All hail Al Miller

The Editor, Sir:

I wish to add my say! To that of others in giving praise and thanks to Rev Al Miller for his self-sacrificing, pastoral, Christlike deed in taking in Christopher 'Dudus' Coke safely. All Jamaica should laud him, and pastors/priests should take him as an example of how a true servant of Jesus Christ acts.

I am surprised that many members of the public, and even some of his own friends in the ministry, are criticising him. While it may be technically, and legally true that he may have broken the law in seeking to take Coke to the US Embassy rather than to the Jamaican police, I feel that he did the correct thing for many reasons.

Coke would not have agreed to give himself up to Rev Miller had he not gained his trust and been willing to give his word to take him to the US authorities. Having done so, he could not justifiably have turned him over to the Jamaican authorities;

If he had, Coke would have still been at large, and endangering himself, the police and the Jamaican public;

A Christian, and more so a minister of the gospel, owes first allegiance to God in terms of his motivations and actions: his first concern is to do God's bidding and bring about a safe ending for Dudus and for Jamaica. He accomplished that end, knowing that it could possibly be at risk to himself;

As a pastor, Rev Miller is aware that his own master, Jesus Christ, frequently acted contrary to Jewish law and custom in order to accomplish God's will, and was willing to face the consequences. Al Miller did God's work last Tuesday afternoon.

In this, he is following in the footsteps of his master, who was accused of being "a friend of publicans and sinners". It is too bad that many Christians no longer feel the necessity to soil their garments in contact with the poor and needy and, yes, even criminals, in order to show them the love of Jesus and perhaps turn them around to become worthwhile persons in the society. May the Church not forget its role in society!

I am, etc.,

LLOYD A. COOKE

lcookemia@cwjamaica.com

Royal Flat, Manchester