‘Dancehall Pastor’ Says The Coronavirus Is Really A Blessing In Disguise

Pastor Stephen Blake, who refers to himself as the ‘Dancehall Pastor’, might be the one person in Jamaica who thinks that the coronavirus may be a blessing in disguise.  He expressed these sentiments to the Jamaica Star and explained a bit more about what he means by that.

He said that he didn’t want his comments to be confused with him wishing for the coronavirus on someone. “I don’t wish for innocent people to suffer because of its spread, but for the people to take the time to seek God,” he said.

Blake shot to fame in 2017 when he began visiting clubs and other popular Dancehall events to convert people to Christianity. He is well known for his flamboyant style. He added that the virus is a perfect time for people to slow down and get their focus back to God.

The coronavirus has infected more than 300, 000 people worldwide and the death toll is steadily rising, with more than 15 000 deaths so far.

“Sometimes you have to follow what Caesar seh, and right now that is, no gathering [of] more than 20 people, so it put us, the spiritual and political leaders, and those in entertainment, in the position to find different ways to reach the people. For me, that has been through social media,” he added.

This is one of the many measures that the Jamaican government has implemented as they try to mitigate the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Jamaica’s Carnival has been cancelled and their borders have been temporarily closed to international travel.

Blake also said that he believes it’s imperative for leaders to keep the nation calm at time.

“It very sad to see pastor instil fear in people about angel of death. Me nah operate in that fear. We need to be in support of the people, make them keep calm … the calmer we are, the more rational we think, and the quicker we overcome the situation,” he said.

While talking to the Star he quoted bible scripture to drive home his point. He used the book of 2 Timothy 1:7, to explain a bit more about his position on the topic: “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control”.

His hope is that humanity comes out stronger in their faith after the crisis is over.
“It is not an act of God, but I implore them to ask God fi give ideas to create a better life for themselves,” he said.

He’s been active on Instagram as well, spreading his message of hope. One of his posts is a banner which says “We’re all in this together” and his latest post is a one minute clip of him singing Barrington Levy’s popular hit, Vice Versa Love, as he tries to encourage people to be strong during this time of pandemic.