The Impact of Street Violence

One of the tough things about my job is that I often help young people navigate through the pain of street violence. Yesterday, for instance, my day started out just like any other Sunday in terms of mentally preparing myself for the worship service at North Way East End. When I picked up one of my mentees for church early in the morning, he was really struggling having just heard the news that one of his good friends has just been shot and killed a few hours earlier. There is no pastoral handbook that comes will helping somebody navigate through the violent death of one of their friends. The initial human instinct seems to be to avoid the topic, and to stay as far away from the situation as possible. My calling as a pastor, though, involves engaging in these types of situations. After church, I accompanied my friend to the street where the murder happened so that he could grieve with his friends and talk things through. I spent time in the neighborhood even though police were all over the place... some even had their guns drawn pursuing some suspects. Then, I supported more young people through the pain that they were experiencing. Yesterday was definitely a difficult day, but I am glad that God was able to work through me to meet hurting people right where they are at. As I enter into people's pain, God is able to heal hearts and he is also able to transform my heart. I am praying for an end to the street violence in my neighborhood, but while it still exists I'm committed to doing everything that I can do to possibly make a difference. I believe that God is able to transform hearts and communities, and that God is close to us in the midst of our suffering.