As relatives of the four men in the Paria diving tragedy question their deaths, one pastor is urging them to forgive those who may be responsible.
Speaking at the funeral of one of the divers, Yusuf “Buffy” Henry, on Wednesday, Pastor Nolan Warner told mourners that holding on to hate over the incident will only prevent them from healing.
Henry’s funeral service took place at the Valencia Pentecostal Assembly church and was well attended by relatives, friends and co-workers.
He was later buried at the Turure Cemetery in Sangre Grande.
“We’ve come to celebrate his life, let us not use hate to define and determine the value and purpose of his life. Let us not become so judgmental that we lose sight of the person we are missing and grieving. We celebrate his life, one, two, we grieve his passing and three, we forgive those who may have had a part to play in his demise,” Warner said.
He said he was advising the families to choose forgiveness and love, even before they found out who was the guilty party in the incident.
“We do not have to fight to remember him, we do not have to fight to define who he is, we do not have to hate to keep him alive in our minds and hearts because love is as strong as death. We choose love,” Warner said.
He said those who held onto hate robbed themselves of peace and healing. He said relatives should also refrain from playing the blame game.
“I know you have your reasons, I know you may have very good, solid reasons why you can stand and wave your fingers and point at the other side and say, ‘It was your fault, you did it, you did it, you did it’ or ‘You didn’t do.’ I know we can all do that but love says before you can ask for forgiveness, I stand ready to forgive,” Warner said.
He praised Henry’s parents, Nicole Greenidge and Joseph Henry, for their strength, as he said the two had lost their three sons—Marcus, Araghah and Yusuf—within a three-month timeframe.
He recalled the last conversation he had with Yusuf following the funeral service for one of his brothers.
“He was saying to me personally that he seemed to have cheated death so often, so many things had happened in his life that could have taken him and he survived and he felt that God was speaking very strongly to him and that he was listening and ready to make those changes,” Warner said.
Henry’s mother, Nicole, delivered his eulogy, as her only surviving child, Afeisha, stood next to her.
She said she has been questioned many times by concerned relatives and friends about how she was faring after losing her three sons so quickly.
“Life without my sons will never be the same again. It has left a hole that will never be filled but we have to sometimes admit that angels are needed back in heaven,” she said.
Greenidge said she has leaned heavily on her faith over the past three months.
She found comfort after learning of Henry’s last interaction with the only survivor of the tragic incident, Christopher Boodram.
“I feel a sense of comfort as he shared with me that Yusuf called on Jesus in his time of tragedy, Christopher told me, ‘Mom, Yusuf and myself prayed loudly and constantly,’ I’m sure the other men who lost their lives were also praying,” Greenidge said.
She described Henry as hard-working, loving and the life of the party.
