Mark Dawes, Staff Reporter

Last week in the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court, Detective Constable Carey Lyn-Sue confessed he had fabricated evidence in an April 2006 murder case in which 20-year-old Jason James was charged. Lyn-Sue was, at the time, attached to the Area One Accident Reconstruction and Investigative Unit. Immediately following his disclosure, Police Commissioner, Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin, suspended him from duty. The following are more responses from Christian ministers to the confession of Detective Constable Lyn-Sue.

HENRY

David Henry, pastor, Swallowfield Chapel, St. Andrew:

I believe it is the truth that sets us free.

I, therefore, believe, that there is need for truth speaking in our nation as premise for healing and national progress. Confession must, however, be followed through with a change of life to right wrongs, to make restitution and foster healing.

As such, Detective Constable Lyn-Sue's confession is a move in the right direction.

For those castigating him, I would say, "He that is without sin among you, cast the first stone" John 8:7. We need to engender truth speaking at all levels of society.

Michael Aiken, pastor, Gideon Gospel Chapel, Buff Bay:

The words 'sin' and 'forgive' are two very important, critical and misunderstood Bible words and concepts. 'Sin' simply means "to miss the mark" or to miss what is best (and don't we all miss what is best for us and each other every day?) And the word 'forgive' which most of us think simply means 'to pardon', is actually much more powerful than that. It literally means to do something pleasant or agreeable for another or to do a favour that's unmerited (and don't we all love when that happens to us?) And even more importantly, the Bible says that our progress in life (temporally and eternally) is intrinsically connected to our forgiveness of others.

Therefore, as it pertains to Detective Constable Carey Lyn-Sue, the constable has agreed with God, and us, that he missed the mark and did not do what was best for another citizen. We all have two options available: 1) To judge him and condemn him because of his revelatory agreement. But I find that difficult to do because even my tardy response to your email is an indication that I missed the mark and did not do what's best for you. 2) To forgive the constable even though he may not merit my forgiveness. If I don't choose this response I am possibly missing the mark again because this may be what's best for him and certainly what I would want for myself. Hmmm ... reminds me of another Bible concept. "Do unto others as you would have them do on to you!"

All those in favour of forgiving Constable Lyn-Sue raise your hands, please! I think we should have about 2.6 million hands raised.

ALLEN

Dr. Patrick Allen, president of the West Indies Union of Seventh-Day Adventists:

Detective Constable Carey Lyn-Sue is an interesting man, even though I don't know him and never heard of him before he made headline news. There is not much that I know of him except what the papers said ... I am limited in doing any form of characterisation which must form the basis of an honest assessment. Who is Carey Lyn-Sue?

Whether this is a spontaneous act prompted by the Spirit of God, a self-serving act, or one's desire to have one's '15 minutes', it has serious implications for anyone who serves in public life, or in a position of trust, to be worthy of the confidence reposed in them.

We all know that in Jamaica confidence has been eroded in individuals who serve in public life, and this has unfortunately spread even to the Church. The confession of Constable Lyn-Sue has confirmed what the public has suspected for some time now though it could not be empirically corroborated.

This incident also places greater demand on oversight bodies to be thorough and faithful in discharging their fiduciary responsibility by courageously acting in instances of wrongdoing and breaches of the respective codes and regulations, by staff. They should not knowingly or suspectingly wait until a person can no longer carry the burden of their guilt and break under the pressure.

For whatever the underlying reason for his confession, he certainly made a monumental decision to risk life and limb for the practice to be unmasked. Someone has to pay the penalty for this, but it can't only be the person who confessed (and asked for forgiveness with the hope of obtaining pardon).

The culture of corruption and deceit has to be abated before it destroys us. If this is the beginning of a new era in Jamaica, then praise God, it's about time. Let us begin to honestly look at ourselves and our behaviour and build back the trust of the people who asked us to lead them.

Teddy Jones, pastor, Shalom Missionary Church, St. Andrew:

I am quite pleased to see that this man, who has found salvation in Christ, has seen it fit to clear his conscience in this way. There may very well have been others before him who found Christ but didn't feel the relevance of such a confession. While his tampering with the truth and perversion of justice are grave, the moment he surrendered his life (to God) he was forgiven. His actions find a striking parallel in the Gospels in the actions of Zachaeus the tax collector who, after being touched by the mercy of Jesus in caring enough to eat at his house, as notoriously sinful as he was, decided to be a disciple of Jesus, but not just that, he, of his own volition, decided to pay back all those whom he had robbed in the exercise of his job. This action was highly commendable. This is the cost of truth telling at times, but it is exactly the kind of bravery and stance for righteousness that we need more of in this nation. I wonder how many of his colleagues who are crying foul are afraid that their own misconduct will be found out.