It Takes A Village: Responding To Teen Violence

You cannot work with young people in Chicago (or in many other places) and not think about and be burdened by the problem (and really the crisis) of teen violence. Chicago recently surpassed Los Angeles and New York as the youth homicide leader in the US. According to a recent N'Digo article, "prior to 2006, Chicago averaged 15 fatal student shootings each year. That climbed to 24 fatal shootings in the 2006-2007 school year, 23 deaths in the 2007-2008 school year, and 34 deaths during the last school year. Just two months into the current school year, 10 students have lost their lives." This type of violence has rippling effects that are felt throughout the city by teens, young children, families, classrooms & schools, etc.

The question of "what is the solution?" is often asked. In other words, how do we stem this tide. In the aftermath of tragic teen deaths, there seems to be well-intentioned dialogue and often times emotion filled finger pointing. The problem with this passionate call to accountability is that everyone deserves a collective share: the parents, the police, the government, the schools, the neighbors, the teens, and last but not least - the Church. I recently read two articles that talked about collective accountability and collective action on behalf of young people in Chicago.

Toure Muhammed, in an article entitled "The Root Of Teen Violence" in N'Digo wrote,
"Everyone, including many young people, know exactly what needs to be done. In a nutshell, solutions include parents, law enforcement, religious and civic leaders working together to provide a nurturing community where youth are loved, encouraged, and supported. The question is whether or not the village will take collective responsibility for saving teens from senseless, thoughtless violence."

A friend and co-laborer of mine, Chris Butler, recently wrote an article entitled "Demanding More From Ourselves" for the Urban Faith web site. Chris and I both agree that the Church must take the lead in sparking this movement for peace. I like the way he "dreams dreams" as he shares, "Imagine the impact that we could make if every believer in Chicago truly began to pray for peace in our city, then allowed that prayer to motivate and strengthen us toward action. What if every school in Chicago was adopted by a handful of churches? What if believers in every neighborhood began to take responsibility for a block, a train station, a bus route, and went out to meet the people there, serve them, and act as a presence for peace? What if we turned the power of protest onto the drug dealers by coming to the hottest spots at the hottest times (usually nighttime) and exposing their activities done in darkness with bright lights, singing, and prayer? What if there was a prophetic voice coming out of the church that, through both its words and actions, could consistently afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted? That would be an appropriate movement for Chicago --- and for every urban community."


It is going to take long-term, sustained, life on life investment. We, the Church, must lead the way.