Pastor Valancy Hawes is used to people hurling insults at him when he's on the street preaching the word of God, but last Thursday was the first time that these attacks turned physical. The fight, which has been making its rounds on social media, sees Hawes kicking a Rastaman and pinning him to the ground, after warning him to 'hol his position'.

But according to Hawes, he was fighting something bigger than the Rastaman.

"That wasn't a fight, that was a tek down. Wi shame the spirit and get the man because him nuh get no hurt, him nuh get no damage. I could have damaged him, but that was not the mission," he said.

Hawes said he was in Mexico in Arnett Gardens preaching, when the Rastaman came on the scene and decided to taunt him.

He said he endured the taunting for about 15 minutes before it got physical.

"I was there preaching, mi see him out deh a cuss. He was talking about mi mada, and mi dis and dat, but mi neva really pay him no mind, because every time you go out there to preach the word a God, people cuss and war; people just nuh wah hear the name of Jesus," he said. "The Lord was showing me that the devil was planning a physical battle, but mi a listen to God to work, because mi cya dweet on mi own."

Having discerned what was about to happen, Hawes said he gave the Rastaman a warning.

"I was telling the demon seh 'hol' yuh position' because mi come for a mission and yuh on a mission, and if God don't give yuh the authority to defeat mi, yuh cya defeat mi. I was speaking to the devil, not the Rasta man; mi know seh it's a spiritual battle," he said

DID NOT HEED WARNING

But the Rastaman did not heed the pastor's warning to his demise.

"Him seh 'Gweh, come wet yuh up', when him throw the rum right inna mi face. I was there asking the Lord what to do now, the foot fling so fast mi know is the Holy Spirit. It was an action ordained by the King himself because mi neva tek down a man so quick yet," he said.

"The man feel like a likkle paper inna mi hand, dat mean a nuh mi a handle him, it's the spirit of God," he added.

The 36-year-old pastor from Denham Town, Kingston, told THE STAR that he's been preaching on the streets for three years, after giving up his 'gangster' lifestyle.

"The Lord kept telling me that I need to go and do mission on the road, and Him start to tell mi just give the word, don't look fi who a cuss or who nah cuss. A spiritual warfare, and we're fighting against what we cannot see so He's the spiritual eyesight," he said.

THE STAR also visited the Rastaman who was involved in the incident.

Community members were very eager to direct us to the man they say has become the laughing stock of the community.

But apart from admitting that he was embarrassed by the incident, and that he's a strong believer in God, he had no further comment.