Youth Gun Violence: Shoulder to Shoulder, Not Toe to Toe

I was reading the news one day and saw this. Police Chief Phillip Smith says the number of shots fired incidents is lower this year, however, violent gun crimes have increased in young people.

Kids with guns.

The Vanderburgh County Prosecutor files about 400 juvenile cases a year. Nearly 300 of them are violent enough that they could be charged as adult crimes. More teens are being tried as adults now than before.

Terrible.

I got to talking to a friend about our community. She said “We always take it from the perspective of adults, wagging our finger at the youth. When has that ever helped anything?”

She continued, “Maybe we could go a different direction. Instead of pointing our finger, let’s listen. What are they saying? What is their reality?”

So I started paying attention.

I was down at Tepe Park at the basketball court. A free for all. About six kids, upper high school down to nine, four and five. All boys.

One kid kept getting picked on. They’d play-slap him, rough him up. He’d push back, and they’d mess with him again. It got to the point where he started breathing heavy, balling his fists and said, “Keep messing with me, I’m gonna call up on Tico!” An older boy replied, “Tico’s in jail.” The younger one said, “Okay, yeah, but when he gets out, I’m gonna call him!”

A week before that, a friend was going down the street on his bike. North. A group of older kids were threatening to break a toddler’s scooter. They were walking south. My friend rolled up and told them to stop. The older kids, feeling empowered by numbers, puffed their chests and started threatening to fight. I pulled up to make sure I could get in the middle if I had to.

Today a group of older guys played on the court. By the end they dapped up and said, “Good game!” One of the guys who lost said, “Hey, don’t forget your ball!” A man jogged back, grabbed it, and said, “Good looks, g,” and left.

As you’re present and build trust, people will come up to you and share things.

“I was a victim of gun violence. I got shot in the arm for literally no reason. I lost someone close to me. My mother almost crashed her car because of how sad she was.”

Just things I’ve witnessed over the last few weeks.

Nowhere did I see a gun. But I saw the fire underneath. And fire finds a weapon. But I also saw hope in the midst of the fire.

If we really listen, no judgment, just presence, there’s a volatile energy. We can see that.

But that’s not a satisfying ending, is it? Just to listen?

“Everybody is saying how bad it is but nobody wants to do anything about the topic.”, I hear on the court.

What do we do with that?

Instead of facing toward the young people in our community in a way that puts us at odds with them–facing against them like a boxing match. Maybe it’s time we turn our backs on them.

The English word orient comes from orientum, meaning “east.” Before 1970, the priest would face away from the congregation, his back to the people. That practice is called ad orientem, “to the east.” The spiritual reason is that the Lord will come like the rising sun from the east.

That doesn’t mean we ignore them. It means we stop standing opposite them. We turn around. We look at what they’re looking at. We face the same direction. Shoulder to shoulder, not toe to toe.

Look at what they’re looking at. Face what they’re facing. Stand with them in it.

It’s scary. Trust me. It’s vulnerable. The podium with security is much more safe.

The ultimate goal of the Christian life is to be one with Jesus and, He Himself, stood beside us. Not from heaven. Here. In the danger. And He told us “follow me”.

Simply face ad orientem.

Toward the same goal.

A goal with an orange double rim or with a screen saying “player one wins!”. To the tune of a kid with a voice cracking shouting “Brick!” Or the choir of angels singing “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

Maybe it doesn’t. Not directly or immediately, however…

“A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.”— St. Francis of Assisi