Rev Al Miller and Dudus

Father Richard Ho Lung, Contributor

Rev Al Miller is a man of God and a shepherd of souls. That is the purpose of his life. Furthermore, he wants Jamaica to be a people of God. I have known him for many years and have been involved in many common concerns that pertain to morality and the development of our country as a beautiful civilised country.

Those in the justice system in Jamaica need to be reminded that it is the spirit of the law that matters not the strict law. There are many famous prisoners, including Jesus, St Paul, John the Baptist, and thousands of martyrs who were called offenders of the civil law and put to death. Recently, I was referred to in public by a politician as a "frequent offender of the law" while Missionaries of the Poor was constructing a home for 200 babies and mothers in the ghetto.

Rev Al Miller is ready to go to jail, as he told me on the telephone. This is not idle talk, he meant it.

Good for Jamaica

The law of man is not greater than the law of God. The police authorities thought that Rev Al Miller might have intended to circumvent the civil law, when he journeyed with Christopher 'Dudus' Coke towards the United States (US) Embassy. But Dudus felt that he would be murdered in jail as happened to his father Lester Lloyd Coke. Rev Al Miller has done what is good for Jamaica, the US, and Dudus.

If Rev Al Miller had not planned to take him to the US Embassy, Dudus would still be at large, and the entire island would still be in a state of tension, fear and worry. On the way to the US Embassy, however, Dudus was caught by the police.

Shouldn't the police give thanks? Shouldn't the Ministry of Justice give thanks? Shouldn't we all give thanks that Rev Al Miller was brave enough and pastoral enough to keep dialogue with a man, though a notorious criminal, who could have killed him? Isn't it right that Rev Miller be concerned with the life and the soul of Dudus and at the same time of the nation?

Christopher 'Dudus' Coke should be extradited, and face the charges with all the evidence the US government has. The truth should be brought to light.

Self-serving

Our politicians continue to be self-serving and concerned about their power and position. Rather than giving thanks for the courage and goodness of the pastor and the result of his courage which is to have Dudus give himself to higher authorities of the US Embassy, they have become persecutors of Al Miller as happened to Christ 2000 years ago. They are indignant that instead of the local police authorities, Rev Al Miller seems to have directed Dudus to the US Embassy.

What if today the law of Jamaica legalized abortion, euthanasia, gay marriages, prostitution, drugs, as is happening in the advanced part of the western world? What if Christian institutions, and professionals are closed down in Jamaica for not practising the law when it becomes anti-Christian? (as is now happening in Europe and the US). When immoral, at times we must resist the civil law and be ready to be martyred as it seems the Rev Al Miller is prepared to do. Christians have been persecuted and imprisoned in the past, I expect more and more of that in our times. We live in an era of a "perverse and wicked generation".

Father Richard Ho Lung is the founder and superior general of Catholic charity Missionaries of the Poor. Send feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com

miller