Letter of the Day | Tackle spiritual crisis

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The Watchman Church Leaders Alliance (WCLA) is deeply sorrowful over the recent brutal killings that have shocked the nation.

The horrific discovery of the body of 13-year-old Shantina Sergeant, followed by the massacre of five people, including a four-year-old, in Linstead, represent an unconscionable depth of evil that has inflicted deep wounds across our society.

Our hearts go out to the family, friends, schools, and wider communities of our slain citizens. We pray God’s strengthening and comfort during this traumatic period.

Regrettably, those are not isolated incidents, but stark manifestations of a spiritual crisis that is spreading fear, and despair. Those tragedies demand more than a moment of silence; they demand a sustained and powerful response from the Church and all Jamaica. Those recent incidents are painful reminders of the need for shared consensus on the root causes of crime, and the urgent need for collective action in addressing this situation. No other approach is either sustainable or acceptable .

In this period of immense pain, we are calling all pastors, ministries, and church-based organisations to move ministry beyond the walls of our sanctuaries, and increase our tangible, proactive engagement in our communities. This is not a time for retreat, but for courageous advance into the darkness.

We are, therefore, calling for a unified, long-term strategy of presence, prayer, targeted interventions, and practical support in vulnerable communities, and indeed deep engagement by every local pastor and congregation in nearby communities. We must overcome evil with good.

The WCLA urges our colleagues to immediately mobilise around the following actions:

• Intensified prayer and presence:

• Trauma support and counselling:

• Community strengthening programmes in youth mentorship, school adoptions, family enrichment and conflict mediation initiatives;

• Collaborative partnerships among pastors, churches and community leaders, to address the root causes of violence.

We pray that the perpetrators of those horrible crimes will be brought swiftly to Justice.

MICHAEL MCANUFF-JONES

ROY NOTICE

watchmanchurchleaders@

gmail.com