- Joseph D. Burrows
In memory of a wonderful Christian young man,
husband, father, student of Northern Caribbean University who was killed in
November of 2004
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- Positive Reaction to Student's
Tragic Death
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By Dr. Leonard Johnson, November 14, 2004
- Click on photos
to enlarge
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- Inarguably, death separates loved
ones, disrupts plans and alters agendas, leaving relatives and friends
grief stricken and pain afflicted. Such expressions describe the family
and friends of Joseph Burrows, a young Bahamian student who was brutally
murdered two weeks ago. Joseph, a 22-year-old student of Northern
Caribbean University, in Mandeville, Jamaica, had a wife and a two-year
old daughter. He was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and a
former active Pathfinder. The faculty and the entire student body,
especially the Bahamian students of Northern Caribbean University and The
University of West Indies, are mourning his passing. Nevertheless,
there is a paradox to Joseph's death.
- A Sense of
Unity and Togetherness Joseph's death has sparked a
greater sense of camaraderie, unity and togetherness among Bahamian
students, students in general, faculty and the Mandeville community
surrounding Northern Caribbean University. Everyone is on high
alert; and banding together, they are looking out for each other. In
fact, in a called meeting on Sunday, November 14, students of both
campuses met with Foreign Affairs Minister, Hon. Fred Mitchell, who
traveled to Jamaica on behalf of the Bahamian Government to attend a
memorial service for Joseph, at Northern Caribbean University.
Minister Mitchell also encouraged students to think rationally as they
planned safety measures. Also, he assured the students of the
Government's involvement in collaborating with the Government of Jamaica
with the view of bringing the perpetrator/s to justice. Pastors
Leonard Johnson and Jeff Thompson, presidents of The Bahamas Conference
and The Cayman Islands Conference, respectively, Their message was the
same -encouraging students to be proactive and responsible. Further, they
assured the students that they, along with the other University Board
members, would address the students' concerns at the next Board meeting.
- A Remarkable
Outpouring of Love Joseph's death resulted in a
remarkable outpouring of love and concern at a Sabbath service conducted
by the senior pastor of the University Church, Dr. Neil W. Reid, on
November 13, 2004 at the University. Impressed to call upon
worshippers to make a tangible contribution to the grieving family, Pastor
Reid invited members and visitors to replace the $30,000 removed from
Joseph's account by those who abducted him. The amount of $60,000
was collected and presented to Joseph's wife, Tammie, at the memorial
service the following day. It mattered not that Joseph was Bahamian,
or non-Jamaican. What counted was that Joseph was a member of the
University family. This remarkable gesture has made an indelible
impression upon many, especially Joseph's wife, Tammie, and her parents
and Joseph's parents.
- Underscores
the Presence of Evil The nature of Joseph's death points
to the evil that lurks in our society, be it Jamaica, or the Bahamas, or
elsewhere. There have been too many deaths in the Bahamas this year,
especially since the passing of Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. It would
seem that human life carries little value. However, the fight
against evil continues for the church and all. There must be no let
up against crime and vice, for the next victim could be you, or me, or
someone close to us. Fortunately, the return of Jesus will put an
end to sin and sinners, thus obliterating all wrong doing forever.
Until then, this clause in the Lord's Prayer must be uttered meaningfully:
"And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil." A
funeral service will be held for Joseph Burrows on Sunday, November 21,
2004 at the Eight-Mile Rock SDA Church, and he will be laid to rest in
Grand Bahama. Let us pray much for the Burrows family, especially
Tammie and her daughter. condolences@bahamasconference.org
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