I Almost Witnessed a Killing

“…He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.” Isa. 53: 7      

We were in the middle of our morning devotions, and were reading Isaiah 53, when suddenly we heard, “Si di bwoy deh (there he is)!” 

“Him ave a gun (he has a gun)!”

“Tim, si di bwoy deh (Tim there he his)!”

We hurried to our kitchen window and discreetly peeked through to see what was happening.  We saw two or three young men on our apartment compound, and they were throwing stones at another man, walking across an open lot of land, gun in hand, and heading to the relative cover of some nearby bushes.

“Hey bwoy a mauk you face, (Hey you, I know what you look like),” shouted one of the pursuers, keeping a safe distance from the gunman.

It wasn’t long before the gunman was apparently cornered, and they started closing in on him.  Then we heard two rounds of shots fired from a gun.  We couldn’t tell whether it was the gunman that fired, or someone else.  It seemed to have come from an automatic weapon, but the gunman was carrying what looked like a 38mm pistol.

My heart sunk as I thought that they may have killed him.  Or worse, that possibly he may have killed someone.  I’d never witnessed, or heard someone being killed before, and I was in no hurry to change that reality.  I silently prayed that it wasn’t so, either way.  And yet, I wish the world would be rid of all gunmen, especially those that use their weapon to commit crimes of theft and murder. My wife suggested that I call the Police and so I did.  But they had already gotten a call and were on their way to the scene.  We heard someone exclaimed, as if she saw a horrible sight.  She then bellowed above the din, “Somebody call the Police! Call the Police.”

Later I heard that the mob did deliver some injuries to the gunman, who had apparently robbed a lady in the community.

Amidst all the distraction of the morning we tried to complete our devotions, but we couldn’t help reflecting what it must have been like for Jesus, who was the victim of a mob that was hungry for blood.  The gunman may have in some way merited the treatment he got, but Jesus was innocent.  He suffered it all for us; for our sins. “…he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Vs. 5.

I love Jesus.  I’m awed by the fact that he was willing to endure such an extreme horror for me.  He did it, even though He was scared and wished there was some other way to save me.  But when he realized that there was no other way, He said, “nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” Mark 14:36

It is this Jesus that we worship and preach at Northern Caribbean University.  If you would like to make a career of preaching about this Jesus, then call the School of Religion and Theology at 1-876-963-7407/7415.  Or may you just want to understand how to integrate Jesus in your personal and professional life then call our Office of Admissions & Enrolment Management Tel. 1-876-963-7250/7400, Fax: 1-876-962-7500.  Or visit our website at  http://www.ncu.edu.jm/  .