We Won’t Stop Until We Kill!

How should young teen-aged girls act? Well…you probably think they should be kind, polite, gentle, and considerate of others. I certainly agree with that kind of mind-picture of acceptable teen behavior. However, it is not always the way things work out in the real world.

Nancy and I have recently moved to a near western suburb of Cleveland, Ohio; and we work in a Christian tutoring program in the inner city of Cleveland; we teach reading skills using the Bible as a text. We serve a population of mostly second-generation African immigrant children. Last week a fight broke out in our classroom between two groups of young teen-aged girls. The weapons used were yelling, pushing, shoving, scratching, hair-pulling and flying fists. Over the ensuing week, one of the groups visited the homes of the other group and left graffiti on their doors and homes. Vile images, words, and threats were painted on the doors. One remark that appeared was, “We won’t stop until we kill!” The whole experience reminded us of the society where we lived in inner city Detroit 15 years ago. It is the picture of the typical rust belt, socially deteriorating, American city.

This kind of experience causes one to think. Hmmm…I wonder if even the Spirit of Christ can penetrate such social and psychological darkness. I wonder how much more liberal immigration policy America can tolerate before our whole society disintegrates into a violent maelstrom of destructiveness. What can we, as Christians, do to stem the tide of such social and spiritual chaos?

Well, I don’t think that Christ is helpless in this situation. I have faith that even out of this violence, hope can spring. But, we, Christians, absolutely must respond to this kind of destructiveness and social/spiritual darkness. We have to tend to these cities and do what we can do to counter such confusion of values and behavior. Please pray with us that Christ and His Spirit may reach the neighborhood where Nancy and I work. HE IS ABLE!!