For many commuters travelling through sections of Old Harbour Town, St. Catherine, one familiar sight has become part of their daily routine: a woman standing quietly along the roadside, holding signs bearing Bible verses and messages calling people to repentance.
That woman is Shanika Johnson, who says she has made it her daily mission to share the Gospel with motorists and pedestrians, believing that even one person can be transformed through a simple message.
Johnson explained that she previously joined the peaceful prayer protests and street evangelism at locations such as Emancipation Park. however, after leaving her job in February, she felt compelled to begin ministering on her own.
“I kept delaying because I always wanted to stay at the back,” she recalled. “Then the Lord said to me, ‘My daughter, you are delaying. People are waiting.'”
Despite losing her job and having limited financial resources, Johnson said fellow believers helped her begin the ministry. One friend gave her a Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) bus card, while another person arranged for her to receive the placards she now carries each day.
She now wakes at 4:30 a.m. and leaves home by 5:30 a.m. to reach her ministry location before the morning commute begins.
The messages displayed on Johnson’s signs are almost entirely drawn from Scripture.
Among them are Proverbs 14:12, which warns that “there is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death,” Hebrews 4:12, and Matthew 7:13-14, which encourages believers to enter through the narrow gate. Other signs simply read, “Repent and Turn to Jesus,” while another asks people to choose between heaven and hell.
Of all the signs she carries, Johnson said one remains her favourite.
“‘Repent and Turn to Jesus’ is my favourite one,” she said. “I carry it everywhere I go because it’s time for repentance. It’s time to turn to Jesus because we are turning away from God.”
She believes the signs are a reminder that people from every walk of life can find hope through faith.
“I stand out there to let them know that Jesus still cares. Jesus is the answer for every one of us,” she said, adding that she is especially concerned about the direction many young people are taking.
Johnson said reactions from the public have been mixed.
While some motorists sound their horns in support and pedestrians stop to thank her, others challenge her beliefs or disagree with the messages on the placards.
She recalled one occasion when a taxi driver stopped to argue with her about righteousness. Despite encounters like these, Johnson said criticism has never discouraged her from continuing her ministry.
“I made up my mind that rain or sunshine, no matter what, I am not going to give up until Jesus says it’s my time to move from there,” she said.
Johnson also described facing personal challenges while ministering, including verbal confrontations and one incident in which she said she was inappropriately touched by a passer-by. She views these experiences as part of the difficulties that come with sharing her faith publicly.
Despite those challenges, Johnson said the encouragement she receives from members of the community keeps her motivated.
She explained that several commuters now wait for her each morning to read a Bible passage and pray with them before they head to work.
She also recalled praying with a young man who had stopped attending church after facing personal difficulties. According to Johnson, he now greets her every morning on his way to work.
In another instance, she said she became concerned about a young man struggling with substance abuse. Working with others in the community, she helped connect him with people who could assist.
Johnson said residents have also told her they have noticed positive changes in the community since she began standing there each morning.
“People are seeing the impact. I am not seeing it because I don’t live there, but the people who live there say they are seeing a difference,” she said.
She believes the ministry is about much more than displaying signs.
For Johnson, it is an opportunity to encourage, pray with and support people who may be struggling spiritually or emotionally, while reminding them that they have not been forgotten.
“I carry a burden for my country, for my community and for the young generation,” she said. “If even one soul is won in a day, then I believe I’m making an impact.”
As Jamaica continues to grapple with social challenges affecting families and communities, Johnson says she intends to continue rising before dawn each day, taking her place by the roadside with a Bible verse in one hand and a message of hope in the other, believing that one encounter can make a lasting difference.