For just a moment yesterday at the New Testament Church of God in Bayside, Portmore, St Catherine, it was like the Day of Pentecost as Corporal Petrona Smith and District Constable Winton Lowe caused the Holy Spirit to rain down on the congregants of the church with their heart-warming medley of old gospel favourites.

Yesterday's service, held under the theme 'United Under God Through Challenging Times' was aimed at fostering closer relations between the Jamaica Constabulary and Island Special Constabulary forces as they paid tribute to their slain colleagues.

Lowe and Smith - representing both constabulary forces - showed how a united force can impact the country as they sang with conviction about the need for the nation to reach the heights of Higher Ground and about the need to find peace In the Cross.

"The challenges that face us, while they are varied and monumental, they are not insurmountable," a seemingly moved National Security Minister, Senator Dwight Nelson, charged the throng of lawmen and church members as he greeted them.

Urged to fight for country

Underscoring the extent to which Jamaica's morale and values had decayed in the last 40 or more years, Nelson called for unity at all levels to rid the country of those who have launched an assault on the state.

"We must recommit ourselves in the fight to save our country," he pleaded.

"History will never absolve us if we fail."

Custos of St Catherine, Sophia Azan, who also declared she was a prophetess, said the assault was a warning to the police and the nation that it was time to unite and to seek divine intervention.

"It's a warning that without God, all things are impossible," she said to thunderous shouts of "Hallelujah" and "Praise the Lord".

Tired of thuggish behaviour

"We are sick and tired of the anti-social and thuggish behaviour. Crime has become like a monster with its tentacles stretched across the 14 parishes," she said as she called on the security forces to respect the rights of citizens and for citizens to respect and cooperate with the police.

Speaker Bishop Dr W.A. Blair's sermon also patterned the theme of the day as he called for the two constabulary arms to work more closely in an effort to combat criminal elements.

He also urged the media to join in the fight against crime by being more mindful of the images and messages they produce.

"The country needs more positivity. The solution is Jesus. The world needs Jesus today," he charged.

Catapulting the plea for unity to a completely different level, however, the bishop did not shrug at the opportunity to call for a resumption of capital punishment.

"Execute the law and let a man know when you kill a man, you are going to be dead," he preached.