A few weeks ago a gentleman at our church asked me why I spend so much of my time addressing crime in the neighborhood.  It was one of those questions that is so simple to ask, while the answer is so big and has so many layers.

For starters, we believe that as Christians we are to live in a way that helps people see and experience the Kingdom of God that is already here, breaking into this world, and still on its way by pursing things like peace, justice, reconciliation, hope, etc.  Since race, crime, and economics are all major issues in our neighborhood and are all interrelated in our neighborhood, addressing crime is one of the best ways we can pursue these Kingdom initiatives and get the most “bang for our buck” so to speak.

For example, almost all of the violent crimes in our community are committed by young black men.  The more these crimes occur – especially the more sensational crimes like kidnappings, armed robberies, shootings, etc. – the more people’s natural psychology leads them to pre-judge (prejudice) all young black men as dangerous or a threat or as a potential danger or a potential threat.  I’ve seen this in both white and black people.  This is unfortunate because the majority of young black men in our community are not violent, but they receive a part of the negative consequences of other people’s criminal actions when they are distrusted or held at a distance (pre-judged) because they resemble the people repeatedly seen in descriptions, pictures, and videos who have proven themselves to be dangerous.  Having to suffer the consequences for the actions of others is obviously unfair, frustrating, and angering.  The better job we can do of minimizing crime in our neighborhood the less concern people will have (and need to have) for their own safety, the less associations people will have between young black males and danger/threat, and the more little black boys in our neighborhood will be able to grow up free to be judged by their actions, rather than the actions of others.  We believe this will give them a better chance of doing well in school, work, and life.

There are so many more layers, stories, and angles to share about why addressing crime in our neighborhood is a central part of pursing God’s Dream for individuals and for this community.  I hope I get to share them with you.