Church challenged to ‘push back’ against forces of darkness

According to Reverend Omar Morrison, pastor of the First Missionary Church, although there are some areas of national life in which progress could be witnessed, there remains “dark clouds of despair” hanging over the nation.

This, he said, was a serious threat to society as it would ultimately derail the nation’s progress and path to prosperity.

“All is not well when unemployment is at a historic low of 4.5 per cent, while homicide in Jamaica is still at an intolerable level of about 46 per 100,000. All is not well when so many of our young people are busy drifting while our society has gone off course,” he said.

“All is not well when well over 50 per cent of our children are born outside of the stability and security that marriage helps to provide. All is not well when despite our greater access to education, some people have chosen to put their hope into winning big or chopping the line (scamming) to fleece people out of their hard-earned life savings,” he detailed.

Morrison, who was delivering the main address at the 44th annual National Leadership Prayer Breakfast yesterday at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, therefore called for the church to be urgently rescued from things such as the doctrine of demons, greed, sexual immorality, pride, an over-concern for their own safety and disobedience regarding the great commission and the great commandment.

He challenged the Church to “push back” against forces of darkness, territorial spirits, and other strong holds which were present in society and negatively impacting the growth of the nation.

Morrison continued that there was a picture of hopelessness which could be found right across Jamaica, and, as such, he called on the wider public to “choose hope” and unite in working together for a better country.

“Our society, my brothers and sisters, needs to be rescued from this hopelessness and this madness of which we have pictures right across the nation,” he said, noting that areas in which the nation needed rescuing from included guns, violence and criminality; injustice; lewdness found in some of today’s music; the unproductive use of smartphones; and the over-exposure of children online.

“There is hope for Jamaica because the God is alive. There is hope for Jamaica because the Church is alive. There is hope for Jamaica because there are citizens home and abroad that are not surrendering to ‘a so the system set’ mentality... There is hope for Jamaica because there are people all over this country who believe that we can overcome and are prepared to work to overcome,” he said.

Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, in his message of hope, stated that the nation’s leaders’ resolve must be rooted in the fundamental principles of neighbourliness, compassion and a relentless pursuit for excellent.

“We must believe in a brighter Jamaica. We must believe where hope outshines despair. We must use hope as a beacon that guides our nation back from the precipice of crime and violence and disorder. We hope for peace to reign in every heart, in every home, in every community. Hope for a day when leaders and citizens alike embrace the righteousness that uplifts a nation. Hope in the transformative power and prayer,” he said.

The GG explained that while the leaders of the country were aware of the various challenges that Jamaica faced, and those cultural changes which “threatened to overshadow our unique identity”, it was imperative to share the wisdom of biblical figures to provide insight and direction.

He stated that such an event, which was celebrated under the theme ‘Choose Hope, Arise and Build’, presented the nation’s leaders “with a unique opportunity to pause, to reflect, and envision a future that echoes with the promise of renewal and progress”.

Allen continued that the theme was a “clarion call to embrace hope as our guiding light” to stand resolute and to transform “obstacles into stepping stones toward a brighter future”.

asha.wilks@gleanerjm.com