ!

Shout this abroad.

 

 

To the Jew first

And also to the Greek,

Is the power of God unto salvation

Even as we speak.

 

To the Jew first

And to the Gentile also,

To every man that worketh good

And God’s mercy show.

 

To the Jew first

And to you and me,

Sealed by the blessed Holy Spirit

For all eternity.

 

Stewart Russell © July 11, 2025

 

With Heavy Heart

 

 

My heart is heavy

On this overcast day,

A life has been snuffed out

In a horrific way.

 

The life of a youngster

So full of promise

But snatched away from us

As in a death wish.

 

But whose wish?

Certainly not his dad,

Or his mom or his siblings;

They are too sad.

 

Or his schoolmates

Or his friends,

Not one of these was happy

When he met his end.

 

Heartless, I would say,

Regarding his assassin,

On account of whom his light

Is now dimmed.

 

I did not know him

But now I do

And I guess the same can be said

For you too.

 

 

‘Tis a heavy heart

On this overcast day

Reflecting on a life of promise

Brutally snatched away.

 

Our hearts ache

As though he were ours

And he is in our thoughts

Every waking hour.

 

Stewart Russell © March 28, 2025

How to Win an Election

 

 

 

Here are my suggestions

Not in any order

But a campaigning journey

Along political corridors.

 

Now don’t get me wrong,

I’ve never campaigned

But based on outcomes I’ve seen

Here is the little I’ve gained.

 

Differentiate between

Illiterate and electorate,

They are not one and the same;

Please, no need to debate.

 

The electorate are eligible,

The illiterate too

But the former sees the vision

And the latter has a view.

 

Dwell not on the last verse

If it’s over your head,

Most things baffle me nowadays

Hence, I am on alert “red”.

 

Red flags go up daily,

Matters not who’s in charge

And a lot of political leaders

Are criminals at large.

 

Forget the previous verse

If it rubs you the hard way,

Let’s get back to the poem’s title

And let this hold sway.

 

Highlight the past record:

Successes and failures,

It is far better to be transparent

And show the full picture.

 

To vilify your opponent

Is to vilify yourself,

It is very likely that if you win

You will adopt his health.

 

It has happened before

And more often than not

That the one doing the vilifying

Ended up doing more rot.

 

Be honest, if possible,

In the things you promise,

It is better to say what can be done

Than an unrealistic list.

 

Focus on the real needs

And not on your opponent

And if you form the Government,

Genuinely repent.

 

Saying sorry is hard

Especially if you mean it

But today’s leaders are so perfect

Sorry is not their habit.

 

Genuinely trust in God

And show that you truly do,

And not merely as a convenience

But that He shapes your view.

 

“To God be the glory

Great things He has done!”

The words of the current PM

When in 2018 she won.

 

I trust she remembers

Though I have my doubts

But one thing is very clear to me,

One day she’ll be out.

 

The “how”, I do not know,

But nothing lasts forever

Hence, why the Holy Bible cautions

Be wary of earthly treasure.

 

Earthly treasure is sandy

And will easily wash away

So, build on the rock, Christ Jesus

Each and every day.

 

Let your good speak

Louder than your words,

I will remember what you did

Above what I have heard.

 

When you’ve done all this

Let the people decide

And if you lose, lose graciously

And by the result abide.

 

The best election “win”

Is when the country wins

But regarding this kind of result,

Our vision is fairly dim.

 

Short-sighted by selfishness

Is not worthy to lead,

A servant-leader, if you please,

Is what we really need.

 

Stewart Russell © October 28, 2024

 

Now

 

It is now ten minutes after three

And here I am before my computer

I guess you knew that though

That should produce some laughter.

I guess you also know what I am doing

Right now I am typing; you are smart,

Typing what you need not ask,

This poem you are now reading: that’s a start.

Now we know what each of us is doing

Let me deal with the matter at hand,

It is now three-seventeen in the morning

I am awake; that was not the original plan.

But you see ever since retirement

I have no set sleeping time,

I just have this feeling whenever the opportunity

To express what ever is on my mind.

It is not that I cannot sleep

Actually I have slept for a bit before

But right now I am awake

Since I do not feel like sleeping anymore.

I know you are reading this poem now

Because now is when you are reading it,

Whenever we get around to doing something

Now becomes the general habit.

It might not be the same now

As was the original plan

But now is now whenever that is

And that goes for both woman and man.

That brings me to the point;

Someone promises to do something now

But does it five days later,

How could that be? Tell me how.

That may be your query

But it is certainly not mine

Because whenever that something is done

Now would be that time.

  

You see the past no longer exists

It is just a memory,

The future never ever comes

Now is the reality.

We spend much time discussing the past

While the now is ever before us,

Short term, mid-term, long term projections;

It is the future about which we fuss.

Hence we are unable to sort out the now

Since the past is always on our mind,

The future beckons and we are not prepared

Little worry about the present time.

Yes, what we currently are going through

Produces some anxiety

But that is nothing compare to the outlook

As though living tomorrow now is a possibility.

I trust by now you have gotten my point

About the importance of the now,

The past is gone; it is gone forever

And the future is not ours however much we vow.

That’s why promises are just what they are,

They are simply utterances that we vow

And if ever we make good on their delivery

That can only be done when that time is now

Nothing in the past changes anything now,

The past does not have that power,

Neither does the future, whatever we may think,

The ultimate reality is the present hour.

The Bible makes this point particularly clear

The address is 2Corinthians 6 and verse 2,

Before continuing go to that location now

And see what it says to me and to you.

The emphasis is now; it is mentioned twice,

It is a matter worth contemplation,

“Now is the accepted time,” it says

“Now is the day of salvation.”

Do not take the now in this matter lightly

For it has to do with one’s destiny,

It is not a concern about the future tomorrow

But about one’s future eternally.

The truth about this matter ultimately is

That now is the present reality,

It is in the now that one must act

To procure a favourable destiny.

God is not slack concerning His promise

But in the now is long suffering to all of us,

He is not willing that any of us should perish

But that in the now accept His Son, Jesus.

Right now if you hear his voice

Harden not your heart,

Come to him right this very moment

Right now would be the best time to start.

Stewart Russell © November 2017