Beyond the near two decades long court battles, political manipulation and the sudden demolition that displaced families in Cooper’s Pen, Trelawny, one Christian believes there is another story that has received far less attention: the spiritual condition of the community and the role of the church.
According to Faith Johnson*, a Christian who lives in the area, Cooper’s Pen was ripe for sustained evangelism long before the bulldozers arrived.
She believes the church should have been doing more to reach residents, particularly as drugs, alcohol and other social problems became increasingly visible in the community.
Johnson said that in recent months, she had noticed what she described as a steady stream of people coming into the area to build and engage in nefarious activities.
“You know, two wrongs don’t make a right, but the thing that has happened, we, we greedy. It’s about greed. And when you’re greedy, the love of money is the root of all evil. When you want to gain things, you’re just going to do just about anything,” she said, as she related that most of the structures demolished were directly facing the hotel.
According to her, the houses that are farther away from the hotel were not affected, just the ones immediately being a nuisance to the hotel. She noted that this is the same place where the tents were erected following the demolition.
Johnson noted that the church has a responsibility to intervene and evangelise in squatter communities where there is often very little stability.
“I pray for them and I intercede,” Johnson said, explaining that her concern for residents is not simply theoretical.
She was very pleased when a friend of hers from a different parish, went into the community recently to distribute food and other supplies.
While she has her own opinion on the suspicious activities which led to the demolition, she was quick to point out that “two wrongs do not make a right.
“Sometimes I say, ‘God, is it that they don’t desire to serve you, or is it that the church has lost its way?”
“We have gone. The church has gone,” she lamented.
Her comments point to a concern that extends beyond the immediate circumstances surrounding the demolition. For Johnson, the situation warrants a moment of reflection on the church’s presence in communities where social problems are becoming increasingly visible. Are Christians doing enough to pray, intercede and remain present? she questioned.
Since the demolition exercise, which displaced roughly 40 families, the government has provided temporary tents, food supplies, bottled water, toiletries, beds, buckets and lighting equipment through agencies including the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.
But for displaced residents, the emergency assistance has not resolved the deeper challenges. Reports from the community indicate that people living in temporary arrangements continue to face the absence of basic amenities, including running water, electricity and proper restroom facilities.
Name changed by request.