Somewhere along the way, we lost the essence of who we are as a people. We have traded unity for ego, compassion for convenience and vision for survival. Bermuda once had a heartbeat — a rhythm that pulsed with pride, community and shared purpose. Today, that rhythm has weakened — drowned out by noise, distraction and disconnection.

We talk about being our brother’s keeper, but how can we be when we can’t even keep ourselves? How can we protect one another when our own souls are fractured? Our minds are weary, our spirits heavy and our hope worn thin. Too many of us are fighting silent battles — mental, emotional and financial — while pretending that everything is fine. But the truth is, everything is not.

We are a people who have lost sight of our moral compass. We chase success but ignore substance. We celebrate personalities but neglect principles. We have become a nation of individuals instead of a community of people.

We scroll instead of speak.

We criticise instead of contribute.

We watch instead of work.

And in doing so, we have lost sight of what made us strong in the first place — each other.

The absence of vision is killing us slowly. We are drifting without direction, content to react instead of lead, to complain instead of create. We have forgotten that every generation must build upon the last — that our ancestors endured hardship, not for us to simply exist, but to excel. They dreamt of a Bermuda where our young people had purpose, where our elders were respected, and where our neighbourhoods were more than just places — they were families.

Now we find ourselves surrounded by division, fear and frustration. The cost of living has risen, but the cost of caring has fallen. Violence has claimed too many young lives, while apathy has numbed too many hearts. We are comfortable watching the destruction from a distance, shaking our heads but doing little to change it. We are drifting farther from the soul of our island, and if we are not careful, we will reach a point of no return.

As the Bible reminds us in Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

And that is exactly what we are witnessing — not a physical death alone, but the slow death of hope, identity and unity. Vision gives life. It gives direction. It gives meaning. Without it, we wander in circles, mistaking movement for progress.

We need leadership that dares to dream again — leaders who are driven not by popularity but by purpose. But we also need citizens who will no longer sit in silence, waiting for someone else to save us.

A nation’s strength does not lie in its government alone. It lies in the character of its people. If we are to rise again, it will not be because of policy alone, but because the people themselves decided that enough is enough — that we will no longer accept mediocrity, corruption or complacency.

Before we can rebuild Bermuda, we must first rebuild ourselves.

We must rediscover discipline, empathy and vision.

We must teach our children that life is about more than money — it is about meaning.

We must remind ourselves that freedom without responsibility leads only to chaos.

We must love this island enough to tell it the truth, even when the truth is uncomfortable. We cannot keep hiding behind appearances, pretending that our smiles reflect peace when deep down we are hurting. Healing begins when honesty does. And hope begins when we decide that tomorrow must be better than today.

It is not too late to find our way back. But it starts with honesty — looking in the mirror and admitting that we have fallen short. We cannot outsource integrity. We cannot delegate compassion. And we cannot move forward until we remember who we are and what we stand for.

The time has come to wake up. To lift our eyes from our screens and our hearts from our fears.

To dream again. To care again. To lead again.

Because if we continue on this path — divided, distracted and disillusioned — we won’t just lose our way.

We will lose ourselves.

And once a people lose themselves, even paradise becomes a prison.

But if we find our vision again — if we choose to love one another, to serve one another, to dream together once more — then this small island can once again become something great.

Not because of wealth or fame, but because we remembered the truth our ancestors knew so well: we are our brother’s keeper.

And until we live like it, we will never truly be free.

• John Seymour was the One Bermuda Alliance candidate for Pembroke East Central (Constituency 16) in the February 2025 General Election