Letter of the Day | The United Church condemns the spate of violence

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands (UCJCI) deplores the wanton violence which has again reared its ugly head in our land, even as we valiantly strive to stave off the common enemy of an aggressive coronavirus.

Jamaica’s history of violence and the horror of recent killings of citizens, including two members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, is cause for deep introspection and concern.

Life is a gift from God. It is God alone who creates life from nothingness, and God alone should take a life from any human being. The nation continues to be scarred by the pain injected when any of us is attacked and killed. The UCJCI extends a heart of compassion to the families and relatives of those slain citizens, including our police.

The church now calls for a redoubling of efforts in all spheres of our society to rid ourselves of the enslavement to a culture of violence. These efforts must include those promoted by civil society through discussions which are not always in the public domain, but always in the interest of our nation’s well-being. There can be no question that lasting solutions to violence and its underlying causes will require a non-confrontational approach in which leaders of all political persuasions, including national and community leaders in all spheres of society, collaborate.

The Government is being pressed to add increased urgency in the drive towards meaningful solutions to this scourge, which has so damaged the nation’s growth and development.

RT REVEREND DR GORDON

COWANS

Moderator

UCJCI