‘Enough is enough!’ - Pastor urges communities to keep out criminals

Pastor Romone Phoenix of the Old Harbour Seventh-day Adventist Church, in St Catherine, delivered a fiery sermon last Sunday at the thanksgiving service of Laetitia Francis, whose life was viciously snuffed out by gunmen on February 6.

Francis, who was the mother of a member of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, was killed in what is believed to be a reprisal killing.

Reminiscing on the times when he felt safe in his community growing up, where members of the village cared and looked out for each other, he said he wished Jamaica could go back to those days.

"It seems that was once upon a long time. I wish we could go back to those days when things were less violent, when we could rub shoulders with anyone, stay out until 2 a.m. at dance. But now, as soon as it gets to 9 p.m., the place lock up," he lamented, even as he cried for the children who will never have the experience he did growing up.

Adopt that concept

Citing a biblical example where watchmen were porters of the city and would cry the alarm when an army of invaders were coming in, he said communities must now adopt that concept and start looking out for each other.

"We still need watchmen today upon the walls so that when criminals entering our space, we can sound the alarm and can tell somebody that enough is enough; it's time for us to stop it and get right with God," he told the huge turnout, which included Member of Parliament Everald Warmington, Commissioner of Police Major General Antony Anderson, and several rank and file members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

Phoenix also had words for parents who turned blind eyes to their children, who come home with things that don't belong to them.

"Tell them to carry it back. Scold the child and send it back. Let them learn to settle with their own things and live within their means," he said.

Phoenix cast the blame for some of society's ills squarely at the feet of parents, as he said they refuse to "sound the alarm" when their children do wrong.

"Don't sit down and uphold with foolishness. Let them know that peace must reign in our community. Too long people are dying left right and centre. We cannot sit down when criminals enter our space; let it be known you are not welcome here," he said.