"Left or... Write?".

(This reading is based on Proverbs 17 and is read in accordance with the Revived by His Word initiative of the the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists)

"A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back to pervert the ways of justice." Prov. 17: 23

Corrupt elements in the Jamaican police force (traffic division especially) are reputed with a certain question they presumably ask individuals found in breach of road codes. The question is, "Leff or write?" No, there's no typo error here. This is a question that based on the Jamaican language could be said to be, "Left or right?" In his defense, he could state that he asked that question in reference to the side of the road, we drive on in Jamaica - a pertinent question, it might be presumed. But this is not what he means.

"Leff" in the Jamaican language could mean left (in reference to a side of an object or the past tense of leave). It could also mean leave (meaning, to depart, or the incidence of leaving something behind). So if you were to say, "I am going to leave" in Jamaican, it'd be, "Mi a go LEFF." You could also ask someone to leave something behind for you, in which case you'd say, "Leff something wid mi nuh." Then use is made of the fact that a homonym of the word "right" is "write." So when you are pulled over and are presumably asked, "Left or right," the real question is, "Leff or write?" In other words, "Either you leave something with me, or I write you a ticket." Either way, it's going to cost you - a bit less than the ticket would, if you "leff" something with him. If you do this of course, you'd have aided in robbing "Caesar" (Matt 22: 21). I've been ticketed a few times, but never had this conversation. So thankfully not everyone is corrupt, but you do hear of these incidents every now and then.

If ever it were to even appear that some folk are treated preferentially in the Church; that their actions are either covered up, or just ignored - presumably because of who they are (especially considering the financial contributions they make), the text would classify this situation as wickedness. There must be one rule of law that is to be consistently and objectively applied. Note, in one context the opposite of "right" is "left;" in another, the opposite of "right" is "wrong." Let us strive, by virtue of what we do, never to appear to in effect ask this question, "Leff or write?" Let's just do the write... I mean the right thing.

To read and/or listen to Proverbs 17 and read other related blogs, please click here.

Photo credits: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120511/lead/lead5.html