Letter of the Day | Bring back devotions in schools

THE EDITOR, Madam:

When I was attending Carron Hall All-Age School in St Mary, we used to have our school devotions first thing in the morning. And at noon, before the students left their classrooms for lunch break, the entire school would give thanks to God, in prayer, for the food. And in the evening before we went home, all classes would stand and sing the evening prayer.

But in these modern times, it’s a different kettle of fish. Many schools do not have devotions on a regular basis, or they underrate it, or leave it till later in the day. There are some loopholes when it comes to reverencing God. The late Jacob Miller said this in one of his songs: “A chapter a day will keep the Devil away.” And it seems that the Devil has surely been let loose in Jamaica.

I am calling upon God – not the Government or the powers that be – to make it possible that there will be daily devotions in every school in Jamaica. There should also be a daily prayer for protection of the teachers and students before they leave their schools to go home.

CLAMP DOWN ON VIOLENT MUSIC

I am also asking God, not the powers that be, to clamp down on the violent music and the lewd lyrics in this crime-infested nation, which is having a massive negative impact on our society. Lewd music is being played in public passenger transport, in public spaces, and on most of the radio stations. Unfortunately, we are not taking this lightly, or it seems that we do not care.

When will Jamaican people wake up and smell the coffee, that this country is being transformed into a battlefield? Can we afford not to be God-fearing people and allow ourselves to be overrun with violent crime and dirty music? Just like how the great Michael Holding said “Black Lives Matter” in his speech, likewise, we need to know and tell these murderers that all lives matter.

DONALD MCKOY