Walking with our Children in a Violent World

I received the following from a young man (young to my sixty years) who I met recently, He is leading his Baptist community in the Chicago area to overcome barriers of all sorts for the sake of the children. His story heartens me and requires of me that I ask the question,  "Where are our children running risks and how can we walk with them before it is too late?"  Thank you, Thomas Savage Jr. 

“While walking home from school in late September, Fenger High School student, Derrion Albert, Chicago was beaten to death.  News and videos of the attack, which showed dozens of students participating in a violent brawl, ripped through national headlines, turning the nation’s eyes towards the violence that students found themselves in simply walking home from school in the Roseland community, located on the far south side of Chicago.

“In an organized response to the events surrounding the death, churches within the Roseland community vowed that they could no longer stand idly as their community was being destroyed from within.  If we are to truly have a brighter future, we must recognize that the education of our young people is of the upmost importance.  Our children must be able to travel to and from school in total safety.  Spearheaded by the leadership of Lilydale First Baptist Church (Rev. Dr. Alvin Love, Pastor) and Sheldon Heights Church of Christ (Leonardo D. Gilbert, Pastor) a plan to ensure the safety of the students was put in place.  The churches within the community decided that they would each adopt several corners.  Men and women from over 30 churches agreed to stand on corners from 3pm until 3:45pm greeting, engaging with, and showing love towards the students from the high school.  This adopt-a-corner method was utilized throughout the community as churches surrounding other at-risk high schools jumped on-board.  As one church, we have a responsibility of showing the love of God to everyone, especially in the times in which that love is so hard to see.  The actions of these few churches have shown that there is someone who cares about what is going on in the lives of these students, and that similar incidents will not be tolerated.”

Where are our children running risks and how can we walk with them before it is too late?