Shelly-Ann Thompson, Freelance Writer

More than 450 of the nation's political, church, business and civic leaders were challenged on Thursday to transform Jamaica to a place of moral conduct, sensitivity and righteousness.

The charge came from president of the Jamaica Council of Churches, the Reverend Karl Johnson, Thursday, as he delivered the address at the 27th National Leadership Prayer Breakfast.

Rev. Johnson, who was frank in his address to the leaders present - who included Governor-General Kenneth Hall and wife Rheima Hall, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and Opposition Leader Bruce Golding at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston - said the nation was in a state of crisis and calamity.

"Hear me, leaders of this nation, God is not blind, neither is God unconcerned. Understand that God loves justice and upright people," he said.

Though he made several quips during his approximately 50-minute speech and touched on a few topics such as the Church's stance on homosexuality, Rev. Johnson was firm that Jamaicans needed to build the right foundation. He echoed the 27th Leadership Prayer Breakfast theme, 'Building on the Right Foundation', and suggested solutions for achieving this task. He challenged the leaders to work towards consensus on morality.

"If this nation is to be on a sustainable path, with all the macroeconomic business in place, if we do not settle the morality issue, we are courting disaster," Rev. Johnson warned.

Our relationships

"We need to pay urgent attention to the relational side of life ... transform how we relate with each other, how we treat each other, how we regard each other. Our relationships resemble and sound like warfare," he said.

The prayer breakfast annually brings together leaders of the State, Church, diplomatic corps, academia, judiciary, business community and civic life.

It was first held in January 1981 and arose out of the Church's concern for peace and justice in the nation following the bloody 1980 General Election.

Proceeds from the breakfast will benefit the Build Jamaica basic school project, which aims to replace pit latrines with indoor toilets.