I’m Convinced It’s Something Deeper? It’s deeper than social and economic factors. I’m referring to the youth violence plaguing our urban cities. Many of you know, urban youth violence continues to rise – particularly in cities such as Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Detroit. Far too many of our young people are dying senseless deaths! According to the Children’s Defense Fund approximately 2,000 youth died in 2004 as a result of homicide. Tragically, a disproportionate number were African-American. No nation or people can expect to survive with the amount of bloodshed being spilled on the streets of so many cities. How does one explain this level of carnage? Why are kids killing each other at such an alarming rate? Most social scientists point to social and economic factors; poverty, joblessness, poor schools, absentee fathers, low self-esteem, etc.
I readily acknowledge these are contributing factors, but we know the problem is much deeper. I’m convinced that the underlying problem is… are you ready? Sin! Yes, sin. Now, before you dismiss this as being too simplistic, hear me out.
It’s a matter of the heart...
Listen to what Jesus says in Mark 7:21-23: “For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, arrogance, and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean.”
Jesus’ point here is not to provide an exhaustive top ten list of sins. Rather it is to show that outward behavior and external factors are not the basic issue. The real issue is the state of one’s heart. We live from the inside/out, not outside/in. Our behavior is a reflection of what’s going on inside of us.
Doesn’t it stand to reason that the moral development of youth should be our top priority? I mean teaching kids the difference between right and wrong, and confronting them about sin. We hear a lot these days about “speaking truth to power,” and I’m all for that. But let’s also speak truth to the power of sin that’s enslaving our young people.
We can ill afford to simply entertain, or hang out with youth. Far too many adolescences lack basic morality. As a result, they commit vicious acts of violence that leaves our heads spinning.
For example, take the case of 19-year old James Broadnax. Recently he was chargeed with murder in the Dallas/Fortworth area. In a sordid jailhouse interview, Broadnax said, “F--- them…Straight up,” when asked what he’d say to the victim’s families. Visit http://www.myfoxdfw.com
You won’t have to view too many interviews to agree that something deeper than social and economic factors are at play here…Am I right?
by Ron Carter