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16 BODY OF CHRIST NEWSJUNE 2015 It was an altar call unlike any youve ever seen. Two young men from rival street gangs one a Crip and one a Blood came together at the pulpit in St. Stephens Baptist Church. The two confessed they had been trying to kill each other for more than a year. And then the enemy gang members dropped their colors at the pulpit and embraced each other tears in their eyes. From now on they said they would walk the same road together. Enough killing it was time for a new beginning. When asked what the churches could do to help an 18 year old gang member looked us straight in the eyes and said We need the churches to lead us to the Lord. The increasing level of violence in our society is a jarring and appalling confirmation of Americas moral crisis. The streets of our urban and even suburban areas safe to walk just a generation ago now give pause even to the most street wise. Entire neighborhoods once vibrant and bustling with life have been dulled by the scourge of drugs poverty and brutality. Families have been shattered by seemingly random incidents of violence. And those institutions to which society looks for answers in times like these churches schools and community organizations have been paralyzed by fear confusion and an addiction to bureaucracy. But fear cannot have the last word. Americas crisis of violence does not exist in a vacuum. It is a spiritual crisis of the deepest dimensions calling for profound spiritual answers and deep self-examination by each of us. The time is now. It is time for the Christian community to come together and stop ignoring the problem. It is Time to work together and time to partner and lay aside our denominational differences. In this article I am calling for all who consider themselves a follower of Jesus the Christ both urban and non-urban black white latinoa and asian and African churches also those religious groups such as muslims and Jews to come together and pray and get involved with what is going on in our communities here in Denver Colorado. The escalation of violence on our Denvers streets has reached such a crisis that perhaps only the religious community can adequately respond to it. Why Because the cruel and endemic economic injustice soul-killing materialism life-destroying drug traffic pervasive racism unprecedented breakdown of family life and structure and almost total collapse of moral values that have created this culture of violence are at heart spiritual issues. Because SPIRITUAL transformation will be at the absolute core of the changes we so urgently need the churches must help lead the way. But such a leadership role will first require some soul-searching on the part of the churches. This problem is too deep and our task too large to take it on by ourselves. We will need the help that comes by faith. As Mrs. Shawn Deberry Johnson has rightly said sometimes God calls us to be servant-leaders and not always the one to lead. Sometimes the church must pray and follow and allow others to lead as well. 2. The contribution of faith communities to a social crisis always come precisely at the point of perceived lost causes and hopeless circumstances. The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews says that faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen 111. Or as I like to paraphrase it hope is believing in spite of the evidence then watching the evidence change. At critical historical junctures faith makes possible the political imagination to find solutions to seemingly impossible social problems. Local churches and congregations must connect with youth organizations to create positive and concrete steps toward conflict resolution and community development. Local churches need to be encouraged to apply the ancient idea of sanctuary in creating open and safe spaces in the midst of urban war zones. Primary attention needs to be focused on the necessity of community-based economic development Dr. James Tucker was right in raising the issue at our meeting. Our state and city governments are collecting millions of dollars in taxes from the marijuana industry every month and some of our ministers have stated that some of those funds should go towards real social problems like gang violence. Let me encourage our State as well when it comes to the Colorado lottery. Only so much can be used for parks and recreation. Some of those funds should also be used to reduce the level and violence in the communities as well. The funds are there just need to be redirected and used for the betterment of our neighborhoods and communities. Ecclesiastical structures should be challenged to make money and investment portfolios available for that crucial task. Churches portfolios are currently worth more than 35 billion from Sunday morning services but only a fraction of one percent of that is re invested in community-based development. Local churches are called upon to become actively involved as advocates for young people in the criminal justice system. Churches should be enlisted in the very controversial task of keeping both drugs and guns out of the communities. Pastoral resources must be specifically applied to the epidemic of sexual irresponsibility and abuse as well as to the central task of family reconstruction. Any strategy that does not highlight the centrality of evangelism and spiritual transformation is doomed to failure. The Biblical agenda of the gospel must be clear in the power of God to transform peoples lives. Resources also need to be made available to help local churches to find the most faithful and practical ways to respond. There are churches already in our communities that are doing this kind of work as far as having after school programs to keep children off the streets while parents are still at work. There are churches in our communities that have rites of passage programs for young men and tutorial programs for our youth. They only need resources to expand and to continue doing what they know does work. Talk is cheap. The City should be willing to help to expand these programs if they are working to save the lives of our youth. Our Youth need jobs for the summer if not they will be in the street. 3. The City should be willing to offer critical resources and technical assistance for new proj- ects that will help to curve the gang activities in our communities. How do we mobilize the City Council to place on their agenda the important of saving our children How do we mobilize the City government and State government to invest Mobilize The Church Against Urban Violence By Dr. H. Malcolm Newton Every DogWill have His Day Every dog will have his day said David Walker in David Walkers Appeal. This appeal spoke on behalf of the Blacks in America calling for the abolition of slavery. The appeal was feared through- out America because people thought that it would cause the slaves to revolt. It was silenced to keep the cries for equality and human rights from spreading. No longer will the humanity of a people be ignored and silenced. The unjust killings of unarmed African American males Tamir Rice Eric Gardner and Freddy Grey by police officials were the straws that broke the camels back. Tamir Rice a 12-year-old boy was shot and killed after playing with a fake gun in the park. The police got away and America continued to sleep on. The recent death of Freddy Grey that occurred while he was in police custody is now a part of the names called when the topic of police brutality is discussed. The article states that Grey ran when he spotted the police which explains why he was initially apprehended. Upon being placed in police custody Grey had a broken neck and an 80 percent severed spine. This death is an example of the unjust and inhumanetreatment of unarmed African Americans by police officials. Protests have been going on as a result of the deaths in the Black community caused by police brutal- ity. The news covered the protests the riots and the vandalism tak- ing place. What the many of the mainstream media outlets did not dis- play is the unifi- cation of opposing gangs in Baltimore. The Bloods and the Crips called for a truce in order to help bring peace and unity during this time of anger within their com- munities. Many major news outlets just reported gangs getting together to harm police. In real- ity gang members said that they came out to help prevent the looting of stores. Few media out- lets acknowledged the efforts made by the people within the Baltimore community to end gang violence to help the community. Instead they were often portrayed as the threat. America also missed the opportu- nity to show community members in the aftermath of the protests in Baltimore coming out to clean up the city sweeping up the trash that was left behind. Children and adults alike put the remains of their com- munity back together as best they can. The ruling of Freddy Greys case has been classified as a homicide and the police have been taken into custody. Many people would consider this a win but I believe thats up for interpreta- tion. This is a ques- tion I am sure has plagued many peo- ples minds were government officials actually acknowl- edging that those officers commit- ted a crime against human beings in custody stripping the community and its members of their right to feel safe or were the police brought up on charges out of fear of the protests fear of the African Americans revealing a whole lot of truths that Americas ears werent ready to hear or the fear that oth- ers might have the courage to listen to the needs for humanity to be restored within these communities for the African American people By taking quick action the verdict was set but was this response serv- ing justice or intending to take the Chynna Fayne By Chynna Fayne Continued on Page 17 Continued on Page 21 COMMUNITY