Trudy Simpson, Staff Reporter
While clutching the Holy Bible, this believer joined hundreds of other worshippers in a healing prayer for the nation during the official ceremony for the National Day of Prayer held Sunday at National Heroes Park in Kingston. - NORMAN GRINDLEY/DEPUTY CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
WHILE MORE bullets rang out in the nation over the weekend, hundreds of inter-faith church members remained determined to defeat what they described as "evil ways" through prayer.
Equipped with Bibles and faith, more than 600 Jamaicans, among them church leaders, on Sunday gathered at National Heroes Park, Kingston, for an official ceremony to mark a National Day of Prayer.
The day also marked the lighting of a prayer torch to be carried around the island during 100 days of blessing for Jamaica in which God will be asked to make a nationwide transformation. The period ends on August 23, 2005, the United Nations day to mark the abolition of slavery.
FRENZY OF PRAYER
For more than two hours, they prayed for divine intervention to curb spiralling levels of crime and violence, social ills, moral breaches, disunity among churches and people and for more employment for young men and women. They hope this will result in a turning point for Jamaica.
"Lead us oh God through these dark days by faith. You know where the evil doers are. Confuse them ... for we need a change in this land. Wash Jamaica! Give us back our land!" said Rev. Peter Garth, president of the Jamaica Association of Evangelicals to cries of "flush them out!" from the crowd.
Whipping the crowd into a frenzy of prayer, hand-waving and tears in some cases, designated representatives asked God to heal the nation and to bless, protect and guide the most vulnerable and at risk, including children in Jamaica.
Prayers were offered for the security forces, whose members are still reeling from losing nine of their members so far this year, four in the last two weeks.
"Everywhere we turn, there is killing. Every day we are in shooting. Every day, we are in fear ... We are depending on you Lord. Have mercy upon the nation. Have mercy upon the security forces. We know God you say we must call on you in times of trouble and you will hear us. We pray for a turning away from evil ways," intoned Corporal Dalton Scott, president of Cops for Christ.
MORE WOMEN THAN MEN
While several churches marked the day by ringing church bells hourly, church members gathered to make pleas for an awakening of fathers who had abandoned their responsibilities, mothers who were shielding gun men and for young men and young women who were criminals.
Of note at Sunday's ceremony was that many of the young men and women in the age group said to be most involved in committing crimes were absent. In addition, there were far more women than men.
