Clarion call for mothers to pray one hour per day per week

Durrant Pate/Contributor

A new Christian initiative has been launched in Jamaica to save the nation’s children from the wave of crime affecting the country.

The initiative, officially launched by a group of Christian women, called ‘Feast of Ester’ and led by Dianne Hanson, supported by head of the Fellowship Tabernacle Church and tele-evangelist, Reverend Al Miller.

The launch took place last Sunday (November 13) at the Palmer’s Cross New Testament Church in Palmers Cross in Central Clarendon, headed by Bishop Keith Bulgin, the father of the two boys, Travois and Tevaughn Bulgin, who lost their lives after jumping from a bridge at Martha’s Vineyard in Boston, United States on August 14 and drowning.

The prayer initiative calls for all women across Jamaica to devote one hour per day per week in prayer for the nation’s children, who are under attack from the forces of darkness, as exhibited in the recent case of the school children at Oberlin High School in rural St Andrew two weeks ago. The initiative comes amid a greater recognition by the authorities in Jamaica that the crime problem permeating the society needs much more than mortal attention but spiritual intervention, as articulated by the outspoken clergyman.

Authorities looking to the church for help

He pointed to the acknowledgement by the National Security Minister Dr Horace Chang backed up by recent pronouncement coming from Police Commissioner Major General Antony Anderson, who remarked recently that the type of crime in which the police are now seeing suggests that spiritual intervention is needed, as part of the solution.

In his sermon, titled, ‘Purpose in Tragedy’, the visiting St Andrew Pastor told the Clarendon congregation that his message is a clarion call for the women of Jamaica, particularly mothers to “ban your belly and bawl for your children”.

He reminded the church of the Bible story of Molech in which Jewish children were sacrificed.

“Mothers of Zion weep for your children. Women, you are being called upon to rise up and lead the charge. Mothers weep for your children because if you don’t weep for your children; you will weep over them,” the senior clergyman warned.

Miller charged the mothers to “weep now and save the children from the evil unleashed upon the world” recalling another Bible story, that of Rizpah, who wept for her children until the King had pity on her weeping. Rizpah took her place on the rock of Gibeah and for five months watched the suspended bodies of her two sons to prevent them from being devoured by the beasts and birds of prey until they were at length taken down and buried by King David in the family grave at Zelah.

Miller declared that the world is in trouble, as the enemy is coming for the children of the world, as they are the first line of attack.

Miller had a comforting word for the Bulgin family that the untimely deaths of their two adult sons will not go in vain but is an awakening to the problem that lies before us as a society.

He also said their deaths have a purpose and a message.

GOD is going to intervene

Miller encouraged the family and the church community to trust in the Lord and believe in the love of God that he is going to intervene for your good and intercede for mothers from this tragedy. He reminded the Clarendon gathering of the fact that children in the parish are under attack, making reference to mother and her four children, who were murdered earlier this year in another district in the parish.