By Fr. JLucas, Oct 27 2026

This morning was one of the few mornings I did not want to get to work, but the love for these children pushed me off my bed to the kitchen to make a cup of strong coffee, after I did not have a very good sleep. Among the last text messages I wrote last night was a statement to my mentor: “I love you. Thank you for your kindness.”

I was in the office this morning when I was supposed to be in 102, and just the moment I decided to walk to the class I met a group of boys who were coming to tell me that I was supposed to go with them to their class. I walked with them while we chatted, and you could confuse me for a student, the way we walked and talked. Reaching the class, they were kind of ready, fixing up the room. They greeted me with all their might: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Good morning, Father Lucas.” They sat down and waited to hear what I had to say.

I was not ready to teach, seeing that I am in a transition mode, so I went into that class with a blank mind. My opening remarks were that I did not want to come to the class because they will be having a new teacher. One of the boys said, “No, Father, I love you.” There and then, one of the students screamed, “Yah, batty man, you doh love man, you rate dem.” There and then, my topic came up: “What is the difference between love and rate?” They all gave me their own definitions in their own words, and I could tell the love in the rating was really strong.

In our Jamaican society, words have been sexualised, and one of those words is love. Words carry meanings, but the way people use them can change depending on their culture, social environment, relationships, and personal experiences. In the Jamaican context, particularly in the way some men speak about relationships with other men and with women, the words rate and love can take on meanings that differ from their conventional English definitions.

The word rate generally means to evaluate, assess, rank, or consider the value, quality, or importance of someone or something. In Jamaican everyday speech, rate can mean to respect, appreciate, value, or hold someone in high regard. When someone says, “Mi rate yuh,” the person may be expressing genuine respect, appreciation, affection, or regard for the other person. To rate someone is to recognize that the person has value beyond what they can offer you or what you might desire from them.

Love, on the other hand, is a deep feeling of affection, care, attachment, or devotion towards another person. It can describe the bond between family members, friends, romantic partners, and even a person’s love for humanity. Love may involve trust, commitment, compassion, sacrifice, and a desire for another person’s well-being.

There is a simpler way to hold the difference. Rate comes from the mind. The mind weighs a person, ranks them, and decides the regard it will give. Love comes from the heart. The heart does not score anyone. It moves toward them.

Then I taught the class what love is according to Scripture. 1 John 4:7–21 reminds us that “God is love,” and if we are created in God’s image, as it is said in Genesis 1, then we are also love, born out of love.

That class gave me fulfillment, and as I walked out of that class I felt the genuine love of these students when they asked, “Father, let us take a picture that you will remember us.”