Struggling with faith
Published:Thursday | October 13, 2016 | 12:00 AMGareth Davis Sr.
A near death experience caused Cyrus Bell to surrender his life to Jesus Christ more than 10 years ago. However, since then, he has struggled and at one point, he abandoned the faith, opting instead to return to a life of sin.
Bell, who visited the United Kingdom in 2003 upon a request from his sister, said he escaped death during an attempted terrorist attack. After seeing his life flash before his eyes, he decided to give his life to the Lord. He was convinced that God was showing him a sign.
"I was shopping while on vacation in England, "said Bell.
"Suddenly, the store that I was in was surrounded by the police who instructed us to head for the exit. I later found out that they had received a telephone call that a bomb was planted inside the store. And although that time of year was a bit chilly, I was sweating profusely, and I remember saying to myself, 'I am going to die in a foreign country'. Thoughts flooded my mind and I cried knowing that Jamaica was safe from such threats," he added.
SISTER'S ADVICE
Bell said his sister who is a Christian emphasised the need for him to turn to God. Bell recounted that he did not need much convincing, and soon, he was baptised. Upon his return to Jamaica, Bell started attending church regularly with his wife - always happily dressed in a suit, with the Holy Bible clutched in his hand.
But as the weeks turned to months, and the months to years, Bell's faith waned, and the frequent visits to church stopped. Soon, Bell was back in the fold of friends, who had earlier given him three months to abandon the Christian faith. Bell, however, had defied the so-called predictors, as, for more than three years, he was a devout Christian.
Bell said he intends to return to the faith at some point, though he is not sure when.
"I have had my moments of reflection. I saw where I went wrong, and I believe that I fully understand what it takes to be a child of God. One thing is certain though, and that is whenever I return to my God, I will be glued to Christianity forever," he said.